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How to Paint Acorns

Learn how to paint acorns one easy step at a time. Simple painting tutorial that is beginner friendly.

Learn how to paint acorns, a step by step painting tutorial that is super beginner friendly. Acorns are a great element to add to Fall inspired painting lessons!

Acorns painted in acrylics

This is part of the FALL sign painting tutorial.  How to Paint Acorns is the final piece of the design.  A very simple project that anyone can do.

Also I use Acorns in my Fall Leaf Wreath painting tutorial.

Supplies

You can use whatever colors you have on hand, these are what I used on this particular design.
Supplies:
Plaid FolkArt Paint:
Teddy Bear Tan
French Vanilla
Raw Sienna
Burnt Umber
Floating Medium
Graphite Paper
Brushes
One Stroke brush set
Brush Caddy
I am using my 5.5 in x 8.5 in Canson Mix Media notebook for practice sessions.  It is a handy size for easy portability. I can toss it into my purse to carry with me to sketch into and it is acting as my paint journal as well.

First I transfer my design to my painting surface with graphite paper. (a pattern for the acorn is linked at the end of this post)

Related: How to Transfer Designs

How to Paint Acorns

Add a highlight with French Vanilla

Paint acorns step by step in acrylics. Easy painting tutorial that is beginner friendly.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • Plaid FolkArt Paint:
  • Teddy Bear Tan
  • French Vanilla
  • Raw Sienna
  • Burnt Umber
  • Floating Medium
  • Graphite Paper
  • Surface of Choice

Tools

  • One Stroke brush set
  • Brush Caddy
  • Practice surface: Canson Multi Media Pad

Instructions

  1. Base paint acorns
  2. Base paint acorn caps
  3. Paint acorns in final color
  4. Paint acorn caps in final color
  5. Add shading
  6. add Highlights

Notes

You can use colors you already have on hand. Mix it up and make your acorns unique.

Base paint acorns

With a #8 flat brush paint in the body of the acorn with French vanilla, it looks rather yellow here but it is just the poor lighting in my studio at the time.

base paint acorns

Base Paint Acorn Caps

Next paint in the caps with Raw Sienna using the same #8 brush.  You can use whatever brush suits you for size though.

base paint caps of acorns

Paint Acorns

Once the French Vanilla was dry go back over the body of the acorn with Teddy Bear Tan.  Don’t worry about getting it smooth, the texture of the brush strokes adds interest.  Keep the strokes coming from the top, under the cap, to the point.

Paint acorn nut with Teddy Bear tan paint

Deepen color on Acorn Caps

Blend in a bit of Burnt Umber with the Raw Sienna to get a bit of a darker shade and paint back over the caps with it, don’t worry about it being smooth.

Darken acorn caps with burnt umber

Adding shading and highlights

Load your brush with Floating Medium and then a touch of Burnt Umber on one corner, then blend on the palette.  Float the Burnt Umber along the edge of the acorn to give it a bit of shadowing.

Shadow along edge of acorn

Clean out the brush and reload it with Floating Medium and a touch of French Vanilla.  Add a touch to the left side of the acorn body for a touch of highlight.

Add a highlight with French Vanilla


If you want you can also shadow just a touch under the cap of the acorn, mine is very subtle on the left acorn. The right acorn does not have a shadow under the cap.

The acorn sketch is available in the resource library for subscribers. Not yet a subscriber?

Acorns painted on a fall sign with text overlay, How to Paint Acorns, easy painting tutorial, pamelagroppe.com

Now you have the complete design for the FALL sign.

Please enjoy and share!

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