15 DIY Paintings for non-artists

It’s pretty common when you’re a creative person that a compliment usually comes with a little tail. It goes something like this –

You’re such a good artist but . . .

I can’t draw a stick figure. 

or . . . I’m not creative at all. 

or . . . I can’t draw a straight line. 

I will always disagree with the person and try to tell them that they really could learn to draw or paint or craft or whatever . . . if they want to spend the time doing so.

Granted, some people have tendencies and innate talents but I know for certain there are those with no obvious talent who, after working long and hard, become accomplished artists. In whatever medium – paint, dance, singing, cooking. Anything.

I’ve seen it happen.

The thing is, most of us don’t want to spend long, hard hours to learn a new whatever. We’d like to get a fairly decent result in, say, an afternoon, right? Or maybe even an entire weekend, if that ‘whatever’ turns out pretty spectacular.

And if that ‘whatever’ turns out pretty nicely, well then, there’s a likely chance that we’ll spend more time on the next project.

Am I right?

While I’d love to be the one sharing the afternoon – or weekend – with you, I’m up to my eyeballs in pet portraits. So instead, I’ve gathered up some pretty awesome paintings, ones that I’d like to try myself when I get the chance.

(Please pin the original source of the paintings. Thank you!)

I’m particularly fond of this first painting by Dabbles & Babbles since I happen to have those round foam spouncers and use them all of the time.

I’m also a huge fan of ombre and The Projectory Handcrafts created this oversized canvas with some tape and a few paint sample pots.

If you’re partial to herringbone, check out this painting by The Embellished Nest. Awesome.

If you’re more into an ikat pattern, Andrea painted these four canvases in 40 minutes!

Of course, you don’t have to paint a canvas at all. A couple of wood boards are the perfect backdrop for a stenciled birdcage by Near Normalcy.

Or how about painting some ceiling medallions? They certainly add texture, dimension and interest.
(These are from Better Homes & Gardens – thanks, Mel!)

I totally agree with what Kerri wrote at the beginning of her post for this inspirational canvas – “Everybody has a little artist in them somewhere.”

If you’d like to try watercolors but aren’t totally confident yet, try this painting by Mr. Handsome Face where she uses vinyl letters as a reverse stencil.

Good penmanship not required for this wall piece. In fact, I think a little sloppiness adds to the coolness factor.

Leave it to KariAnne to always take the simplest project, add her personal spin, and create something extraordinary. A canvas, some wood letters, and paint. Oh, and 17.25 minutes. That’s all you need to paint this art.

Technically, this isn’t a painting since Gina used gold leaf but she did use paint to cover up an old canvas. That counts, doesn’t it? Any time I want anything to do with words or fonts I head over to The Shabby Creek Cottage because she always has lots to choose from. Not to mention a ton of other creative goodness.

This painting by Just KaliRae shows why I love paint. Don’t like something? Paint over it! She first used a dark blue paint, didn’t like it, and just painted over it with gold. I actually think the blue undercoat adds a little depth to the gold but what do I know.

Got some stencils in your craft stash? Turn them into art by tiling them the way Desiree did at The 36th Avenue. Simple, yet so stylish.

Maybe you don’t need a painting as much as you need something to display a few objets d’art. (aka tchotchkes). Paint some shoe boxes. Yep, shoe boxes. That’s what Creme de la Craft did and I love it so much I now need to go out and buy some new shoes.

It’s totally a win-win.

Wendy at The Shabby Nest is a damask lover like me. Damask patterns generally have loads of detail so Wendy took out a bit. She used an overhead projector but admitted she wished she’d just painted it freehand because the projector skewed the pattern a bit. I certainly can’t see it and I can’t wait to paint my own damask canvas.

There you go, fifteen beautiful paintings you can DIY whether you’re an experienced artist or you’re just beginning to paint. Now, go have some fun and #justpaintit.

Colleen

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