Summer painting ideas are one of my favourite ways to slow down, unwind, and brighten up my home. Even if you only have fifteen minutes, a basic paint set, or a canvas the size of a card, you can still channel those cheerful summer vibes onto paper. This summer, why not paint bright colours, beach scenes, juicy fruit, wildflowers, palm trees, and all those little things that just scream SUMMER.
One of the best things about these ideas is that you don’t need to be an artist to have a go. In fact most of these summer paintings are made from basic shapes with simple layers and easy brushstrokes so you can keep them as easy or detailed as you want. Whether you’ re new to acrylic painting, searching for an easy art project, or just fancy making something pretty for summer, these summer painting ideas are gorgeous for any skill level.
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Paint A Soft Summer Sunset Over Water
This summer painting idea looks so impressive but can still be broken down into easy layers. Start with a soft pastel sky, paint a simple horizon line, then grab your brightest yellow and creamy-white to loosely brush across the water for that sunkissed reflection.
Create A Fresh Lemon Watercolor Pattern
Lemon prints are always such a cheerful way to practise simple shapes and cute, yet easy designs. Keep the lemons slightly varied in size, add some leafy green vines, and go over certain areas with darker outlines to create that hand-painted feel.
Paint Colourful Beach Huts on Canvas
If you’re new to canvas painting or looking for easy painting ideas for beginners, beach huts are SUCH a sweet idea. They’re made from super basic shapes, so anyone can tackle them, and bright colours, simple rooflines, and a calm sea behind them will look happy, colourful, and effortless.
Paint A Striped Lemon Canvas for a Tropical Kitchen Feel
I looove this lemon painting because it feels so tropical, especially with that bold blue background and zesty lemon details. Painting the stripes is the first step, then once dry you can layer on lemons, leaves, and cute little white blossoms for a kitchen-worthy piece.
Make An Easy Beach Scene with a Parasol
There’s something so dreamy about this easy painting idea. It’s simple enough to create a relaxed summer afternoon art project but comes together beautifully. The sea, sand, umbrella, and beach ball are basic enough not to overthink but look oh-so-charming when finished.
Paint Watercolour Ice Lollies for Summer
These watercolour ice lollies are just so playful and FUN because they don’t need to be perfectly neat or tidy to look good. Splash in some soft colour washes, outline them with a thin pen once dry.
Try A Bold Watermelon Painting for Summer
Cut slices of juicy watermelon on a dark background feels modern, bright, and SUCH a fun summer twist. Painting the dark background first makes the pink and green colours really pop, and you can have SO much fun playing with thicker acrylic painting strokes for texture.
Use A Palette Knife to Paint A Beach Umbrella Scene
Painting a beach umbrella is SUCH a fun subject if you want to try using a palette knife or really thick acrylic paint. That textured sand and painterly sea look full of sunshine and texture you’ actually feel like you can hear the waves crashing. The umbrella gives you nice bold outline that pulls the whole piece together too.
Paint A Sweet Ice Cream Cone Full Of Sprinkles
Who doesn’t love ice cream? This cute ice cream cone painting is such a fun option if you want super easy painting ideas that still feel like you put tons of detail into them. The scoops of ice cream, colourful sprinkles, cherry, and wafer straw create fun elements to paint and that soft pastel background really helps it feel light and summery.
Create A Bright Pink Citrus Pattern
Love the look of citrus paintings but not sure about the detail? Try this easy painting idea instead. The repeated slices of lemon, lime, and orange are easy to paint once you break them down into basic shapes, and that bright pink against a navy background just LOOKS summer.
Try Painting A Collection of colourful Fish
A watercolour reef full of painted fish is honestly such a relaxing thing to create. It’ great for summer because you can literally paint each fish whatever size, shape, or colour combo you want. This makes it perfect for beginners or fun for the whole family to paint.
Make A Simple Strawberry Painting and Cute Pattern
Sweet little strawberries are the perfect pick if you love playful, fresh summer paintings with hints of cottage-core style. It also makes a great practice project if you’ wanting to get better at keeping your repetitions consistent while still keeping things loose and cute.
Paint A Dreamy Summer Sunset Scene Over Wild Flowers
Painting summer sunsets might be my favourite. There’s something so peaceful about that bright evening light. This particular landscape painting is a little more advanced, but still beautiful if you love acrylic painting and blending colours together. And flowers can be really forgiving! Flowers, fluffy clouds, and that soft reflective blue make this perfect for painting that magical hour right before the sun goes down.
Paint A Tropical Beach Scene With Palm Leaves
If you want something that screams summer holidays before you even look at it, this tropical beach painting is for you. There’ something about the calm blue sea, soft sandy shore, and the BIGGER than life palm trees that creates instant vacation vibes. This beach painting is also a really clean canvas project that beginners can tackle.
Paint Summer Sunflowers In A Mason Jar
Sunflowers painted inside one of those cute, simple glass jars are such a cheerful summery thing to create. Sunflowers bring so much warmth to a painting, and I love how the jar gives you the chance to practice painting reflections and a bit of soft transparency.
Create A Colourful Wildflower Meadow Painting
If you want to really have FUN painting all those layers of wildflowers, grasses, and twirling little paths, this meadow scene is for you. It kind of gives me a hint of Van Gogh with how the colours and paint strokes work together but with that easy, whimsical feel we all love about summer. This would also look amazing as a large canvas too.
Paint Summer Daisy Flowers In Layers of Green
This pretty little daisy field painting is such a great example of how beginner ideas can still create a rich, textured look. Painting the background in lots of layered greens first helps, then pop those white petals and sunny yellow centres on top for an easy, fresh flower painting.
Make An Easy Summer Ocean Painting With Rays Of Sunlight
Who doesn’t love a good shoreline scene? There’ something so quint-summer about that bright reflection on the water, soft clouds, and foamy waves that make this such a peaceful acrylic painting idea. Grabbing your brightest yellows to really let that sunlight pop off the water is key.
Paint A Colourful Summer Meadow Full Of Tulips
This happy tulip field is another great beginner friendly-painting idea. Soft pastel colours and simple flower shapes give it that effortless, happy vibe that makes painting fun. You could even change the colours to suit your favourite colour combos.
Try Painting A Loose Watercolour Bouquet
If you’re wanting to brush up on your watercolour skills, this cute bouquet is such a beautiful project to try. Painting soft watercolours in pinks, lilacs, and peach tones feel dreamy. I love the idea of adding little paint splatters around the edges too to keep this watercolour painting extra loose.
Paint Colourful Poppy Style Flowers with Green Stems
Bold bright flowers are another fun option if you want super simple summer ideas. The colourful petals on these poppy-style flowers are easy to create using an inflated plastic bag (trust me, watch the video for this one). Plus the green stems are FUN to paint. You could even get the whole family to join in and paint their own!
Paint Vibrant Sunflowers Against A Pink Summer Sky
Ok this sunflower painting is just my new favourite. Something about that soft pink background against the bright sunflowers makes it feel different. Unique. Happy. Summer doesn’t always have to be about painting beach scenes, and the contrast between the dark green stems and vibrant yellow flowers just make this painting feel warm.
Before You Go...
Summer is my favourite season to paint because honestly, there’ inspiration EVERYWHERE. Juicy fruits, bright summer skies, backyard flowers, beach trips, ice creams, and those beautiful golden evening hues that make everything feel tender. Keep your summer painting simple with watercolour patterns and cute food illustrations, or go crazy with texture using acrylic paint and a palette knife.
I hope you loved these summer painting ideas and they’ inspire you to grab your paints and create something beautiful. Don’t over think your process and most importantly have FUN with it!