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What to Paint on Canvas – 20 Easy Ideas

The 10 easiest subjects for beginners

Ranked from the simplest. One rule applies to all of them: start with the background and leave the details until the very end.

  1. Abstract color fields – Two or three shades applied with a palette knife or a sponge. Impossible to ruin, and it works better in an interior than anything else.
  2. Mountains in the mist – Three layers of silhouettes from the lightest to the darkest. The depth appears by itself – you just reduce the saturation.
  3. Sunset over the sea – Horizontal stripes of warm colors blended into each other, and a dark horizon line.
  4. Moon and stars – A dark background, one light circle and white paint flicked from the bristles.
  5. A simple silhouette – A cat, a bird or a tree in black on a colored background. The contrast does the work for you.
  6. Poppies or lavender – Flowers painted just by dabbing the brush – no outlines, just blots and stems.
  7. Geometry and lines – Tape stuck on the canvas, paint over it, and crisp edges once you peel it off.
  8. Waves and strokes in one direction – Blue, white and sand in horizontal strokes. A calm abstract for the bedroom.
  9. A sky with clouds – White into wet blue – the clouds are created by dabbing with a cloth, not by drawing.
  10. A single word or date – A colored background and lettering through a stencil. A personal gift that takes an hour.

10 ideas for when you feel more confident

  1. Textured relief – Thick paste applied with a palette knife – a painting you can touch. You can try it at a workshop. textured painting →
  2. Pouring – fluid art – Paints mixed with a medium are poured straight onto the canvas and flow by themselves. ArtLab →
  3. Pendulum painting – Paint drips from a swinging cup and draws regular spirals. pendulum painting →
  4. Painting with coffee – Sepia tones mixed from coffee instead of paint. coffee painting →
  5. Alcohol ink – Abstracts where the ink spreads by itself and creates marble-like patterns. ArtInk →
  6. A fluorescent motif under UV – A painting that lights up in the dark. painting in the dark →
  7. A portrait from a photo – First a grid and proportions, then shadows. It takes patience, but the result is the most rewarding. drawing class →
  8. An animal in close-up – An eye, fur or a feather up close – easier than a whole animal and more striking.
  9. A city skyline – A city panorama against the light, with buildings just as dark blocks.
  10. A diptych or triptych – One subject split across two or three canvases side by side.

Tips that will save your first painting

  • Start with acrylic – it dries quickly, can be painted over and forgives mistakes.
  • Tone the canvas first; white shows through and makes the painting look unfinished.
  • Mix fewer colors than you'd expect – two or three and their shades are enough.
  • Leave the darkest tones and the brightest highlights until the end.
  • Step back two meters every few minutes: mistakes are only visible from a distance.
  • Let the painting dry overnight before you varnish or hang it.
painting on canvas with an instructor

When you want to paint with an instructor

The fastest way to improve is one evening with someone who guides you. At a painting experience you get a 40 × 50 cm canvas, paints, an apron and a welcome drink, and the instructor takes you through one specific painting from the underdrawing to the final layer – in more than 20 Czech cities, from 1 690 Kč. If you'd rather create at your own pace, you can visit the ArtLab studio in Prague and Brno from 499 Kč per hour. We also have a step-by-step guide on our how to paint a picture page.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – WHAT TO PAINT ON CANVAS

Abstract color fields, mountains in the mist, a sunset or a simple silhouette. They all rely on color and contrast, not on drawing.

Acrylic. It dries quickly, can be painted over and doesn't need thinners. You'll find a comparison with watercolor on our watercolor vs. acrylic page.

For your first painting, 40 × 50 cm – it's big enough to look good on the wall, and you can finish it in one evening.

Store-bought canvases are already primed. We only recommend toning them with one thin layer so the white doesn't show through.

At our experience evenings in more than 20 Czech cities from 1 690 Kč, or in the open ArtLab studio in Prague and Brno from 499 Kč per hour.

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