Acrylic Painting Ideas
Are you looking for easy, cute painting ideas? I know that many of you are drawn to my signature colorful paintings, so today I want to share five acrylic painting ideas that you can use to create your own colorful masterpieces.
Creating fine art is one of my favorite parts of my career as a professional artist, and it’s always so fun to share my techniques with hobbyists and artists who are looking to add a little fun and color to their lives. Whether you’re here because you want a fun acrylic canvas craft to try over the weekend or you want to elevate your abstract painting style, I hope these ideas will inspire you!
Note: These painting ideas are for your personal enjoyment. The images used as examples are copyrighted and cannot be recreated or sold for profit. Use this as inspiration for your discovering your own unique style!
Acrylic Painting Idea #1 - Abstract Brushstrokes
I am known for my signature bold and bright brushstroke pieces, and even though abstract art may feel intimidating to a beginner, it can actually be a very fun and meditative art practice!
When you let go of perfectionism and allow yourself to flow and get into the groove of painting, you let your analytical mind take a rest so your creative brain can flourish. Abstract painting still requires some decision-making, but if you’re looking for painting ideas that are fun, playful, and explorative, this is where I would start!
If you want to follow along with my abstract painting process step-by-step, check out my Skillshare class, Joyful Abstracts, where we’ll paint a piece together centered around the emotion of joy! The cherry on top is that if you access the class using my link, you’ll get a free month-long trial to Skillshare so you can check out the class and thousands of others for free!
Acrylic Painting Idea #2 - Funky Florals
Remember doodling in the margins of your notebooks in elementary school? What was your go-to doodle? Mine was flowers! They’re easy to draw and instantly make you happy! Elevate your floral doodles with a funky floral painting. Start with a few simple floral shapes and add your own embellishments of brushstrokes, dots, lines, and other elements to make the painting pop.
Acrylic Painting Idea #3 - Whimsical Butterflies
Butterflies are a symbol of transformation, hope, and freedom. I love painting butterfly motifs because they evoke a sense of wonder and whimsy. This is another subject that is great for beginners because I have a feeling that plenty of you have drawn or doodled a simple butterfly before. If you want to get even more creative and connect with your inner child, you can try your hand at fingerpainting!
This blog tutorial walks through my acrylic finger painting process step-by-step!
Acrylic Painting Idea #4 - Calming Leaves
Houseplants are all the rage these days, and I have plenty of green beauties in my home to make the space feel more natural and alive. Bring your space to life with an acrylic painting of your favorite houseplant! Paintings depicting nature can help a room feel more serene and organic, so try your hand at painting one of your favorite green girls!
I have an entire class dedicated to making a fun acrylic monstera leaf painting! Check it out to follow along step-by-step.
Acrylic Painting Idea #5 - Radiant Hearts
One of the motifs I’m most well-known for is my signature Art Heart design. I start with a small heart in the center and build out radiating brushstrokes around it to fill the page or the canvas. This is an especially fun project for Valentine’s Day, but you can paint these any time of year to tap into feelings of love and joy!
Want to learn how to paint an Art Heart of your own? It can be trickier than you think! Let me walk you through the process in my Art Heart painting class!
I hope you enjoyed these five fun acrylic painting ideas! If you’re looking for art supply recommendations to help you get started, head on over to my art supply recommendations blog post to see the exact tools I use to create my paintings.
And I’d love to see what you paint! Follow along on Instagram and tag me in your work at @ettavee so I can cheer you on!
xo, Jessi
Pin this post for later! 📌
Hover or tap on this image and click the “Save” button on the top left!
