How to Create Custom Paintings Using Clip Art

One thing I can reliably count on is that my kids will ask to paint. Especially my girls–it’s one of their favorite screen-free projects and keeps them busy for a long time. So there are many days when I’ll give them a stack of card stock and a paint apron and let them do their thing at the kitchen table while I’m making dinner. But there are other days we love a planned painting project like a seasonal craftivity or this simple canvas painting using clip art.

The project was inspired by the process I watched at a local art shop. The instructor was teaching a beginner painting class in which adult students essentially painted the sections of an elaborate paint-by-number canvas. The final results were stunning and except that all the canvases had a similar design, it was hard to believe they’d started with a template.

I realized a simplified version would make a really fun project for kids and would also produce some unique handpainted art pieces to display in their bedrooms. Our version of these painted canvases include rainbows, flowers, butterflies and unicorns (some of my girls’ favorite things). But these directions will show how to create custom paintings with any clip art image YOU love for your own unique art.

Supplies:

8 x 10 canvas panel(s) (*see note below for larger sizes)
graphite transfer carbon paper
acrylic paint
paint brushes
printer
clip art image(s) you love (here are some to get you started)

How to Create Custom Paintings Using Clip Art

Optional pre-prep step: Paint Canvas Background

If you’d like the background of your canvas to be painted, it’s easier to do this first and allow to dry completely before moving on to the next steps. We’ve tried it both ways and it worked fine to skip this prep step, though we were happier with the final project results when we took the time to paint the backgrounds first.

Step One: Prepare Clip Art Images

(If you’d like to print the exact images we used, skip this step and download the printable images at the bottom of this post.)

Using the computer program of your choice (such as Word, Powerpoint, or Photoshop), insert a clip art image onto a blank document. Resize and position as desired, then print on an 8.5 x 11 page. If using an 8 x 10 canvas, keep these dimensions in mind when resizing your clip art image.

{Shown here: Doodled Flower Clip Art}

*Sizing side note: I recently tried a more complex version of this project with a group of teenage girls on 16 x 20 canvas panels. After designing the image, I sent the file to Staples to be printed as a large “engineering print,” then we followed the same steps as below.

Step Two: Trace Clip Art Image on Canvas Using Transfer Paper

In this order layer: canvas, transfer paper (slick side down), and printed clip art image (face up). Use a pencil to trace along the lines of the clip art image. Press firmly, but not so hard you press indent lines in the canvas. The carbon paper will “transfer” the traced lines onto the canvas.

Step Three: Paint the Transferred Clip Art Image

When the image has been traced and transferred, use the lines as a guide for painting. The graphite lines will usually be painted over, but when your project is completed they will erase if needed.