50 + Painting Ideas That Will Inspire You To Paint

Painting Ideas For Beginners And Advanced Artists

Every artist you admire has started exactly where you are right now. The artists who have paintings displayed in galleries and homes have taken the time to enhance their painting skills. The amount of time they invested in learning how to paint takes patience, drive, and self-motivation.

Watching the progress you make as time goes by is motivating. We recommended every artist to keep a digital image of every painting they have completed along with the date of completion. Looking back at early paintings will show you the progress you have made over time.

Many people face a roadblock after they purchase their first set of acrylic paints, watercolor paints, or even oil paints is deciding different things to paint.

You were inspired by someone or something to try watercolor painting or use acrylic paint to create art on canvas. But where do you start? What are some different ideas to paint that will be easy to compose? We all want to create a painting like Mona Lisa when we first pick up a paintbrush, but that is unrealistic. When starting, you want to start with easy paintings so you can develop good painting skills.

NFAM has created a list of painting ideas to prevent you from the dreadful creative block. The list of painting ideas will keep you busy, inspired to paint, and enhance your creative skills.

When reviewing the different painting ideas, consider what looks easy and will be fun to paint. Some painting prompts will be easy painting ideas, while other painting ideas will be more challenging. It is perfectly fine to challenge yourself, but it is another thing to pick a subject that is well beyond your skill level.

As you go along, try working on prompts that will enhance specific techniques like a tree painting or an abstract painting. The purpose of the list is to prevent you from having painters block and learn different techniques.

Ideas Of What To Paint

To get started, here are some simple still-life painting ideas.

• Apple
• Banana
• Cherries
• Pear
• Orange
• Grapefruit
• Pineapple
• Lemon
• Lime
• Watermelon
• Strawberry
• Grapes

These are easy to paint prompts to help you learn different brush techniques and mix colors.

Using still-life prompts like fruit is a great way to learn how to paint, but they are also trendy wall art in homes across the country.

Once you start to feel comfortable painting one piece of fruit, try staging multiple pieces for fruit. The fruit can be in a bowl or staged on a table. Sketch out your ideas first on paper, then choose the best design to paint. This practice tip will turn you from a beginner to an advanced artist.

Painting tip:

• Study the color of each fruit and the subtle value changes that make the fruit look three dimensional.
• Identify the light source and study who the light reacts differently when bouncing of different textures.
• If you are working with acrylics or oils, practice mixing the colors.

Keep painting these prompts until you feel confident with your color choices and your brush strokes. This might seem daunting, but it is an important part of the learning process. Soon you will discover your unique painting style, and people will start to admire your art collection.

Painting Tutorial:

Acrylic lesson – Red Grape – Still life

More Still Life Prompts

There will be a time when you need some inspiration to continue to paint. The above list is to help you enhance your painting skills. Now that you feel confident painting with watercolor or acrylic paint, it is time to try more challenging ideas.

Here are some new painting ideas to work on next.

• Drinking glass
• Wine glass
• Wine bottle
• Bowls
• Books
• Chair
• Table
• Cabinet
• Lamp

These ideas are common items found in your home. You will continue to learn different techniques with the subjects including proportion and various textures.

Try a 7-day challenge and paint a different wine bottle or bowl with different patterns on it. After you have completed that challenge, start a new 7-day challenge and place a piece of fruit next to the new prompts like grapes next to a wine glass or bottle.

The 21 different beginner painting prompts are easy and fun for adults and kids, but you can take your paintings to the next level and start composing beautiful wall art that everyone would want to display in their home.

Visit Pixabay to find diverse ways to stage still life. You will find hundreds of canvas painting ideas to start working on.

Visit Etsy or Fine Art America for some painted ideas.

Painting Tutorial:

Advanced Still Life Painting: Paint Your Own Expressive Art

Painting Trees

There are many nature prompts for beginners and advances artists.

First, we will start with several trees. Painting a tree might sound like a beginner project but you will soon realize there is a unique technique involved with painting realistic trees.

• Pine
• Red Maple
• Sugar maple
• White oak
• Douglas fir
• Eastern red cedar
• Sweetgum
• Silver maple
• Pawpaw
• Bigleaf maple
• American beech
• Boxelder maple
• White ash

These are just a few fun painting species common in America. They all have unique textures and colors during different seasons. New England has some breathtaking colors during the foliage season. If you are looking for a project with vivid colors, visit New England in the fall or just look at some pictures on Pixabay.

Painting Tutorial:

Landscape Painting 101: How to Paint Trees in Acrylics

Nature Canvas Painting Ideas

By now you have turned from a beginner painter to an advanced painter and it is time for some fun but challenging painting ideas.

Many people have a collection of nature art displayed in their homes. You will also find nature paintings in offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.

Nature ideas are great for watercolor painting and acrylic paint.

Even though painting nature is more advance, kids will also enjoy learning how to paint mountains, fields, and the ocean.

• Mountains
• Rivers
• Fields
• Ocean
• Wildflowers
• Woods
• Clouds
• Sunset
• Sunrise
• Grand Canyon

Take a look outside if you are looking for diverse canvas painting ideas or watercolor painting ideas.

Painting Tutorial:

Startup Project: Nature in Watercolor

Wildlife Painting Ideas

Once you feel confident with your painting skills you might want to consider painting domestic animals and wildlife.

A great place to start is with your favorite pet you love.

Keep enhancing your unique style of painting domestic animals. Before you know it everyone will be hiring you to paint their true love.

• Dog
• Cat
• Cardinal
• Bluejay
• Robin
• Eagle
• Deer
• Moose
• Big cats

Look at other wildlife art for inspiration. most people love animals and there are many artists who make a living painting domestic animals and wildlife.

For Wildlife images you can paint and sell visit, Wildlife Reference Photos For Artists

Painting Tutorial:

Painting Wildlife: Acrylic & Mixed Media

Supplies

There are numerous supplies available for watercolor and acrylic paint.

Read these articles to become familiar with the supplies that are available.

• Acrylic Paint Supplies: Complete Guide
• Oil Painting Supplies: What All Beginning Oil Painters Need
• Oil Paints Or Acrylic Paints Which Is Better

Final Thoughts On Painting Ideas That Will Inspire You To Paint

We have come up with 53 different painting ideas that range from kids, beginner, and advance painting ideas.

You can use any medium with these painting ideas including watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastel, and even drawing mediums.

There is sure to be something on the list you will love painting.

Start with fun ideas to paint to enhance your skills.

Then continue with more challenging prompts to turn you from a beginner to a professional painter.

If you struggle with some of the techniques, try a painting tutorial mentioned above.

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Painting Ideas That Will Inspire You To Paint

What are your painting ideas? Let us know in the comment section.