Hollywood Stars Who Paint Inspired These 12 Easy Art Projects You Can Try

Hollywood stars who paint remind us that you do not need a fancy art degree to fill a canvas with joy. Behind the red carpets and movie sets, some famous actors spend their free hours with brushes, paint tubes and big blank canvases, simply because it makes them happy. A few have even shown their work in galleries. Their stories are a sweet reminder that painting is not about being perfect, it is about color, feeling and having fun. Below you will meet a few of these talented actors and find easy art projects inspired by their styles, from bold splashes to pour paintings and painted rocks. Grab a brush, put on some music and give yourself permission to play..

Hollywood Stars Who Paint: Jim Carrey and His Big Bold Canvases

Jim Carrey is one of the best known Hollywood stars who paint. In 2017 he released I Needed Color, a six minute documentary that showed him working in his studio surrounded by huge, colorful canvases. His art was also shown at the Outsider Art Fair in 2018. You can borrow his fearless spirit with a big color splash canvas. Choose three or four bright colors you love and do not plan too much. Let your arm move and see what happens..

You will need: A large canvas, bright acrylic paints, wide brushes, a drop cloth, an old shirt.

How to make it: 1. Cover the floor and lay the canvas flat. 2. Paint big sweeping shapes in your favorite colors, overlapping them as you go. 3. Add a few bold lines or dots with a smaller brush and let it dry flat.

Pierce Brosnan Paints Loose, Expressive Abstracts

Before he was an actor, Pierce Brosnan wanted to be a painter and trained in commercial illustration at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London. He took up painting again in the late 1980s and found it therapeutic, and he has raised money for charity by selling his paintings. He calls himself self taught and has named Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky as influences. Hollywood stars who paint like Brosnan prove it is never too late to pick up a brush. Try a loose abstract with big strokes and no rules. Which painter inspires you?

You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints in four colors, a large flat brush, a palette, water.

How to make it: 1. Pick four colors and squeeze them onto a palette. 2. Paint large loose strokes across the canvas without stopping to fix them. 3. Step back, then add a few smaller marks where your eye wants more color.

Lucy Liu Makes Mixed Media Collage Art

Lucy Liu has shown her collage, paintings and photography in several gallery shows, and she began making mixed media collage when she was just 16. She studied drawing, painting and sculpture at the New York Studio School and has shown art under her Chinese name, Yu Ling. Among Hollywood stars who paint, she may be the most varied. A collage canvas is a fun way to follow her lead. Tear up old magazines, tissue paper and pressed leaves, then layer them with paint. What scraps could you save for your first collage?

You will need: A canvas board, old magazines, tissue paper, pressed leaves, decoupage glue, acrylic paint, a brush.

How to make it: 1. Tear paper into pieces and arrange them on the canvas. 2. Brush glue under and over each piece to seal it. 3. Add painted patterns or a touch of gold on top once it dries.

Viggo Mortensen Hides Poetry in His Paintings

Viggo Mortensen is a painter and photographer as well as an actor, and his paintings are often abstract with fragments of his own poetry inside them. Many of the paintings seen in the film A Perfect Murder were his own work. You can make a layered abstract with hidden words too. Write a favorite line or a happy memory in pencil, then paint soft layers over it so only bits peek through. It turns your canvas into a little secret. What words would you hide?

You will need: A canvas, a pencil, acrylic paints in earthy tones, a sponge, a flat brush.

How to make it: 1. Write a few lines of a poem or memory across the canvas in pencil. 2. Sponge thin layers of paint over the words. 3. Scratch or redraw a few words on top so they show through.

Sylvester Stallone Is a Painter and Art Collector

Sylvester Stallone is famous for action films, but he is also a noted painter and art collector. Among Hollywood stars who paint, he is known for bold, dramatic work. You can try a strong brushstroke canvas inspired by that energy. Use a big brush, a limited palette of deep red, black, gold and white, and paint with confident strokes. Do not overwork it. Sometimes the first brave stroke is the best one. Are you ready to paint like an action hero?

You will need: A tall canvas, acrylic paints in red, black, gold and white, a wide house painting brush, a drop cloth.

How to make it: 1. Set the canvas on an easel or prop it against a wall over a drop cloth. 2. Load the wide brush and make long, sweeping strokes. 3. Add gold highlights last and let it dry upright.

Dennis Hopper Loved Pop Art, So Try a Pop Art Pet Portrait

Dennis Hopper was a prolific photographer, painter and sculptor, and he collected Pop Art in the 1960s. His love of art began with painting lessons at the Nelson-Atkins Museum when he was a child in Kansas City. A pop art pet portrait is a cheerful way to celebrate that bright style. Trace a photo of your pet four times, then fill each panel with bold flat colors and thick black outlines. It makes a lovely gift for any pet lover. Whose pet will you paint?

You will need: A square canvas, a printed pet photo, graphite paper, acrylic paints, a black paint pen.

How to make it: 1. Divide the canvas into four squares and trace your pet photo in each one. 2. Paint each panel in a different bold color scheme. 3. Outline everything with a black paint pen.

Hollywood Stars Who Paint Love Surprises, So Try a Pour Painting

Pour painting is a favorite for beginners because the paint does most of the work. Mix acrylic paint with pouring medium, layer the colors in one cup, then flip it onto a canvas and tilt until the colors flow to the edges. Little cells and swirls appear like magic, and no two are ever the same. Work over a covered table because it gets messy in the best way. Like the Hollywood stars who paint for fun, you might fall in love with that kind of surprise. Which colors will you pour?

You will need: A canvas, acrylic paints, pouring medium, plastic cups, craft sticks, a plastic tablecloth.

How to make it: 1. Mix each color with pouring medium in its own cup. 2. Layer the colors into one cup and flip it onto the canvas. 3. Tilt the canvas slowly to spread the paint and let it dry flat for two days.

A Hand Painted Denim Jacket

A denim jacket is a wearable canvas, and it is a fun next step for anyone inspired by Hollywood stars who paint. Sketch a simple design on the back with chalk, then fill it in with fabric paint or acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium. Flowers, a sunset or a favorite animal all look great. Heat set the paint with an iron when it is dry so it lasts through the wash. Every time you wear it, people will ask where you bought it. What would you paint on yours?

You will need: A denim jacket, chalk, fabric paint or acrylic paint with fabric medium, fine brushes, an iron.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the jacket, then sketch your design in chalk. 2. Paint in layers, letting each one dry. 3. Iron the back of the design through a cloth to heat set it.

A Sunset on a Wood Slice

Wood slices make charming little canvases with a rustic bark frame built right in. Paint a sunset sky with bands of yellow, orange and pink, add a calm lake with a few soft reflections, then finish with black pine tree silhouettes. It takes about an hour and looks lovely on a shelf or as a holiday gift. Seal it with a clear coat so it lasts. You do not have to be one of the Hollywood stars who paint to make something this lovely. Would you paint a sunset or a sunrise?

You will need: A sanded wood slice, acrylic paints, small brushes, clear sealer, a mini easel.

How to make it: 1. Paint the sky in horizontal bands of color and blend the edges. 2. Add the lake below with lighter strokes. 3. Paint black tree shapes along the shore and seal when dry.

Watercolor Postcards to Mail to Friends

Watercolor postcards are a sweet, low pressure way to practice. Cut thick watercolor paper into postcard size, paint a simple flower, a fruit or a tiny landscape, and write a note on the back. Because they are small, you can finish one in minutes and try again if you do not love it. Friends and family will treasure a hand painted card in the mail. Start a little stack and send one each week. Who would smile to get one from you?

You will need: Watercolor paper, a watercolor paint set, a round brush, a cup of water, a pencil.

How to make it: 1. Cut the paper into 4 by 6 inch cards. 2. Wet the brush, pick up color and paint loose shapes. 3. Let them dry flat, then write your message on the back.

A Painted Rock Garden Gallery

Painted rocks are a joyful project for the whole family. Gather smooth stones, wash them, and paint bright patterns, ladybugs, flowers or kind words on each one. Line them along a garden path or a windowsill, or hide them around your neighborhood for others to find. Seal them with an outdoor clear coat so the colors last. If you enjoy simple beginner art like this, try our dough art for beginners too. It is proof that you do not need a big canvas to make something beautiful. How many rocks will your family paint?

You will need: Smooth rocks, acrylic paint pens or paints, small brushes, outdoor clear sealer.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the rocks. 2. Paint a base color, then add patterns or pictures on top. 3. Seal them with outdoor sealer and display them in the garden.

Palette Knife Flowers With Thick Texture

Palette knife flowers are a happy way to end. Instead of a brush, you use a small metal palette knife to press thick dabs of paint onto the canvas, making petals with real texture. It is forgiving, fast and looks impressive on the wall. Just like the Hollywood stars who paint for fun, the goal is to enjoy the process rather than chase perfection. Hang it where you will see it every morning. Which flower colors make you happiest?

You will need: A small canvas, heavy body acrylic paint, a palette knife, a palette.

How to make it: 1. Paint a soft background and let it dry. 2. Scoop thick paint onto the knife and press it down in short petal strokes. 3. Add green stems and leaves, then let it dry for a day.