Acrylic paint is a great place to start. It's quick-drying, easy to manipulate, and more accessible than oil paint (which is better for experienced painters). There are so many fun acrylic painting ideas that work for beginners and professionals alike. 

Regardless of the acrylic painting techniques that you prefer, there are a few easy painting ideas that anyone can try out. Keep reading to learn about our favorite simple projects that you can make with acrylic paints.

Tape-Off Paintings

Tape-off paintings are fun, easy, and professional-looking once you get the hang of them. This is a great way to make decorations for your home that rival the ones that you can get at department stores.

For this, you're going to need canvases (of any size, but we prefer larger ones for better results), paint-friendly tape that won't pull up pigment, and a variety of paint colors.

There are several ways to do this. We'll start with simple color blocking. 

Use your tape to create geometric designs on the canvas. For the first one, you can get creative with it. Don't overthink it. 

After you have a design that you're happy with, start blocking in solid colors where there isn't any tape. We suggest choosing a color scheme before you start.

When your colors are in place, remove the tape to reveal your design. You can paint that area or leave it white. 

If you want a more subdued painting, try painting a single color or design over your tape design. We love the look of a flat color that the artist then uses a sponge to gently paint over with liquid gold leaf.

Remove the tape for an effective design.

Relaxed Landscapes

Landscapes aren't as hard as they look.

While "professional" landscapes take a lot of practice, it's a great idea for new painters to try their hands at landscapes even if they won't look like the "real deal."

We suggest going outside to paint your landscape. While you can paint from a photo or from your window, you'll get a better feel for the shapes, colors, and shadows of the landscape when you see it in person. 

Here is a great video of our acrylic paint set being used to paint these beautiful flowers. 

Take a small canvas or a book of canvas paper out with you and try your hand at a simple landscape. Remember that this is practice. Focus on drawing the horizon line and simple shapes. 

Color Blot Characters and Designs

This is one of our favorite ways to make fun and creative paintings even as a beginner. You can also use this technique whenever you need some inspiration, even as an experienced artist. 

Start with a color palette of your choice. With a medium-sized paintbrush (or a large one if you're using a large canvas) try to paint shapes and blots without overthinking them. 

Don't worry about making specific designs. Just paint what "feels" right.

You might be happy with the results as-is. If that's the case, frame it and enjoy your work. If not, move on to the next step. 

Inside each blot of paint, start drawing designs or faces. You'll discover that these unique shapes give you the perfect design constraints to force you to be more creative with your work. 

This may not give you professional results, but it will kickstart your creativity and help you generate new ideas for future paintings. 

Acrylic Pour

Many people discovered the wonders of acrylic pour paintings several years ago. Pouring paint is a great way to use color and get creative. The results are fantastic.  You can see this amazing video using our Acrylic Pour Paint.

You're going to need pouring paint as well as a double-primed canvas.

Once you have your paint, you start pouring it onto the canvas. You'll be adding more and more colors as you paint, and it will be messy. Once you have several colors, move the canvas around so the paint makes unexpected shapes and designs.

Make sure to have some kind of container to catch your excess paint.

This is a great activity for a group art night.

Introduction to Still-Life

If you're trying to improve your art skills, try painting still-life paintings. 

These paintings will not be great when you're first getting started, but they're a crucial step in every artist's journey. Because you're using acrylic paint that dries fast, you're going to have to stick to simple colors and shadows. This is a great way to teach yourself how to "see" like an artist. 

Start with something simple, like a piece of fruit. As you improve, move on to more complicated items. 

If you're struggling, try looking at online tutorials to get you started. There are plenty of online art teachers who have free and effective classes. 

Abstract Portraits

Faces are often the hardest things to paint for new artists. To capture a face, you need to understand likeness. 

New painters often overwhelm themselves when they're learning how to paint portraits. If you want to relax and paint freely, try an abstract portrait. Use a variety of colors that "feel" right, even if they aren't the same as the person that you're painting. 

This is another great activity to do with friends. Try painting each other. 

Try These Fun Acrylic Painting Ideas

These acrylic painting ideas are fantastic for newbies and experienced painters alike. They'll promote learning and creativity and you'll have fun pieces of artwork that you can hang up and treasure for a lifetime. 

Remember, painting is supposed to be fun. Don't overwhelm yourself as a beginner.

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