Easy Things to Paint: 51 Simple Ideas for Beginners

Staring at a blank canvas can feel intimidating. You want to paint something beautiful, but you don’t know where to start or what colors to use.

Many beginners give up too soon because they think painting requires natural talent or years of practice. But that’s not true.

Simple subjects help you learn brush control, color mixing, and build confidence without the pressure of perfection.

This guide shares what you should paint with the best color palettes for each idea.

You’ll also learn what materials you need, helpful painting tips, and how to get better results every time you pick up a brush.

Let’s get started.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Getting started with painting does not require fancy or expensive supplies. A few basic materials will help you practice and build your skills.

Acrylic paints are perfect for beginners because they dry fast and work on many surfaces. Watercolors are also great if you want soft, blended effects.

You will need a set of basic brushes in different sizes, some canvas paper or canvas boards, and a simple palette for mixing colors.

Starting with just 3 to 5 colors makes learning much easier because you can focus on technique instead of getting lost in too many choices.

Item	Why You Need It	Beginner Recommendation
Acrylic Paints	Fast drying, easy to layer, works on most surfaces	Start with 5 basic colors: white, black, red, yellow, blue
Watercolor Paints	Great for soft blends and light washes	A small 12-color set is enough
Brushes	Different sizes help with details and large areas	Get a basic set with flat, round, and fine-tip brushes
Canvas or Canvas Paper	Provides a surface to paint on	Canvas paper pads are affordable and beginner-friendly
Palette	For mixing and blending colors	Use a plastic palette or even a paper plate
Water Cup	To clean brushes between colors	Any small cup or jar works fine
Paper Towels	For dabbing and cleaning brushes	Keep a roll nearby while painting

Pro Tip: Always test your colors on scrap paper before applying them to your canvas. This helps you see how the paint looks when dry and prevents surprises.

Easy Paintings for Beginners with Best Colors

Now that you’ve got your paints and brushes ready, it’s time to dive in! Here are easy paintings for beginners, each with the best colors to make your artwork pop and look vibrant even if you’re just starting out.

1. Sunset Sky

Best colors: orange, pink, purple gradient

Start with a light wash of yellow at the horizon. Blend orange upward, then add pink and purple at the top for a soft sky effect.

2. Palm Tree Silhouette

Best color: deep black on sunset background

Paint your sunset first using warm tones. Once dry, add a simple black palm tree shape over it for instant contrast.

3. Ocean Waves

Best colors: turquoise, deep blue, white foam

Layer deep blue at the bottom and turquoise toward the top. Add white curved lines and dots to show foam and movement.

4. Simple Mountain Range

Best colors: gray, blue, white for snow tops

Paint overlapping triangle shapes in soft gray and blue tones. Dab white paint on the peaks to create snowy tips.

5. Single Daisy Flower

Best colors: white petals, yellow center, green stem

Draw a small yellow circle in the middle. Add white oval petals around it and finish with a green stem below.

6. Cup of Coffee

Best colors: brown, cream, and beige tones

Paint a simple mug shape in beige or cream. Fill the top with brown and add a small white curve for steam.

7. Rainbow Gradient

Best colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple

Paint horizontal or curved stripes in rainbow order. Blend the edges slightly where each color meets for a smooth transition.

8. Galaxy Night Sky

Best colors: navy blue, violet, and white specks

Cover your canvas with dark blue and purple swirls. Flick white paint with a toothbrush to add stars and texture.

9. Hot Air Balloon

Best colors: bright red, yellow, and sky blue

Draw a large circle or oval and divide it into colorful vertical sections. Add a small basket below with thin lines connecting them.

10. Starry Night Scene

Best colors: black background, yellow, and white stars

Fill the canvas with black or dark blue paint. Use a small brush or cotton swab to dot yellow and white stars across the sky.

11. Cute Cat Face

Best colors: gray, white, and pink for the nose

Paint a round gray face with two triangular ears on top. Add white for the muzzle and a tiny pink nose in the center.

12. Simple Dog Silhouette

Best colors: black or tan with a soft background

Fill the background with a light color first. Paint a side profile of a dog in solid black or tan for a clean look.

13. Heart Shape with Gradient Fill

Best colors: pink and red ombré

Outline a heart shape lightly in pencil. Fill the bottom with deep red and blend upward into soft pink at the top.

14. Minimalistic Tree

Best colors: brown trunk, green leaves

Paint a simple brown trunk with a few branches. Add green circles or brush strokes at the top to show leaves.

15. Cherry Blossom Branch

Best colors: pink, white, and light brown

Draw thin brown branches across the canvas. Use a sponge or your fingertip to dab pink and white flowers along them.

16. Crescent Moon

Best colors: pale yellow on a navy background

Paint the entire canvas dark blue or navy. Add a curved crescent moon shape in soft yellow or cream in one corner.

17. Simple Beach Scene

Best colors: sand beige, turquoise, and sky blue

Divide the canvas into three sections: light blue sky, turquoise water, and beige sand. Add a white curve for waves where water meets sand.

18. Abstract Color Blocks

Best colors: 3 contrasting shades (e.g., teal, coral, mustard)

Divide your canvas into squares or rectangles using tape. Fill each section with a bold, contrasting color and remove the tape when dry.

19. Balloons Floating Up

Best colors: multicolor (red, blue, green, yellow)

Paint several colorful circles in different sizes across the canvas. Add thin curved lines below each balloon as strings.

20. Cupcake with Icing

Best colors: pastel pink, cream, chocolate brown

Draw a simple cupcake liner in brown at the bottom. Top it with a swirl of pastel pink or cream icing and add sprinkles.

21. Cactus in a Pot

Best colors: green cactus, terracotta pot

Paint a round or oval terracotta pot at the bottom. Add a tall green cactus shape on top with small white lines for spines.

22. Butterfly

Best colors: orange and black (monarch style)

Draw two symmetrical wing shapes meeting in the center. Fill them with orange and add black outlines and patterns for detail.

23. Ice Cream Cone

Best colors: mint green, pink, beige cone

Paint a triangle cone in beige with a crosshatch pattern. Add round scoops of pink and mint green on top.

24. Mountain Lake Reflection

Best colors: teal, gray, white

Paint gray mountains in the top half of the canvas. Mirror the shape upside down in the teal water below to show a reflection.

25. Sunflower

Best colors: yellow petals, brown center, green stem

Draw a large brown circle in the middle. Add yellow petals around it and finish with a green stem and leaves.

26. Simple Cloud Scene

Best colors: white clouds on a blue sky

Fill your canvas with light blue paint. Use white to create fluffy cloud shapes with soft, rounded edges across the sky.

27. Raindrops on the Window

Best colors: light gray and blue mix

Paint a soft gray or blue background to look like a rainy day. Add teardrop shapes and streaks in white or lighter gray for rain.

28. Lemon Slice

Best colors: bright yellow and light green

Draw a circle and divide it into triangular sections, similar to a wheel. Fill with bright yellow and add a thin green rind around the edge.

29. Pineapple

Best colors: yellow and green

Paint an oval yellow body with crisscross lines for texture. Add green spiky leaves at the top in a fan shape.

30. Tree Silhouette at Sunset

Best colors: black on orange pink gradient

Create a sunset background with orange and pink blended together. Paint a solid black tree shape in the foreground for contrast.

31. Fireworks in the Sky

Best colors: blue, red, yellow sparks

Start with a dark blue or black sky. Use bright colors to paint bursts of lines radiating outward from center points.

32. Simple Mountain Cabin

Best colors: brown, gray roof, white snow

Draw a small square or rectangle for the cabin in brown. Add a gray triangular roof and white dots around it for snow.

33. Cup of Tea with Steam

Best colors: beige, white, and pale green

Paint a simple beige or green cup shape. Add wavy white lines above it to show rising steam.

34. Simple Abstract Lines

Best colors: black on white or pastel background

Use tape or freehand to create straight or curved black lines. Paint the background in soft pastels or leave it white for contrast.

35. Feather Design

Best colors: turquoise, gold, and white mix

Draw a central line for the feather spine. Add soft curved strokes on both sides using turquoise, gold, and white for detail.

36. Candle Flame

Best colors: yellow, orange, and red gradient

Paint a simple candle shape in white or cream. Add a teardrop flame on top, blending yellow at the base into orange and red.

37. Galaxy Planet

Best colors: purple, pink, white rings

Paint a large circle in purple and pink swirls. Add white curved rings around it and small stars in the background.

38. Forest Pathway

Best colors: green, brown, yellow accents

Paint tall green trees on both sides of the canvas. Add a brown path down the middle with yellow highlights for sunlight.

39. Simple Mandala Circle

Best colors: black or gold linework on white

Start with a small circle in the center. Build outward with repeating patterns using black or gold paint for a calm, balanced design.

40. Sunrise Over Hills

Best colors: peach, yellow, light green

Paint soft rolling hills in light green at the bottom. Add a peach and yellow gradient above to show the rising sun.

41. Bubbles

Best colors: blue, purple, white shimmer

Draw circles in different sizes across the canvas. Fill them with light blue or purple and add white highlights for shine.

42. Koi Fish

Best colors: orange, white, and black

Paint a curved fish body in orange with a white belly. Add black spots and flowing tail fins for a graceful look.

43. Simple Umbrella

Best colors: red and white stripes

Draw a curved dome shape divided into sections. Alternate red and white stripes and add a small handle at the bottom.

44. Cup with Steam Heart

Best colors: brown, cream, pink

Paint a coffee cup in brown or cream tones. Add a pink heart shape in the steam rising above it.

45. Leaf Pattern

Best colors: green shades with yellow highlights

Paint several leaf shapes across the canvas in different green tones. Add yellow highlights along the edges or centers for depth.

46. Mountain Silhouette

Best colors: gray, white, light blue gradient

Create a light blue sky at the top, fading to white. Paint layered mountain shapes in gray at the bottom for distance.

47. Galaxy Heart

Best colors: purple, blue, and white speckles

Draw a large heart outline and fill it with purple and blue swirls. Add white speckles and small stars inside for a cosmic effect.

48. Snowy Pine Tree

Best colors: dark green and white

Paint a triangle shape with layered branches in dark green. Dab white paint along the edges to show snow.

49. Paper Airplane

Best colors: gray or blue outline with sky backdrop

Fill the background with light blue for the sky. Draw a simple folded paper airplane shape in gray or white in the center.

50. Abstract Circles

Best colors: pastel blue, mint, coral

Paint overlapping circles in soft pastel shades across the canvas. Let some edges blend together for a dreamy, modern look.

51. Smiley Face

Best colors: yellow and black

Paint a large yellow circle filling most of the canvas. Add two black dots for eyes and a curved line for a smile.

Painting Tips for Better Results

Once you’ve picked your favorite idea and colors, the next step is mastering a few painting tips for better results. These will make your beginner projects look clean, balanced, and more professional.

• Use Layers: Begin with lighter base colors and let them dry completely before adding darker shades or outlines on top for depth and definition.
• Don’t Overload the Brush: Dip your brush lightly in paint and use controlled strokes instead of going back and forth, which keeps your work clean and professional.
• Mix Complementary Colors: Pair opposite colors like blue and orange or red and green to create contrast that makes your painting stand out and look more lively.
• Add Highlights or White Outlines to Make Details Pop: A small touch of white or a lighter shade on edges and key areas brings your painting to life and adds a polished finish.

The Bottom Line

Painting does not have to be complicated or stressful. These easy things to paint give you a clear starting point to build your skills and enjoy the process.

Start with subjects that excite you, keep your color choices simple, and remember that every brushstroke teaches you something new.

The more you practice, the more confident you will become. Mistakes are part of learning, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try different techniques.

Pick three ideas from this list and paint them this week. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you improve.

What’s the first thing you’ll paint? Share your favorite idea in the comments below or tag your artwork on social media. We’d love to see what you create!