How to Draw a Paint Palette (Easy Step by Step)
A paint palette is a fun drawing because it is mostly circles and ovals sitting inside one big rounded shape. Add a long, thin brush and it looks like something from an art room. If you can draw a circle, you can draw this.
- Easy
- 10 minutes
- 7 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a paint palette step by step
How to Draw a Paint Palette · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The palette shape
Draw a big rounded shape like a lumpy circle, starting at the right side and going around the top, left and bottom. Stop with a small gap on the lower right, where the brush will go later.
Step 3: The big paint oval
Near the bottom left inside the palette, draw a wide oval, like a squished circle. This is the biggest dab of paint.
Step 4: Top paint dots
Along the top edge, inside the palette, draw three small circles in a row. Make them about the same size, with a little space between each one.
Step 5: Side paint dots
Draw one small circle on the right side, one on the upper left, and one a little lower on the left. Now the dots ring the palette.
Step 6: The brush
In the middle of the palette, start with a pointy tip for the bristles. Draw two lines going down to the right that get thinner, and close them with a rounded end past the edge of the palette.
Step 7: The brush band
Draw two short curved lines across the brush, just behind the pointy bristles. They make the metal band that holds the bristles on.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your paint palette? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a school bus or how to draw a backpack next.
Tips for drawing a paint palette
- Draw the paint circles with a light touch, and space them out around the edge so they do not touch the outline.
- Draw the brush as one long, thin shape that gets narrower toward the end. Keep the two long sides close to straight.
- Leave the gap in the palette outline for the brush. It makes the brush look like it rests on the palette.
Free paint palette coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this paint palette coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your paint palette drawing
Fill each paint dot with a different color, like a rainbow, and color the palette light wood brown. For a twist, leave the dots empty and use real paint to dab a fingerprint of color inside each one.
Paint palette fun fact for kids
Many painters mix their colors right on the palette, because two colors can blend to make a new one. Red and yellow make orange, and blue and yellow make green.
Questions about drawing a paint palette
What shapes do I need to draw a paint palette?
You need one big rounded shape, a few circles, one oval, and a long thin shape for the brush. Nothing needs to be perfect, since a real palette is a little wobbly too.
How do I make my paint palette look more real?
Make the paint dots different sizes and color them in with bright paint. You can also add a little paint smudge on the brush tip.
Where does the thumb hole go on a palette?
Many real palettes have a small hole near one edge for the thumb. This drawing leaves it out, but you can add a small oval hole near the edge if you like.
