This post shows you painting ideas for beginners.
Acrylic painting is one of the best ways to jump into the world of art because of how surprisingly versatile, forgiving, and accessible to all skill levels.
If you’re looking for painting ideas for beginners, acrylics are a great choice!
It doesn’t matter if you’re just picking up a brush for the first time or an experienced artist user.
This blog post will provide mega easy acrylic painting ideas for beginners to boost creativity!
To help you get your creative juices flowing, I have compiled a list of incredibly simple yet stylish acrylic painting ideas.
If you’re reading this and you already an experienced painter, then click the button.
You will find several acrylic painting ideas for beginner artist that will help you feel less scary by your blank canvas, ranging from abstract art to cherry blossoms.
We will begin on to some simple and entertaining painting exercises designed especially for totally new beginners!
If your preference is for abstract paintings, landscape painting, or something entirely else.
So prepare your canvas, grab your paintbrushes, and let us go to work creating your masterpiece!
Before we begin our painting session, let us first get our heads around what acrylic painting is all about.
Acrylic Painting: What is it?
Acrylic painting is a type of painting technique that uses acrylics, which are water-based paints.
Because they are composed of a mixture of pigment and acrylic polymer emulsion, these paints set quickly and are water-resistant.
But that is not all! Additionally, acrylic paints are very versatile and work well on a variety of materials, including canvas, paper, wood, metal, and plastic.
Just on top that, you can mix them with other materials (like baking soda or silica sand) to produce distinctive textures and effects if you want to really push your imagination!
For this reason, acrylic painting has become the preferred medium for many experienced artists and non-experienced artists like you.
It is quite simple to get started, available to everyone, and lets you try new things and make something genuinely unique to you.
Key Benefits of Acrylic Painting
All things considered, acrylic painting is practical, long-lasting, and has many benefits.
For instance, it is;
- Quick-drying & easy to fix mistakes
- Very affordable & beginner-friendly
- Versatile on various surfaces
- Forgiving & easy to paint over
- Endless color possibilities
- Builds layering/blending skills
- Durable results
- Encourages creativity
- Perfect for DIY projects
That is not all, though. Also, there are many good things for the body, soul, and mind.
- Lessens tension
- Non-toxic & low-odor
- Enhances fine movement skills
- Increases self-worth
- Fosters a feeling connected to oneself
Why Acrylics are Perfect for Beginners
- Easy to Work With: Acrylic paints dry quickly, making it easier to layer and correct mistakes. Unlike oil paints, they don’t require a complex process.
- Versatility: They can mimic watercolor painting techniques or be applied in bold strokes like oil original paintings.
- Cost-effective: Acrylics are generally more affordable than other mediums.
- Acrylic Polymer Emulsion: A quick overview of the science behind acrylic paints and why they behave differently than water colours and oils.
All right, you have a better understanding of what you are dealing with. What about those simple acrylic painting ideas?
In summary, I advise limiting your brushwork to bigger things where you can be a bit looser.
I have realized that it can be tempting to go right into detail paintings with a ton of colors and patterns. Nevertheless, I recommend you to walk before you run.
Keep the palette simple and choose paintings (almost any of my ideas) that let you practice basic mixing, blending, and other painting techniques.
After little practice, you will be prepared to tackle more challenging paintings in a flash!
Just keep in mind that painting skills need time to develop, so exercise patience and self-love.
Here’s What You’ll Need To Begin:
Acrylic Paints:
- Start with a set of primary colors (red, blue, yellow) and white paint. This will give you plenty of room to mix various shades and create any other color you’ll need.
Brushes:
- Having a few different brushes is essential. Flat brushes are great for bold strokes, while round brushes are ideal for creating fine lines and detailed work.
Canvas or Paper:
- A blank canvas is the perfect surface for acrylics. If you’re a complete beginner, canvas paper is a great alternative for practicing.
Palette:
- Use a palette to mix your paint colors. Acrylics dry quickly, so it’s good to work in small amounts.
Now you’re ready to explore some easy painting ideas!
Helpful Painting Tips Before You Start Painting
- Gather Your Materials: Simple tools like brushes, canvas, water, and a colour palette.
- Prep Your Canvas: Explain why priming a blank canvas with white paint is important.
- Use Primary Colors: That’s the best way to create various shades and vibrant colours from a limited palette. Colours like yellow, red, blue, etc.
- Experiment with Brush Strokes: Importance of trying different techniques for a solid color or fine lines.
35 Mega Easy Acrylic Simple Painting Ideas
1. Cherry Blossoms on a Branch
- Perfect for beginner artists.
- Use simple shapes for the flowers and branches, starting with a dark background and adding vibrant colors.
2. Sunset Over the Ocean
- Blend different colors for a soft, warm gradient sky.
- Create bold strokes for waves crashing against the shore.
- Great places to focus on the learning process of blending.
3. Abstract Painting Using Bold Strokes
- A fantastic way to experiment with different colours and textures.
- This allows for creativity without worrying about making mistakes.
4. Simple Landscape with Mountains
- Combine simple shapes for mountains, trees, and sky.
- A solid color background works well for beginners looking to explore nature scenes.
5. Night Sky with Stars
- Dark background with vibrant colors for stars and galaxies.
- A fun, easy way to practice using a small brush for fine lines.
6. Black and White Silhouette
- Use black colors to create a striking silhouette against a bright background.
- This is one of the easiest acrylic painting techniques for beginners.
7. Waterfall in a Forest
- Paint cascading water using negative space to give the illusion of movement.
- Focus on using brush strokes to create texture in the trees and water.
8. Simple Flowers in a Vase
- Easy painting idea with simple shapes and bright colors.
- Great for an absolute beginner to experiment with color blending.
9. Abstract Swirls of Colour
- A great painting to let loose and create swirling patterns on a blank canvas.
- Experiment with various shades and blending techniques.
10. Vincent van Gogh’s Inspired Starry Night
- Recreate this classic but in a simplified version.
- Practice bold strokes and vibrant colors, focusing on the swirling night sky.
11. Easy Tree Silhouette
- Simple shapes and a dark background work wonders for this easy painting idea.
- The silhouette technique can be applied to many themes.
12. Simple Galaxy
- A dark background, blended with vibrant colors for stars and nebulae.
- Add fine details like constellations using white dots.
13. Minimalist Mountains
- Focus on negative space to create simple landscapes of mountain ranges.
- A quick and easy painting to build confidence with landscapes.
14. Colorful Abstract Circles
- Use primary colors on your color palette to create layered, abstract circles on a blank canvas.
- A playful and fun painting tutorial for all ages.
15. Sunflowers
- Focus on bold, solid-color petals.
- Use vibrant yellows and greens to create a cheerful, beautiful painting.
16. Simple City Skyline at Dusk
- Dark buildings against a colorful sunset sky.
- Helps beginner painters practice the basics of perspective.
17. Rainy Window
- This one would be a little bit tricky but nothing for you to fear if you’re bold!
- Fun use of wet canvas techniques.
18. Abstract Painting with Geometric Patterns
- Experiment with intricate patterns using simple shapes like triangles and circles.
- Play with colours and contrasts.
19. Silhouette of Birds in Flight
- Easy way to learn layering techniques by adding birds in the foreground of a landscape or abstract background.
20. Simple Desert Scene
- Use warm colors for sand and vibrant blues for the sky.
- Create depth using darker colors in the foreground and lighter shades in the background.
21. Simple Rainbow Gradient
- From the list of simple painting ideas for beginners, rainbow is a fantastic way to practice blending different colours.
- Create a gradient using plenty of room for artistic expression.
22. Abstract Color Blocks
- Focus on bold blocks of colors, perfect for experimenting with acrylic painting techniques.
- Let your creativity flow without the need for complex paintings.
23. Watercolour-Effect Landscape with Acrylics
- Use acrylics to mimic watercolor techniques for a soft, flowing look.
- Start with light, transparent layers and build them up.
24. Sunset Silhouette
- Simple shapes of trees or animals silhouetted against a bright sunset.
- Play with color contrasts and blending.
25. Bokeh Effect
- Use circular patterns of vibrant colors to mimic the camera bokeh effect.
- Layer different shades to add depth.
26. Starry Beach Scene
- Combine a night sky with the waves of the ocean.
- Use different shades of blue and white for the water and stars.
27. Forest Pathway
- From the list of simple painting ideas for beginners that use simple shapes to create trees and a path leading into the distance.
- Beginner-friendly for those who want to practice perspective.
28. Silhouette of a Tree Against a Full Moon
- Use a dark background with bold strokes for the tree.
- The moon can be done in vibrant colors to add contrast.
29. Beach with Palm Trees
- An easy way to bring summer vibes into your painting.
- Blend the colors of the ocean and sky for a vibrant look.
30. Fields of Lavender
- Simple landscape with fields of purple flowers.
- A fantastic way to practice using small, repetitive brush strokes.
31. Autumn Leaves
- Use a mix of vibrant orange, yellow, and red colors.
- Add details using fine lines for the leaf veins.
32. Abstract Drip Painting
- Experiment with acrylic pouring techniques to create an abstract drip effect.
- Let gravity and wet canvas do most of the work.
33. Jellyfish in the Ocean
- Use translucent, vibrant colors to mimic the look of jellyfish floating underwater.
- Dark background adds depth to this simple painting.
34. Simple Mountain Range at Sunrise
- A fantastic way to practice layering colors, from the dark foreground to the bright sky.
- Perfect for any absolute beginner artist.
35. Easy Heart-Shaped Abstract
- Simple abstract shapes using bold colors.
- Great for beginner painters who want to create something personal.
Conclusion
Acrylic painting offers so many ways to dive into the world of art, especially for beginners.
With these 35 easy ideas, there’s no limit to what you can create, whether it’s a calming landscape painting, vibrant abstract art, or a simple silhouette.
The key to improving as a beginner painter is to enjoy the learning process, experiment with different techniques, and embrace the imperfections.
Remember, every great painting starts with a white canvas—the first step is just putting paint to brush. As you explore these ideas, don’t be afraid to add your own unique twist and let your artistic skills shine.
If you enjoyed these ideas and want even more inspiration, make sure to follow me on Pinterest, where I regularly share painting tutorials, helpful tips, and more creative projects to keep the inspiration flowing.
Happy painting! 🎨
This post showed you Acrylic Canvas Painting Ideas for Beginners.
