10 Famous and Easy Paintings to Inspire Your Creativity
Art can be both a source of inspiration and a relaxing activity, especially when starting with iconic paintings that are beginner-friendly. These famous yet simple designs allow you to connect with the works of great artists while honing your creative skills. Let’s dive into the first two masterpieces: Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh and The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai.
Starry Night: Van Gogh’s Iconic Swirls of Color
Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night is one of the most recognized paintings in the world, celebrated for its vibrant colors and hypnotic swirls. While it may seem intricate, this masterpiece is surprisingly approachable for beginners.
Why Starry Night is Perfect for Beginners
The bold, flowing lines and distinct sections of the painting make it easy to break down into manageable areas. The swirls of the sky are forgiving, allowing for a bit of creative freedom as you replicate the movement and energy of the original.
Beginners often find comfort in the repetitive nature of the strokes, which create the dynamic sky while maintaining a structured approach.
Tips for Recreating Starry Night
- Start with the Background: Begin by painting the deep blue hues of the sky. This sets the stage for the swirls and stars.
- Focus on Layering: Use thin layers to build depth, blending darker shades into lighter ones for the swirling effect.
- Capture the Energy: Use short, curved strokes to mimic the motion in the painting, following the flow of the original design.
Tools and Colors
Acrylic paints are ideal for replicating Starry Night due to their bold pigmentation and ease of use. Focus on a palette that includes blues, yellows, and whites to create the signature night scene.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa: Hokusai’s Bold and Timeless Print
Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a stunning woodblock print that captures the power and beauty of nature. Its bold shapes and distinct sections make it a favorite for beginners seeking an introduction to Japanese art.
Why The Great Wave is Beginner-Friendly
The composition is divided into clear sections, making it easy to focus on one area at a time. The wave itself features repetitive patterns, which are simple to replicate while maintaining the energy of the original piece.
Additionally, the limited color palette—dominated by blues, whites, and grays—makes it less overwhelming for those new to painting.
Techniques to Bring The Great Wave to Life
- Outline First: Lightly sketch the wave’s shape or follow a pre-printed canvas to ensure accuracy.
- Layer Gradually: Start with the background, painting the sky and Mount Fuji before tackling the wave’s details.
- Detail the Foam: Use a fine-tip brush to add the frothy foam, creating texture and movement within the wave.
Capturing the Movement
The wave’s energy is all about the flow. Short, curved strokes work best for replicating the curling water, while dabbing techniques can mimic the foam’s texture.
Sunflowers: Van Gogh’s Bright and Bold Classic
Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers series is another excellent choice for beginners. Known for its vibrant yellows and simple composition, this painting is both approachable and rewarding to recreate.
Why Sunflowers Are Beginner-Friendly
The circular shapes of the flowers and straightforward vase design make this painting easy to break down into manageable sections. The repetitive pattern of the petals also helps beginners practice consistency without worrying about intricate details.
Van Gogh’s thick, expressive brushstrokes are forgiving, allowing for creative interpretation rather than strict replication.
Techniques for Painting Sunflowers
- Focus on Layering Colors: Begin with the lighter yellows and oranges, then layer darker shades to add depth to the petals and centers.
- Embrace Texture: Use a palette knife or thick brushstrokes to mimic Van Gogh’s impasto technique, adding dimension to the painting.
- Balance the Background: A muted background highlights the vibrancy of the flowers without distracting from the composition.
Tools and Colors
Acrylic paints work well for replicating Sunflowers due to their quick drying time and vibrant hues. Prioritize yellows, oranges, browns, and greens in your palette.
Mona Lisa: A Simplified Version of Da Vinci’s Masterpiece
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world. While the original masterpiece is complex, a simplified version is an excellent project for beginners.
Why a Simplified Mona Lisa Works for Beginners
Simplified versions focus on the general shape and color blocking of the portrait rather than intricate details like shading and texture. This approach makes the process less intimidating while still capturing the essence of the iconic artwork.
Techniques for Painting a Simplified Mona Lisa
- Start with the Background: Paint the muted, earthy tones of the background first to set the scene for the portrait.
- Focus on Basic Shapes: Outline the face, hair, and clothing with light strokes before filling them in with flat colors.
- Add Highlights Last: Use lighter shades to highlight the hair and clothing, giving the painting subtle depth without requiring advanced skills.
Tools and Colors
Use a limited color palette, including earthy tones like browns, greens, and beiges. A fine-tip brush helps with outlining, while a medium brush is ideal for filling in sections.
Water Lilies: Monet’s Dreamy Masterpiece
Claude Monet’s Water Lilies series is a celebration of nature’s beauty, showcasing tranquil ponds filled with floating lilies and reflections. Its impressionistic style and fluid composition make it an ideal painting for beginners to explore.
Why Water Lilies Is Beginner-Friendly
The soft, blurred edges and lack of strict details allow beginners to focus on capturing the overall mood and colors of the scene. The impressionistic brushstrokes are forgiving, encouraging experimentation without the fear of making mistakes.
Monet’s work is about creating an emotional connection rather than replicating precise details, making it a great way to explore freeform painting.
Techniques for Painting Water Lilies
- Start with the Background: Begin with the water’s surface, blending shades of blue and green to create a serene base.
- Layer the Lilies: Use short, rounded strokes for the lily pads and add hints of pink and white for the flowers.
- Incorporate Reflections: Blend softer, streaky strokes into the water to mimic reflections of trees or sky, enhancing the depth of the scene.
Tools and Colors
Focus on a palette of blues, greens, pinks, and whites. Use soft brushes to achieve the smooth transitions and blurred effects characteristic of Monet’s impressionistic style.
The Scream: Munch’s Emotional Landscape
Edvard Munch’s The Scream is one of the most iconic expressions of emotion in art. Its bold, swirling sky and dramatic figure make it a striking piece that is surprisingly approachable for beginners.
Why The Scream Is Beginner-Friendly
The exaggerated, almost cartoonish elements of the figure and the abstract background allow for creative interpretation. The painting’s focus on mood and movement makes it less about perfection and more about conveying feeling.
Beginners can experiment with bold brushstrokes and colors without worrying about exact proportions or fine details.
Techniques for Painting The Scream
- Capture the Sky’s Swirls: Use curved, flowing strokes to recreate the dramatic orange and blue streaks in the background.
- Focus on the Figure: The central figure is simplified, with broad shapes and stark contrasts that make it easy to replicate.
- Add Texture to the Foreground: Use rougher strokes for the wooden bridge, creating a sense of depth and grounding the painting.
Tools and Colors
Acrylic paints are perfect for capturing the bold contrasts of The Scream. Prioritize vibrant oranges, blues, and blacks for the sky and figure, paired with muted browns for the bridge.
Girl with a Pearl Earring: Vermeer’s Simplified Portrait
Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is a timeless portrait that exudes simplicity and elegance. While the original painting is intricate, a simplified version focuses on the key elements, making it accessible for beginners.
Why a Simplified Girl with a Pearl Earring Works for Beginners
The composition centers on the subject’s face, the turban, and the pearl earring, allowing painters to focus on these striking elements without being overwhelmed by intricate details or complex backgrounds.
By using soft, smooth brushstrokes, beginners can recreate the essence of the portrait with minimal shading techniques.
Techniques for Painting a Simplified Girl with a Pearl Earring
- Start with the Background: Use a solid dark or neutral shade to emphasize the subject’s features.
- Outline Key Features: Lightly sketch the face, headscarf, and earring before applying paint for precision.
- Layer Skin Tones: Build up the face using soft transitions between light and shadow. Focus on areas like the nose, chin, and cheeks for subtle depth.
- Highlight the Earring: Use white or silver paint with a touch of gloss to make the pearl stand out against the darker background.
Tools and Colors
Choose a palette of neutral tones for the background, light peach for the skin, and rich blues and yellows for the turban. A fine-tip brush is essential for detailing the earring and facial features.
Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow: Mondrian’s Modern Minimalism
Piet Mondrian’s Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow is a hallmark of modern art, known for its clean lines and primary colors. Its geometric simplicity makes it an excellent choice for beginners exploring abstraction.
Why Mondrian’s Composition Is Beginner-Friendly
The painting’s grid structure and flat blocks of color are straightforward to replicate, requiring no advanced techniques or blending. The design is also forgiving, as small imperfections in line thickness or color application can be easily corrected.
This painting is a great way to practice precision and experiment with creating balance in abstract art.
Techniques for Painting Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow
- Start with the Grid: Use a ruler and pencil to lightly sketch the black gridlines on your canvas. This provides a framework for the blocks of color.
- Paint the Primary Colors: Fill in the red, blue, and yellow blocks using flat, even strokes. Work carefully to avoid bleeding over the gridlines.
- Add the Black Lines: Once the colored sections are dry, use a steady hand or painter’s tape to apply the black lines for a crisp, clean finish.
- Balance the Composition: Leave some sections white to maintain Mondrian’s signature style and achieve visual harmony.
Tools and Colors
Acrylic paints work best for their bold, opaque finish. Use primary red, blue, and yellow alongside black and white. A flat brush ensures smooth application, while a small detail brush helps refine the gridlines.
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte: Seurat’s Simplified Pointillism
Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is a stunning example of pointillism, a technique using small dots of color to create an image. While the original is highly detailed, a simplified version focuses on basic shapes and fewer elements, making it beginner-friendly.
Why a Simplified Version Works for Beginners
By reducing the number of figures and focusing on fewer details, beginners can enjoy the meditative process of pointillism without feeling overwhelmed. The dotting technique is forgiving and allows for creative expression.
Techniques for Simplified Pointillism
- Outline the Composition: Lightly sketch the main figures and key elements, such as trees and umbrellas, to establish the scene.
- Dot with Layers: Use a small brush or cotton swab to create dots of primary colors, layering them to form secondary hues.
- Focus on Gradients: Gradually transition from darker shades in the foreground to lighter ones in the background for depth.
- Work Slowly: Pointillism requires patience. Focus on one area at a time to maintain consistency.
Tools and Colors
Acrylic paints in primary colors work best for layering and achieving vibrant tones. A small round brush or dotting tool is essential for precise application.
Campbell’s Soup Cans: Warhol’s Pop Art Icon
Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans revolutionized modern art with its bold simplicity and celebration of everyday objects. Its clean lines and repetitive design make it perfect for beginners exploring pop art.
Why Campbell’s Soup Cans Is Beginner-Friendly
The structured format and limited color palette allow beginners to focus on the process rather than intricate details. The design is repetitive, so once you master one can, the others are straightforward to replicate.
Techniques for Painting Campbell’s Soup Cans
- Start with the Outline: Sketch the can shape and label details lightly with a pencil. This provides a clear framework for the painting.
- Use Bold Colors: Fill in the red, white, and gold areas with flat, even strokes for a clean pop art finish.
- Add Text Details: Use a fine-tip brush or marker to replicate the label’s lettering. Keep it simple by focusing on key words like "Campbell’s" and "Soup."
- Emphasize Uniformity: Consistency is key in pop art. Ensure each can looks similar for a cohesive final piece.
Tools and Colors
Acrylic paints in red, white, black, and gold are essential. A fine-tip brush helps with lettering and details, while a flat brush is ideal for the bold color blocks.
Conclusion
Famous paintings offer a gateway to creativity, and their simplified versions make them accessible for artists of all levels. From Van Gogh’s vibrant Starry Night to Warhol’s bold Campbell’s Soup Cans, each masterpiece introduces unique techniques and styles.
These iconic works inspire beginners to experiment with color, texture, and composition while building confidence in their artistic abilities. Whether you’re drawn to impressionism, realism, or pop art, these paintings are perfect starting points to unleash your creativity.
So grab your brushes, pick your favorite masterpiece, and let your artistic journey begin!