Last Updated on November 29, 2025 by Masha Eretnova
Are you looking for some inspiration for your winter paintings or feel creative on Christmas Eve? In this post, you’ll find 50+ winter canvas painting ideas to enjoy the holiday season by exploring your creativity while working on your painting skills.
From frosty winter landscapes for beginners to whimsical Christmas scenes, and beautiful bird painting, there are some cute painting ideas for preschoolers and adults for Christmas holiday, and in my list you’ll find inspiration-sparking ideas no matter your skills!
I’ve also included a section with easy and kid-friendly painting ideas for the little ones so everyone at home can have fun painting with acrylics this winter season.
These winter painting ideas are good for: acrylic paint, gouache, poster colors, and some even for markers or colored pencils
Essential Winter Canvas Painting Supplies
To paint winter ideas you will most definitely need a good paint set and a canvas!
*Here and there I’ll be linking to one of the best acrylic paint brands for beginners – Liquitex Basics. But feel free to make your own choice from more than 20+ paint brands on the market.
Essential colors for winter scenes:
- black for the dark night sky,
- red for Christmas costumes of Santa and elves,
- cobalt blue, green for trees, yellow, brown,
- and of course – Titanium white. For sure, you will be able to mix the paint nuances you need and use any other colors. But you most definitely will need white 🙂
You can equally use markers on paper, acrylics on canvas or canvas pads, or watercolor!
Easy Winter Acrylic Painting Ideas
Snowflake Drawing
Simple cartoon-style snowflake you can draw and color with your kids at home or in a classroom.
Get the steps: Snowflake drawing
Grinch
A good excuse to rewatch the movie and do some coloring or practice drawing Grinch face! With a Santa hat and his signature grim, this drawing or painting idea will be a hit at any classroom and at home.
Get the tutorial: How to Draw Grinch
Winter Wonderland
Acrylic paint is such a beginner-friendly medium, you’ll be able to replicate a magical snow effect effortlessly.
For a similar frosted scene, go for acrylic colors like Titanium white and ultramarine or cobalt blue. Mix white and blue to get this soft winter sky tone.
*Here and there I’ll be linking to one of the best acrylic paint brands for beginners – Liquitex. But feel free to make your own choice from more than 20+ paint brands on the market.
Northern Lights Winter Landscape
For an alluring Northern Lights landscape, you can use vibrant greens, purples, whites, and blues for the lights, and instead of trees and deers, you can feature mountains or branches or a city’s silhouette… The possibilities are endless!
Insider tip: use stripes or dry brush to create the northern lights! Make a line with a fine brush loaded with paint and then with a separate dry flat brush, moving it from the line up, create the lights shades! OR use blending techniques.
The best colors for the Northern lights are black for the dark night sky, magenta, cobalt blue, and green or yellow – the most natural Aurora borealis colors.
Penguins
You can imagine a sweet winter moment here, with two parent penguins with their fluffy babies in the snow.
The soft blue sky and the warm orange sun make the whole scene feel extra cozy.
If you want the feathers to look soft, try using light strokes and keep your hand relaxed. A few tiny white dots at the end can make the snow look like it’s softly drifting down.
Winter Landscape with a Church
Picture a quiet snowy hill with a small church sitting peacefully on top, a frozen river nearby, and tiny houses tucked into the winter scene.
Two people are just resting on the bridge, enjoying how calm everything feels. It’s a lovely painting to try when you want to practice gentle snow and simple buildings.
Blending the sky slowly helps give it that soft winter glow.
Upcycle a CD with Pine Trees Painting
Turning an old CD into a mini winter painting is such a cute project.
Just add snowy pine trees, a bit of white for falling snow, and it instantly becomes a little winter decoration. Kids and beginners love this because you don’t need perfect lines. Just dab green for the trees and sprinkle in the snow.
Tip: to make sure the paint doesn’t peel off, degrease the CD and apply a layer of gesso before painting it.
Reindeer Drawing
Adorable cartoon reindeer that kids can draw and color for a fun Christmas craft. This simple holiday drawing project is perfect for beginners and works great at home or in the classroom. A great way to help kids practice basic shapes, coloring skills, and Christmas creativity.
Get the tutorial: How to draw a reindeer
Winter Owl
Here you get a quiet snowy owl perched on a branch under a deep blue night sky.
The tiny snowflakes floating around really help the owl stand out. Soft feathers are easy to paint if you use gentle strokes, especially for the gray parts. A few white dots at the end finish the whole nighttime look.
Tip: Use black paper or black gesso as a background and you don’t have towaste black paint 🙂 Go from big shapes to details.
Abstract Winter Landscape
A soft abstract winter scene where blues and greens flow across the canvas like icy ponds and drifting snow.
The shapes feel loose and calm, letting you explore colors and movement without needing real mountains or trees. It’s a fun, easy idea for beginners who want to play with smooth lines and cool winter shades.
Will also be great home decor!
Winter Landscape
Imagine tall snowy mountains rising behind dark pine trees, all under a bright blue sky. The light on the mountain tops really pops against the background.
If you want a good blending practice, the sky is the perfect part to start with. A small fan brush makes it easier to shape the pine trees so they look soft and full.
Winter Still Life
A bright blue bottle, a white bottle, and a little glass sit on a windowsill while snowy trees and people walking outside create a soft winter view.
The cool colors inside and the warm touches outdoors make the whole scene feel calm and cozy. It’s a great painting to try if you want to practice reflections, light shadows, and shiny surfaces.
Not painting in detail is ok, too!
Bullfinch sitting on branches of viburnum
You can build this scene by brushing soft blue and purple layers to shape the snowy viburnum bushes.
Add small red dabs for the berries so they stand out against the cool colors.
The bullfinches are simple to paint with round bodies and warm red chests, and you can lift the wings on one bird to show movement. Keep your strokes light to keep the whole painting soft and calm.
Best for watercolor and acrylic used in watercolor technique.
Starry Night With a Full Moon on a Winter Night
A glowing full moon shining over icy waves instantly gives this painting a magical feel. The dark boat sailing quietly across the water adds a little mystery.
With the blue sky and snowy trees in the background, everything feels cold but peaceful. It’s fun to try if you enjoy bold colors and shapes.
Waves, clouds, and trees can be simple dabs!!
Tip: A larger brush works nicely for blending all the blues in the sky. To make the moon glow, soften the edges with a mix of white and light blue. And for the waves, lift your brush slightly as you pull upward with white paint so the water looks foamy.
Related: How to Draw a Crescent Moon 15 Great Tutorials for All Types of Artists
Woodpecker In The Winter Forest
A bright red woodpecker resting on a snowy tree trunk brings a lively pop of color to the winter forest. The cool shadows around it make the red feathers stand out even more.
Light strokes with a wet brush help keep the feathers soft, while building up from light to dark colors on the tree gives the bark a rough, natural look.
Winter Birches
Tall birch trees standing in a snowy field always look so peaceful. The soft yellows and blues on the ground give the snow a warm glow, and the branches add just the right contrast.
It’s a nice painting for practicing loose winter brushstrokes with a round brush. Light touches of white and blue on the branches help the snow look fresh and bright.
Snowy Mountains
You can paint this bright winter scene by using different blue shades to shape the snowy mountains. The sky stays soft and smooth, while the white splatters in the front help the bushes look frosty and full of texture.
It’s a nice project if you want to practice bold brushstrokes and cool winter colors. White snow on naked branches can be made simply by splattering paint!
Winter Town Scene
You can paint an old European winter town like this by blocking in simple house shapes first, using warm and cool colors to make each building stand out.
Add soft yellow in the windows to give the feeling that people are warm inside. Once the buildings are dry, brush white paint along the rooftops and edges to show the snow sitting on them.
Finish with light taps of white across the sky and street to create steady falling snow and tie the whole scene together.
Winter Landscapes with Animals
Get inspired in this acrylic landscape painting and create a snowy woodland with some adorable deer and pines covered in snow! You can use other animals like squirrels, bears, or beavers or make it a night landscape by painting the background black and adding stars.
Sunny Winter Day
This winter landscape with snowy trees in the park, footpath with a bench and figure skaters on a frozen river gives a happy winter day feeling, straight from our childhood!
Snowman
A cheerful snowman with rosy cheeks, a bright carrot nose, and a soft blue hat and scarf always brings a smile.
The gentle watercolor shades help him look friendly and cute. If you want to practice simple shapes and light shading, this is a sweet project to try. A tiny touch of light blue around the edges makes the snowman look soft and round.
Winter Sledge
You can paint a scene like this by laying down smooth blue shades for the snowy hills, keeping your strokes long so the ground feels soft and wide. For the sky, blend blue, a bit of green, and a little white in curved motions to get that sweeping northern-light effect.
Add the small figure on the sledge with just a few dark shapes so it stays simple against the bright snow. Finishing with light shadows around the hills helps the whole landscape feel deeper and more open.
Painting anything’s silhouette is ALWAYS easier, but looks cool!!!
Tip: Start by painting the sky so the colors blend easily. Use a clean brush to pull the light colors out to make the northern lights look soft. Add a little light blue andwhite on the snow to make it brighter. A small brush will help you paint the tiny sledge and person more neatly.
Palette Knife Winter Painting
Using a palette knife is such a fun way to paint a winter scene.
The thick applications make the snowy mountains and frosty pine trees look full of texture. Cool blues and whites create a fresh and peaceful feeling. It is a great chance to play with bold shapes and layers of paint.
Tip: Load the palette knife with a bit of blue and white, then drag it lightly to form snowy hills. For trees make a shape of the tree with dark green and with a palette knife loaded with just white mark the branches.
Winter Forest and Sunset (for kids)
A glowing yellow sunset against a purple sky makes this winter forest look magical. Even the snow seems warm and shiny under the huge sun. There is a tiny cabin in the distance with bright windows that make it feel safe and cozy.
Kids can use acrylics, gouache, even poster or tempera paints to make this.
Red House Winter Scene (for kids)
This little red house looks so inviting as it sits quietly in the snow. The yellow windows make it feel warm inside while the moon lights up the sky around it. Two snowy trees stand nearby like gentle helpers. Because the shapes are simple and the colors are soft, kids find this one easy and fun to paint.
Great idea for both home and clasroom.
Fork Painted Christmas Tree (for kids)
Painting a tree with a fork is such a cool trick.
You just dip the fork in green paint and press it down to make the branches. The red dots look like tiny ornaments (can make them with fingers), and the yellow star on top makes it extra festive.
Kids enjoy how fast and playful this method is because the tree appears with almost no effort.
Fox and Snowing Winter Night Acrylic Painting
A cute fox sitting in a snowy Christmas scene always adds charm. You can adjust the star shapes and play with the fox’s expression any way you like. Different brush sizes help you add fun details. And if you prefer, you can even switch the fox for another favorite animal.
For fox lovers I got more tutorials I like: 15 Unique Ways to Paint a Fox for Any Levels
Log Cabin Winter Canvas Painting
A quaint cabin in a snowy mountain is the ideal winter postcard to paint, capturing the essence of the chilly season.
It is my favorite idea on this list to be honest!!
Winter Lake
A frozen winter lake against deep black and purple skies and pine trees is the ultimate winter landscape. Use this scene as inspiration and give it your unique touch.
Tip: to create reflections on the frozen lake, use a dry brush!
Snowman Acrylic Painting Scene (for kids)
Working on a small canvas is a great tip for beginners! Try your hand at a small Christmas scene with a snowman, pines, and starry night. To make the snowman more real, remember to add the dark blue or grey-ish shades on one side 🙂
Colorful Snow Winter Landscape
Make a winter painting landscape where the bare trees are the main character, like this icy landscape where the snow in purple hues takes the spotlight. It reminds me of a frosty sunrise!
Read also: Violet vs Purple: The Difference You Should Know
Cat Living In A Winter Cabin
You can paint this scene by starting with a small log cabin and covering the roof with thick white snow. Add a warm yellow glow in the window to stand out against the dark sky. The black and white cat is simple to paint with basic shapes. Finish with snowy trees, a curved moon, and a little smoke from the chimney to complete the cozy winter setting.
I love black color and black and white combination so I got two more lists full of painting inspo for you:
- 60 Cool and Easy Black and White Painting Ideas
- 54 Awesome Black Canvas Painting Ideas You’ll Want to Replicate
Melting Snow Early Spring Landscape
You can paint this early-spring scene by blending warm oranges and yellows in the sky to show the sun coming up behind the trees.
Add the bare branches first, then brush soft blues and whites for the leftover snow on the ground. The stream is easy to build with layers of dark and light blues, adding small dabs for the stones. This is a nice project if you want to practice warm and cool colors together as winter slowly fades into spring.
Tip: When you use gouache or acrylic paint you will have no problem covering the skies with brown branches, so don’t worry about it!
Paints are opaque enough. And if you fel like your paints aren’t, first make the same shape with white, then continue with brown for the second layer. White increases opacity.
Winter Sunset (for kids)
A bright winter sunset spreads warm colors across the sky, from yellow to orange to pink to deep purple. The snowy hills below glow under the light.
Bare trees stand with little bits of snow resting on their branches, giving the painting a peaceful look. Kids love how simple shapes and bold colors can create such a beautiful scene.
Winter Night (for kids)
A glowing full moon behind bare tree branches sets a calm mood in this winter night painting.
You just need blue, black, and white colors to make it!
People Walking Through a Snowy Forest
If drawing people feels tricky, painting them from far away makes it much easier. You can place the family in the distance and still get a beautiful winter forest scene. Palette knives work really well for the trees and snow, and then you can use a brush for the little figures. It also makes a lovely family-themed gift.
The trick here is that you can create the forest with palette knives, as well as the snow. And then paint the family with a brush.
Make a Snowy Van Gogh-Inspired Starry Night
Take inspiration from the famous Van Gogh Starry Night painting and make your own version! Adapt the original painting to a snow-covered theme, like the one below.
You can get inspiration from Munch, Picasso, or other famous artists!
Tip: squeeze white, grey, and light blue (better premix a very light blue with white) next to each other. Dip into all of them at once with a flat brush and start creating waves or swirls! They will turn out blending colors so satisfying and beautifully!
Log Cabin Surrounded in White Snow
The most beautiful landscape you’ll see this season is a log cabin tucked away on the slopes of an icy mountain. Let this scene inspire your next winter painting project.
🎄Easy New Year and Christmas Painting Ideas🎄
Hot chocolate
A warm cup of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and a candy cane makes the perfect winter painting idea.
You can add little touches like pine branches, ornaments, or even a pinecone to make it feel festive. This scene is great for practicing small details and soft shadows. A thin brush helps keep the marshmallows looking neat.
Use more water with your paint to create such a soft background but keep a paper towel on hand to quickly dry up things if there is too much bleeding.
Easy Santa Painting Idea
No Christmas can exist without Santa, especially for children waiting for the presents! In every culture, Santa has its own name and little helpers, so there are tons of ideas on how to paint the main character of the holidays. To start with we need a beard, a red hat, and a very kind face! Or maybe we caught him right when he was sliding in the chimney?
Snowman Painting Idea
Making a snowman painting is always a fun Christmas idea. It feels like bringing your own little snow buddy to life! Kids love this because it’s simple, cute, and you can get creative with the scarf, hat, and smile.
A little white, a bit of blue, and a bright orange nose, and you’re all set!
Get this tutorial How To Draw A Snowman – Easy Tutorial and paint this snowman using this painting kit.
Christmas Bells Painting Idea
A bright Christmas bell with a big red bow is a fun and simple project for kids to color. The easy shapes make it beginner-friendly, and the soft yellow shading helps the bell look shiny and bright.
Get the steps: How to Draw A Christmas Bell
Candy Cane Painting Idea
This candy cane is a fun pick for kids who enjoy bright holiday colors.
Super simple tutorial that comes with a video and a coloring page!
Grab this tutorial and follow along: How to Draw a Candy Cane.
Christmas Elves Painting Idea
Those little helpers create magic and make sure all presents are delivered right on time! Even though they are living in our imagination, we can still paint them!
Gingerbread House painting
It is great to make a real gingerbread house for holidays, but we can also paint one with acrylics, markers, or watercolor. It is a colorful painting with lots of candies peppered around the house.
Religious Christmas Painting Ideas – Nativity Scene
The Nativity of Jesus is probably the most important moment and scene to paint and celebrate for religious people during sacred holidays. The scene usually represents the angels and the Holy Family, the Magi, the ox and the donkey, villagers, shepherds, and other characters, so you can include some or all of them in your painting.
Christmas Eve Town
Use perspective projection to paint a quiet Christmas scene with a cabin surrounded by snow and a Christmas tree. To create a similar feel, you’ll need colors like brown (Sienna), blue, green, red, white, and black.
Christmas-themed Snow Globe Acrylic Painting
A fun and easy painting of a snow globe will put you in the Christmas spirit! Go with the traditional Christmas colors or use a fun color combo. You can put a Christmas tree inside, Santa, deer, snowman, or a cabin in the woods! In this case, the snowman family was created by talented painted at StepByStepPainting!
Lantern In Snow Christmas Scene
You can paint this lantern scene by starting with the warm yellow light in the center and blending it outward into the cool blue background.
Use small dabs of paint to create the dotted texture around the glow – no need to learn brushstrokes!
The lantern is easy to build with straight lines and warm shades. Adding a few pine branches and light dots near the bottom helps bring the whole scene together.
Christmas Wreath Acrylic Painting
This simple yet lovely Christmas wreath painting with an array of different green shades is a wonderful painting idea for a beginner to start practicing with acrylics!
Tip: Start by drawing a large and thick circle (you can even paint it brown), then add step by step dark green leaves, and finally lighter leaves and berries.
Fun Christmas Painting with a Cow (for kids)
A cute cow decorating a Christmas tree makes such a funny and adorable holiday scene. The cow’s black spots, including the little heart shape, give it so much personality. The bright red ornaments and fluffy green tree look great against the soft blue background.
Rudolph
Rudolph looks extra cute here with his red hat and fluffy scarf.
The snowy forest behind him makes the air feel chilly, but he looks warm and happy.
His big antlers and gentle eyes give him a peaceful look, almost like he is enjoying the quiet snowfall. Kids can paint this easily because the shapes are soft and beginner-friendly.
Christmas Ornaments
These colorful ornaments are full of personality with zigzags, dots, stars, and swirls. The bright colors make everything feel festive. Tiny yellow bows on top bring the whole design together.
Perfect activity for big families and classrooms as you can task kids with coming up with unique ideas!
Tip: Try using a small brush for the tiny dots and lines so your patterns come out nice and clear. You can also mix a little white into your colors to make lighter shades for extra decoration. Most of all, just have fun creating your own colorful holiday ornaments.
Christmas Stocking (for kids)
This Christmas stocking looks like it came straight from a fun holiday story.
It has bright patterns, swirling shapes, and glowing stars popping out of the top like little bits of magic. Snowflakes floating in the background make it even more festive.
The best part? There is no rule in HOW to color and decorate it so kids can go wild!
Winter Blossom Tree with Q Tips
You can paint this winter tree by brushing a light blue background first, keeping the colors soft and smooth.
The branches are simple dark strokes, and the snowy leaves are easy to make by dabbing white and blue paint with the tip of your brush ro a Q tip!
Keep the dabs loose so the tree looks light and airy, just like fresh snow resting on the branches. You can dip a Q tip in white AND blue paint and see the colors blend on paper.
Tip: Use the tip of your brush or even your fingers to make the snowy dots. You can mix a little white with blue to get different shades, which helps the tree look soft and full.
Easy Winter Scene For Kids
A quiet snowy day with bare trees and a tiny frozen pond makes this painting simple and relaxing for kids.
The dark branches stand out against the bright snow, and the white flakes falling from the deep blue sky create a peaceful winter feeling. Big brushstrokes and simple shapes make this easy to follow.
If you use blue cardstock, you will only need black and white paint!
Finger Painting (Christmas Trees)
Finger painting Christmas trees is such a fun project for kids. They just dip their fingers in paint and tap little colorful dots to form the shape of a tree.
One version leaves the middle blank and the other fills the whole tree with dots. Both turn into cute holiday cards full of bright colors.
Decorated Christmas Tree (for kids)
You can paint this Christmas tree by brushing loose green strokes to make the branches look soft and full.
Add simple round ornaments and a bright red star on top to bring in color. The presents at the bottom are easy to shape with bold lines and ribbons.
You can also add the small dotted fireworks on the sides for extra detail.
Extra Tips To Paint Winter Ideas
Tip: you can either paint each snowflake with a round brush or take a toothbrush or a dry flat brush, dip it into the paint and just run your finger across the bristles holding the brush at an angle toward the canvas! Done!
Use Q tips to paint trees, stars, snowflakes -kids love that.
Tip 2: It is super easy to create trees in the background with a fan brush – dip it slightly into the black paint and then tap it onto the canvas (horizontally), creating levels of pine trees from the bottom to the top!
Using simple shapes and different brown shades to create texture
You first paint the dark background, then trees, and finish it with snow. Move from the dark part to the light areas!
Final Thoughts
I am 100% sure these easy winter canvas painting ideas gave you the inspiration you need to start your next winter-themed painting project! If you’re craving more ideas, check out my 100+ beginner-friendly painting ideas.
After a cold winter always comes a warm and smiling spring, so get your supplies ready for these:
- 55+ Easy & Cute Spring Painting Ideas on Canvas for Beginners
- 91 Fall Canvas Painting Ideas Everyone Will Surely Love!
- 55+ Easy Star Wars Painting Ideas & Crafts for Star Wars Day
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Buenos Aires-based certified teacher, artist, and member of the Professional Artist Association with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.