Easy Canvas Paintings: 17 Ideas Anyone Can Make Tonight, Even If You Think You Can’t Draw
Easy canvas paintings are the best kind of therapy you can buy for a few dollars, and you really do not need to know how to draw. If you have ever stood in a craft store holding a blank canvas and thinking you are not the artsy type, this list is for you. Every idea here uses simple tricks like tape, cotton swabs, a fork or even bubble wrap to do the hard part for you. Short painting videos showing these exact techniques are pulling in tens of millions of views right now, because people love seeing something beautiful appear in a few minutes. Pour a cup of tea, put on music you love and give yourself one quiet evening to create something..
Easy Canvas Paintings Start With a Sunset Lake Reflection
A glowing sunset over still water is the painting most beginners fall in love with first. A short video of an easy painting like this has been watched more than 60 million times, and you can watch the easy painting short here. Blend yellow, orange and pink across the top half, then paint the same colors upside down on the bottom half for the reflection. A thin dark line of pine trees in the middle makes it look finished. Nobody will guess it took less than an hour..
You will need: An 8 by 10 inch canvas, acrylic paints in yellow, orange, pink, purple and black, a wide flat brush, a small round brush, water, paper towels.
How to make it: 1. Paint the sky in horizontal bands from yellow to pink to purple. 2. Paint the same bands in reverse on the bottom half. 3. Drag a dry brush sideways across the middle to blur the water. 4. Add a thin black tree line with dabbing strokes.
One-Stroke Roses
One-stroke painting looks fancy, but it is all about loading two colors on one flat brush. Dip one corner in white and the other in pink, then swirl the brush in a little C shape. The colors blend on their own and form petals. Build a rose with a few of these curves, then add green leaves with the same trick. After ten minutes of practice on paper, you will be ready for the canvas. Easy canvas paintings of roses make sweet gifts for moms and grandmas. Which color roses will you paint first?
You will need: A small canvas, a flat brush about 3/4 inch wide, acrylic paints in pink, red, white and two greens, a palette, scrap paper for practice.
How to make it: 1. Dip one corner of the flat brush in white and the other in pink. 2. Paint a small C shape for the rose center. 3. Add bigger curved strokes around it for petals. 4. Load green and yellow and press and twist for leaves.
Easy Canvas Paintings for Winter: A Silent Snowy Landscape
Snow scenes are wonderful for beginners because the white covers mistakes. Paint a soft pink and blue sky, add rolling white hills with a little blue shadow, then stick in a few thin dark trees. A tiny cabin with a yellow window gives the whole painting a cozy heart. It feels peaceful the moment you finish it. Hang it up for winter and swap it out in spring. Easy canvas paintings like this make great holiday decor. Will you add a little cabin too?
You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints in white, light blue, pink, black and yellow, a wide brush, a liner brush, a small flat brush.
How to make it: 1. Blend pink and pale blue across the sky. 2. Paint white hills and add blue shadows along the bottom edges. 3. Use a liner brush for thin dark trees. 4. Paint a small cabin and dab on a yellow window.
Galaxy Splatter Sky, the Messiest of Easy Canvas Paintings
This one is pure fun and impossible to get wrong. Sponge on patches of navy, purple, teal and black, blending the edges so they melt into each other. Then dip an old toothbrush in white paint and flick the bristles with your thumb to spray tiny stars. Add a few bigger stars with the tip of a brush. Of all the easy canvas paintings here, kids love this one most, and it looks amazing in a teen’s bedroom. Cover your table well because the splatter goes everywhere. How many stars will you add?
You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints in navy, purple, teal, black and white, a kitchen sponge, an old toothbrush, newspaper to cover the table.
How to make it: 1. Sponge dark blue and black over the whole canvas. 2. Dab purple and teal in cloudy patches and blend the edges. 3. Flick white paint from the toothbrush for stars. 4. Add a few larger stars with a small brush.
Easy Canvas Paintings for Kids: Cotton Swab Dot Flowers
Cotton swabs make perfect little round dots, which turn into flowers in seconds. Paint thin green stems first, then press dots in a circle at the top of each stem with a different color for every flower. Add a dot of yellow in the middle. Bundle a few swabs together with a rubber band to make bigger blooms quickly. This is a lovely project for a rainy afternoon with little ones. Easy canvas paintings like this boost confidence fast. What colors will your garden be?
You will need: A small canvas, cotton swabs, acrylic paints in bright colors and green, a paper plate, a thin brush.
How to make it: 1. Paint a soft background color and let it dry. 2. Paint thin green stems. 3. Dip a cotton swab in paint and press dots in a circle at the top of each stem. 4. Add a yellow center dot.
Easy Canvas Paintings With Tape: Geometric Shapes
If you love modern art, painter’s tape is your new best friend. Stick strips of tape across the canvas in random directions to create triangles and shapes. Paint each section a different color, right over the tape edges. Wait until it is almost dry, then peel off the tape slowly to reveal crisp white lines. The reveal is so satisfying. It looks like a gallery piece and takes no drawing at all. Which color mix will you choose?
You will need: A canvas, painter’s tape, acrylic paints in 4 or 5 colors, a medium flat brush.
How to make it: 1. Press tape firmly across the canvas to make shapes. 2. Paint each shape a different color. 3. Let it dry until just tacky. 4. Peel the tape slowly at an angle.
Ombre Sky With Tree Silhouettes
Ombre means one color fading into another, and it is easier than it sounds. Start with yellow at the bottom, then orange, then magenta at the top, blending each band while the paint is still wet. Once it dries, paint skinny black tree trunks rising from the bottom edge with a few simple branches. The contrast makes the colors glow. It looks beautiful above a desk or a bed. Easy canvas paintings with bold color like this brighten any room. Ready to blend?
You will need: A tall canvas, acrylic paints in yellow, orange, magenta and black, a wide brush, a liner brush, a cup of water.
How to make it: 1. Paint a band of yellow across the bottom. 2. Add orange above it and blend where they meet. 3. Add magenta at the top and blend again. 4. When dry, paint thin black trees from the bottom up.
Full Moon Over Water
A big glowing moon is easier to paint than you think. Trace around a cup to make a perfect circle, then fill it with white and a touch of gray. Paint a deep blue sky around it and dark water below. Then dab short horizontal white strokes under the moon to make a shimmering path on the water. It is one of those easy canvas paintings that looks magical, especially in a dim room. If you enjoyed this, you might also love these beginner painting projects inspired by George W Bush. Ready to paint the night?
You will need: A canvas, a round cup to trace, acrylic paints in navy, black, white and gray, a wide brush, a small flat brush.
How to make it: 1. Trace a circle near the top with the cup. 2. Paint the sky navy around the circle, darker at the edges. 3. Fill the moon with white and soft gray patches. 4. Paint the water dark and add short white strokes below the moon.
Cotton Swab Cherry Blossoms
Tie ten or so cotton swabs together with a rubber band and you have a magic blossom stamp. Paint a few dark brown branches across a pale blue background. Then dip the bundle in pink and white and press it along the branches. Each press makes a cluster of tiny petals that look so real. It is calm, simple and very pretty. These easy canvas paintings look lovely in a set of two or three. Will you paint spring early this year?
You will need: A canvas, cotton swabs, a rubber band, acrylic paints in light blue, brown, pink and white, a small round brush.
How to make it: 1. Paint the background pale blue and let it dry. 2. Paint brown branches from one corner. 3. Bundle the swabs and dip them in pink and white. 4. Press the bundle along the branches.
Boho Mandala
Mandalas look complicated, but they are just circles of repeating dots and shapes. Start in the center with one big dot, then add rings of smaller dots around it. Use the end of a paintbrush, a pencil eraser or a cotton swab for different sizes. Change colors with every ring. It is so relaxing that many people choose mandalas over other easy canvas paintings to unwind. You can put one on a square canvas, a wood slice or even a rock. Which colors make you feel calm?
You will need: A square canvas, acrylic paints, dotting tools or a pencil with an eraser, paintbrush handles in different sizes, a pencil and ruler.
How to make it: 1. Find the center of the canvas and paint a large dot. 2. Lightly draw rings with a pencil. 3. Fill each ring with dots of one size and color. 4. Work outward, changing tools and colors.
Easy Canvas Paintings Without Drawing: Color-Block Abstract
No drawing skills needed at all for this one. Pick four or five colors you love and paint big blocks of color across the canvas, overlapping some edges. Use a palette knife or an old gift card to scrape in some texture. There is no right or wrong, which makes it freeing. Hang it in a modern living room or office and people will ask where you bought it. Easy canvas paintings like this are great for beginners who feel nervous. Are you ready to just let go?
You will need: A large canvas, acrylic paints in 4 or 5 bold colors, a palette knife or old plastic card, a wide brush.
How to make it: 1. Paint big uneven blocks of color across the canvas. 2. Overlap a few edges while the paint is wet. 3. Drag a palette knife through some areas for texture. 4. Step back and add one accent color.
Fork-Painted Tulips, Easy Canvas Paintings From the Kitchen Drawer
Grab a fork from the kitchen and you are ready for this one. Dip the back of the fork tines in paint and press it on the canvas, then drag it upward slightly. The lines look just like tulip petals. Add green stems and long leaves with a brush. Red, pink and yellow tulips together look so cheerful. Kids think this trick is hilarious, and adults love how quick it is. Wash the fork well afterward or keep it as a craft fork. What colors will your tulips be?
You will need: A canvas, an old fork, acrylic paints in red, pink, yellow and green, a paper plate, a small brush.
How to make it: 1. Paint long green stems and leaves. 2. Dip the fork tines in paint. 3. Press the fork at the top of each stem and drag it slightly up. 4. Add a second press in a lighter shade for depth.
Bubble Wrap Honeycomb
Bubble wrap is not only for packing. Roll yellow and orange paint onto a piece of bubble wrap, then press it onto the canvas. You get an instant honeycomb pattern. Add a few simple bees with black and yellow paint and little white wings. It looks wonderful in a kitchen. You can try the same trick with blue for a fish scale look or green for a dragon. Keep the bubble wrap flat so the pattern prints evenly. What else could you stamp with it?
You will need: A canvas, a sheet of bubble wrap, a small paint roller or brush, acrylic paints in yellow, orange, black and white.
How to make it: 1. Roll yellow and orange paint onto the bubble wrap. 2. Press it face down on the canvas and rub gently. 3. Lift it straight up. 4. Paint small bees once the pattern dries.
Soft Seascape With a Glowing Horizon
A quiet seascape is mostly about soft color and one strong line. Paint a pale peach and cream sky, a muted blue sea and a sandy beach in the front. The magic is a thin bright line of light right on the horizon, where the sky meets the water. Keep everything soft and blurry except that line. It looks peaceful and grown up. It is one of the easy canvas paintings that look like they belong in a gallery. Can you picture it in your bedroom?
You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints in cream, peach, soft blue, gray and sand, a wide soft brush, a fine brush.
How to make it: 1. Blend peach and cream across the top half. 2. Paint the sea in soft blue and gray. 3. Add a sandy beach at the bottom. 4. Paint a thin bright cream line along the horizon.
Lavender Sprigs
Lavender is easy to paint because each flower is just a column of small dabs. Paint thin green stems, then use the tip of a round brush to press little purple dabs up each stem, starting darker at the bottom and lighter at the top. Add a tiny ladybug for a cute surprise. Easy canvas paintings like this feel calming in a bathroom or bedroom. Try a light gray or white background so the purple pops. How many sprigs will you paint?
You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints in purple, lilac, white and green, a small round brush, a liner brush.
How to make it: 1. Paint thin green stems with a liner brush. 2. Dab dark purple at the base of each flower. 3. Add lighter purple dabs going up. 4. Finish with a few white highlights.
Little Cabin in the Mountains
Mountains are just big triangles with soft tops, which makes them easy to paint. Start with a blue sky, then paint green mountains in two shades, the back ones lighter than the front. Add a row of trees with simple vertical strokes and a tiny cabin at the bottom. It feels like a cozy vacation spot you can visit every day. Easy canvas paintings in this style work with any season, so try fall colors too. Where would your dream cabin be?
You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints in blue, white, two greens, brown and red, a wide brush, a small flat brush.
How to make it: 1. Paint a light blue sky. 2. Paint the back mountains in light green and the front ones darker. 3. Add trees with quick vertical strokes. 4. Paint a small cabin with a red roof.
Winter Cardinal
A bright red bird on a snowy branch is the perfect painting to finish the year. Paint a soft gray sky and a dark branch across the canvas. The cardinal is just a teardrop body, a pointed crest and a small black mask around a tiny orange beak. Dab white snow along the top of the branch and flick a few snowflakes. It makes a charming holiday decoration. It is a sweet way to end our list of easy canvas paintings. Which one will you try tonight?
You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints in red, dark red, black, orange, white, gray and brown, a small round brush, an old toothbrush.
How to make it: 1. Paint a gray sky and let it dry. 2. Paint a brown branch across the middle. 3. Paint a red teardrop bird with a crest, black mask and orange beak. 4. Dab snow on the branch and flick white snowflakes.
