Learn how to paint a sunset in ten minutes or less! This beautiful painting project shows you that you don’t need a ton of time (or supplies) to make great art.
One of the things I miss the most about living by the beach are all the beautiful sunsets. Lately, I felt inspired to do some art and paint something quickly, and decided to paint a sunset canvas! I grabbed a photo I snapped from our last vacation and started painting.
The thing I love about this project is it took just minutes to come together. I did this entire thing from start to finish in ten minutes! I wanted to show you all how you can do it too, so you can see that fun art doesn’t have to take hours and hours.
How to Paint a Sunset
Ready to learn how to paint a sunset in just minutes? Keep reading for the instructions! If you are more of a visual learner, scroll down to the video towards the bottom of this post.
1) Find your inspiration
When you are painting, it can often help to have a source of inspiration or a visual to work off of. In this case, I chose a sunset photo I snapped on our last beach vacation. You can always look up images online, too if you need ideas!
2) Start with the background
Learning how to paint a sunset is really all about getting those beautiful background colors! When you look at the sky you’ll notice it’s usually a blend of colors – from a blue to orange or pink to another dark shade.
So, sometimes it’s just about choosing your colors and blending them a bit.
I started with a blue-gray on top and then went with a lighter orange underneath. I then went over the light orange with a darker, more vibrant shade of orange on top of the lighter shade.
Then at the bottom, I did a few shades of blue along with some silver to show the ocean reflecting.
There’s not always a rhyme or reason – it’s just about having fun and seeing what looks right!
3) Add the foreground
Next, I added some black for the beach area and the palm trees.
Typically, I’d let the canvas dry a bit before jumping in with the palm trees, but I’m painting on a schedule today, so just going for it. Alternatively, you could also use a blow drier to dry off the paint a bit faster.
Don’t be scared if it pulls some of the background color out – it’s okay! You can always go over it with more paint.
4) Layer in the details
Then, grab a small brush to add some detail to your palm trees. The depth of the leaves makes a big difference!
Again, don’t be worried if it pulls some of the background color in – I loved how the blue paint looked when mixed with the palm tree silhouette.
I also used the small brush to add some lights from above onto the beach. Just for fun!
5) Admire your hard work
There you have it! This isn’t a photorealistic painting, it’s almost cartoon-like and just for fun. Since I did this painting on a smaller canvas, I didn’t feel like I needed to add a ton of details. Had I made this on a larger scale, I would have.
How to Paint a Sunset: Watch the Video
Grab your supplies and come paint alongside me during this quick 10-minute video!
Join PPHQ
If you felt inspired by this, why not make some extra money while also exploring art? I was literally able to make an entire year’s salary between August – December by doing this, and you can too. Inside of Paint Party Headquarters, I’ll teach you everything I’ve learned over a decade of teaching paint parties.
Yes, it IS possible to make good money and love what you do! Learn how inside of PPHQ!
More Beach Painting Ideas
- How to Paint on A Surfboard: Cute Paint Party Project
- Paint a Colorful Beach Sunset: Step by Step Instructions
- Have Fun While Learning how To Paint a Whimsical Beach Scene
- Beach Sunset Tutorial from Start to Finish!
