Step by Step Canvas Painting: 5 Ideas

Canvas painting is a creative outlet for many people. It can be an enjoyable and relaxing activity that allows one to focus on the present moment and explore their creativity. For some, it may also serve as a form of therapy or stress relief in addition to being a hobby. Whether you’re looking for something new to do with your friends, or just want to find some peace in your day-to-day life, canvas painting might just be the right fit. If you’ve ever wanted to paint, but are intimidated by the process, this blog post is for you. In it, we will go through step by step canvas painting to help you paint your own canvas.

Canvas painting can be done by anyone and requires only a canvas, paints, brushes, and sometimes other tools like stencils or knives. The results of this work are often viewed as unique because each person has their own style of painting which they put into the piece. Canvas painting is an amazing way to express yourself artistically while relieving some stress at the same time.

You don’t need any experience with art in order to create beautiful pieces – all you need is creativity and patience. This blog will provide you with 5 methods that are simple and easy to follow when it comes down to canvas painting so let’s get started!

Step by Step Canvas Painting: 5 Methods

All of these step by step canvas painting methods below will help you create a beautiful painting for your home. Painting is the perfect way to unwind and relax in the evening while turning an ordinary blank canvas into something wonderful. If you’re looking for some new ideas, try one of these – there are five different methods that we’ll walk through so you can pick which one suits your style best.

Canvas Painting: Method 1

Step- 1
nature view canvas painting step-1
Source: Impulsive Artistry

We will paint a very small canvas. Mix titanium white, cobalt blue, and put it on the top of the painting. Then use a round brush for this part and use the filbert brush to lay this in. You need to switch between using around and a filbert brush a lot because you are going to art there is so much light.

Step- 2
nature view canvas painting step-2
Source: Impulsive Artistry

Touch the more blue at the bottom of the previous painting. The color needs to be light so it is not as dark and can stand out against the cloudy sky. Paint with a lighter hue at the bottom of the previous painting, but make sure it is darker than blue on top.

Step- 3
nature view canvas painting step-3
Source: Impulsive Artistry

It is time to mix some colors. Mix together green, white paint, cadmium yellow, and a little Mars black. This will be our new yellow gray color. Use the tip of the brush to put small dabs in trees in the distance with this color. Here it is very thin paint so it looks like there are lines way off in the distance. There are also some bigger areas over here on this part of the canvas where we want more depth. Also mix blue and white together, so that you can make these white clouds pop more where they are coming across on this part of the canvas back to the blue and white too.

Step- 4
nature view canvas painting step-4
Source: Impulsive Artistry

Mix cadmium yellow and permanent green to get a lime green. Also, mix some white and black on the brush. The sun is very bright, so this color is very vibrant. If you add more green, it will be too dark for the tree in the background.

Step- 5
nature view canvas painting step-5
Source: Impulsive Artistry

You need to make this grass a darker green by adding more black. Use a round brush first for yellow and gray. Then pull out some little details on this mid-ground grass in the Marsh. Next, add some more yellow and a little more white to the mix of gray at the bottom of the photo. Finally, bring in some lime green and clump some grasses here on top.

Step- 6
nature view canvas painting step-6
Source: Impulsive Artistry

Add some white to that and yellow for a nice colorful color. Add some dark permanent green and then push back the black a little bit.

Step- 7
nature view canvas painting step-7
Source: Impulsive Artistry

There is too much yellow here. Need more dark colors to hold the area down, so use more black at the bottom and a little bit of gray in the back. Then put some highlights in it with a brush – yellow-green mix. Next, use lime green and add it to this clump of grass that is sticking out. There are alligators in this marsh! It looks like you can walk on it but there is so much water that you cannot walk on it because your feet would just sink into all of the water beneath you.

Step- 8
nature view canvas painting step-8
Source: Impulsive Artistry

Mix some cobalt blue and titanium white colors together. Use the black to help make a shadow for the grass along the edge of the bank. The blue will blend to darken the lighter shade of blue. It looks almost done but needs more white added to it.

Step- 9
nature view canvas painting step-9
Source: Impulsive Artistry

To make the painting look more realistic, mix some of my darker colors with some of the gray. Then use that mixture as a shadow. It is important not to overdo it because you can see where it goes in the painting. The black and blue colors should be softened by adding white paint around them.

Step- 10
nature view canvas painting step-10
Source: Impulsive Artistry

First, clean your brush. Then use the blue paint to start blending in the reflection of the clouds. Next, use cadmium yellow for a pop in the distance. Now we are done!

Source: Impulsive Artistry

Canvas Painting: Method 2

Step- 1
peony flowers acrylic painting step-1
Source: Katie Jobling Art

First, you need to make the base layer. That is step one. I’m taking some red paint and adding some yellow. It makes it warmer for the flower center.

Step- 2
peony flowers acrylic painting step-2
Source: Katie Jobling Art

I’m going to take some red paint from the palette and put it in the center of this picture, it will be in the middle. This will make people look at the center of this painting.

Step-3
peony flowers acrylic painting step-3
Source: Katie Jobling Art

Next, I am going to take some reds and whites and add them together. Add this mixture around the yellow section and this is going to be the base layer for the petals.

Step- 4
peony flowers acrylic painting step-4
Source: Katie Jobling Art

So once the paint is dry, use a medium brush to add some white paint. This will make the pink lighter. Then use a round brush to make soft petals. If you press in the center of the petal, it will get lighter as you move out towards the edge where it gets darker again. Do this with all of your strokes and create a nice point on your petal by pulling off from it and making it thinner and longer at one end. You can do this technique with all sorts of things – especially flowers!

Step-5
peony flowers acrylic painting step-4
Source: Katie Jobling Art

Once the paint dries, we’ll add some details to the flower. Start with the middle of it. Mix blue and yellow paint for a green color. Now it’s a really vibrant green color! Add in just a dash of red which will bring it down to make a duller green color and add some dark areas to the middle of the flower. Then use red straight from your palette and add hints of that darker red color into it to finish off your work.

Step- 6
peony flowers acrylic painting step-6
Source: Katie Jobling Art

Now take the yellow paint and do the same thing. Add all those little pieces of yellow that you can see in the middle of the flower. You can spend as long as you want on this one, but I’m just adding more of a suggestion rather than really using a reference photo for an exact match. If you want to spend longer on this painting, feel free! You can make it more detailed and realistic if you want.

Step- 7
peony flowers acrylic painting step-7
Source: Katie Jobling Art

Now I’m going to make another orangey red. I want to keep this really dark, because it will be the shadows that come from underneath the petals. We’ll draw in white petals on top. You can be a little messy at this point, but just add in where you think you want some dark shadows coming through at the end.

Step- 8
peony flowers acrylic painting step-8
Source: Katie Jobling Art

Now we are going to add white. We are going to make it lighter than the other pink that we made before. So put these petals on top of the pastel pink. This will make it look more realistic and give our painting more interest. So these highlights will be on top of the petals that we already made. Start building some shapes now with a few little petals added in there.

Step- 9
peony flowers acrylic painting step-9
Source: Katie Jobling Art

I am going to use some White paint that I have to add the final highlights. I will put it on the tip of my brush. Then, I am going to add some small details like the edges of the petals. These are really crisp white and will contrast against the center of the flower.

Step- 10
peony flowers acrylic painting step-10
Source: Katie Jobling Art

The petals are dark and light in some places. You can just put them together to make a mid pink color. Then you paint lines that are not as harsh looking. And also, add hints of petals inside the shape of the flower too. That is how to paint a peony!

Step- 11
peony flowers acrylic painting step-11
Source: Katie Jobling Art

It’s now clear that we achieved our goal. Continue painting more two penoys according to the steps above.

Step- 12
peony flowers acrylic painting step-12
Source: Katie Jobling Art

After finishing three flowers, start to add some details to the background. Mix blue, yellow, and red colors to make a deep dark and light green color. Apply that color to the background of the picture as shown in the picture. Add some white color to the background to focus those flowers. Finally, we are done!

Source: Katie Jobling Art

Canvas Painting: Method 3

In this article, we are going to paint a watermelon. To start the painting process, we need to get our supplies. You need green and white acrylic paints as well as red, black and brown. You will need paint brushes also that are not too thick or too thin for this project.

Step- 1
watermelon slice painting step-1
Source: makoccino

The first thing to do is trace out the shape of the watermelon with a pencil.

Step- 2
watermelon slice painting step-2
Source: makoccino

Took some green paint and outlined the pencil line by making the line about five millimeters or so. As you can see, there are several color layers in the water mount that are blended into each other, so you don’t have to be so accurate.

Step- 3
watermelon slice painting step-3
Source: makoccino

Now mix green and white paint together. It is enough to create a slightly lighter shade of green, and then paint a second line on top of the first one you painted. It should be painted and blended together. The dark green outline and the transition between the two colors will be achieved in this way.

Step- 4
watermelon slice painting step-4
Source: makoccino

Then just take white paint and repeat the same step. A second line should be painted on the lighter green, slightly overlapping it. You can then overpaint the canvas with white and blend it in with the layer adjacent to it if you have that combination.

Step- 5
watermelon slice painting step-5
Source: makoccino

If you want to add more yellow or green, go ahead. Just make sure that you blend the colors so that there are no harsh lines.

Step- 6
watermelon slice painting step-6
Source: makoccino

Take the white paint and the red paint. Mix them together to get a light pink color which you will then use to cover the rest of the surface after you have finished painting it on first. But while doing that make sure you don’t mix the red and the white together just yet.

Step- 7
watermelon slice painting step-7
Source: makoccino

Start by putting a little bit of red paint on the corner of the canvas. Then start blending it towards the green part. You can do this in a dabbing motion.

Step- 8
watermelon slice painting step-8
Source: makoccino

If you want to make the picture more dimensional, you can add some brown to the red and make it darker.

Step- 9
watermelon slice painting step-9
Source: makoccino

To make a more realistic looking surface, try to make a gradient effect from the red paint on the watermelon to the light pink. Start at the red and carefully reach the edge of where you painted with white paint. Make sure that your brush is almost dry so that you can easily blend them together.

Step- 10
watermelon slice painting step-10
Source: makoccino

Now you can go back and add some red and brown to the watermelon. Also, paint the edges of your painting. Let everything dry.

Step- 11
watermelon slice painting step-11
Source: makoccino

Now we can add the watermelon seeds. We will use black paint. Paint some small drops of paint where you think they should go. You can also paint them bigger if you want a more realistic and cute look. Add the watermelon seeds wherever you think it will make it look better.

Step- 12
watermelon slice painting step-12
Source: makoccino

First, let everything dry. Then we finish the painting with a coat of liquid glue. This way, the surface of the lemon will look more juicy and fresh. Add glue in a dabbing motion to create an uneven surface and make it look more realistic.

Step- 13
watermelon slice painting
Source: makoccino

Once all that is done, it’s time to let everything dry and you are done!

Source: makoccino

Canvas Painting: Method 4

Step- 1
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-1
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

Mix black and white paint together to make a gray color. Paint the background of the canvas with that color. Wait for it to dry before you start painting with other colors.

Step- 2
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-2
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

On the canvas, create a rough sketch. Simply arranging the flowers and placing them is sufficient.

Step- 3
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-3
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

The branches should be painted first. To get the appropriate color tone for the branches, mix Burnt Umber and Black paint together. Paint with a flat 3/4” brush. In this way, you can see how you should place your flowers.

Step- 4
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-4
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

Now it’s time to paint some flowers. Start by creating a base for your flowers. The base should be a lighter shade of pink. We will use white to highlight later. To get a light pink color tone for the flower, mix pink and white paint together. Make a simple shape of the flower with a 1” filbert brush. Follow the video below for instructions to paint this flower easily.

Step- 5
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-5
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

So, now you have painted the first flower. On your canvas, paint all the flowers you need using the same technique. Filbert and flat brushes can both be used. You can quickly apply for coverage with a brush with larger bristles.

Step- 6
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-6
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

After the base color gets fully dried, you have to add the details. Now shade the petals using a darker tone of magenta. Use a 1” Filbert brush and use magenta quinacridone, white, and deep magenta paint to add shade and details.

Step- 7
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-7
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

Put some white paint on the petals of those flowers to make their petals look more highlighted.

Step- 8
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting step-8
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

By using magenta quinacridone add the shadow to the flowers. Give darker tones to the inside petals so that the outer petals pop up.

Step- 9
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

Make the painting more attractive by adding some flower buds to the branches. And use a liner brush to paint more branch details by using Burnt Umber and Black paint mixture color.

Step- 10
SIMPLE Abstract Flower Painting
Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

Lastly use a filbert brush 5 and use sap green, burnt umber, and leaf green color to add some leaves to the branches. Finally, we are done!

Source: RENJITHA ANOOP

Canvas Painting: Method 5

Step- 1
Forest Acrylic Painting step-1
Source: AhmadArt

The first thing you need to do is add titanium white in the center of the canvas.

Step- 2
Forest Acrylic Painting step-2
Source: AhmadArt

To paint the entire canvas around white, mix passion phthalo blue together with lots of titanium white. In addition, you can thin all your colors with water to make it easier to blend. Make the edges more darker. Adding more Prussian blue to the edges will make it darker.

Step- 3
Forest Acrylic Painting step-3
Source: AhmadArt

If any strokes seem harsh, you can run a clean dry brush over the area until it blends well. Make the side edges and bottom edge deeper with more Prussian blue.

Step- 4
Forest Acrylic Painting step-4
Source: AhmadArt

Once the background is dry, we paint the trees. Start painting the first layer of trees on the left side of the canvas. To make this color, mix a lot of white with some Prussian blue. Just dab the brush gently as shown in the video below. Don’t brush too hard or you will make mistakes when painting trees.

Step- 5
Forest Acrylic Painting step-5
Source: AhmadArt

On the right side, paint the first layer of trees with more darker blue than lighter blue.

Step- 6
Forest Acrylic Painting step-6
Source: AhmadArt

Finish the second layer of trees with more deep colors from the first layer. Use more and more Prussian blue paint to paint some darker layers after finishing the second layer.

Step- 7
Forest Acrylic Painting step-7
Source: AhmadArt

By using the same technique, now you can add some bushes to the downside.

Step- 8
Forest Acrylic Painting step-8
Source: AhmadArt

Now, draw some straight lines using dark and light blue. There should be a tree-like shape in it. Follow each tree’s color shade from light to dark. In addition, you have to add some brunches as well along the lines of following the same shade.

Step- 9
Forest Acrylic Painting
Source: AhmadArt

The last step is to use the titanium white color to add details to the bottom bushes. A gentle dab of the brush will complete the painting. Finally, we are done.

Source: AhmadArt

Conclusion

The step by step canvas painting 5 methods outlined in this blog post is great ways to get started with your painting. However, there is no substitute for practice and experimentation. Make sure you give each of the techniques a try and don’t be afraid to mix them up or add some personal flair. You’ll find that it takes time to nail down what works best but once you do, you’ll have an easy go-to painting technique that will serve you well on future projects. We hope you enjoyed reading about canvas painting. Happy painting!

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