Retro painting is the fastest way to get a slice of the 50s, 60s and 70s onto your wall, and you do not need a steady hand for realism to pull it off. Flat color blocks, a punchy mustard and avocado palette and a little period detail carry the whole thing, which means a small canvas painted in an afternoon can look like it came straight out of a vintage catalog.
Below are 33 scenes to choose from, from a quiet percolator on a counter to a whole sunken conversation pit, each one built to finish in one sitting. Pick whichever room or moment makes you smile first and work your way down the list whenever you want another.
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Start with the easiest room in the whole set: a 70s kitchen wall of orange cabinets with a bowl of fruit on the counter. Block in the cream wall first, then tape off straight cabinet fronts in burnt orange and let that dry flat before you add the counter in a warmer cream or pale wood tone.
Paint the fruit bowl last as a few rounded shapes in mustard, red and avocado, keeping every piece of fruit a simple circle or oval rather than a detailed sketch. Where beginners go wrong is softening the cabinet edges by accident, so pull the tape while the paint is still slightly tacky for a crisp line.
If you do not have painter’s tape, a ruler and a steady flat brush will get you a close enough edge. This is a good first project if you are new to flat color blocking, since the whole canvas is really just rectangles and circles.
Measure the cabinet fronts against the width of the canvas before you tape, so the doors read as even rather than lopsided.
You Will Need
- painter’s tape
Palette: Burnt Orange,Mustard Yellow,Avocado Green,Cream
Once you have painted one flat interior, a diner booth is the natural next scene: a red vinyl booth, a cherry milkshake in a tall glass and a jukebox glowing in the background. Block the booth seat first in a bold red, then the table in cream or pale wood, and save the milkshake glass and jukebox for last so they sit crisply on top.
Keep the jukebox simple, a rounded rectangle with a few vertical stripes of color standing in for its lit front, rather than trying to paint every button and light. The milkshake glass is just two shapes, a tapered cup and a swirl of cream on top with a cherry dot, so there is no need for fine detail work here.
The booth seams are where this one tends to go wrong, since a wobbly line through the vinyl reads as a mistake rather than a design choice. Steady your hand by resting your wrist on the canvas edge or switch to a ruler for that one line if freehand is not working today.
If you want a shortcut, skip the jukebox entirely and paint just the booth and milkshake large and close up, which still reads as a full diner scene.
Palette: Cherry Red,Cream,Mustard Yellow,Chrome Grey
A record player scene is a quiet, tabletop subject after two busy interiors, just a turntable, a stack of vinyl records and a houseplant beside it. Paint the tabletop and background first in flat cream and avocado blocks, then add the record player as a simple rectangular box with a round platter on top.
Stack the vinyl records as a tilted pile of thin ovals in alternating cream and mustard sleeves, which reads as a record stack without any need to paint actual labels. Add the plant last with a few confident, curved brush strokes for the leaves rather than fussy individual veins.
Getting the tonearm right is the one fiddly part, so paint the turntable platter first, let it dry, then add the thin tonearm on top in one careful stroke, wiping your brush clean if it wobbles. If freehand feels risky, lay a thin strip of tape down first and paint along its edge.
Try comparing the width of the vinyl stack to the height of the record player box before you commit to paint, so the proportions sit right next to each other.
Palette: Avocado Green,Mustard Yellow,Cream,Walnut Brown
A spider plant with long trailing leaves reads as more period-accurate than a round houseplant, and gives you a looser, more playful brush stroke to work with.
Move outdoors now with a vintage camper van parked by the sea, its two-tone paint job the star of the piece. Block in the pastel sky and a simple flat sea first, then paint the van body as a rounded rectangle split into two colors, a cream top half and a mustard or avocado lower half.
Keep the van’s windows and wheels as simple dark shapes rather than trying to paint reflections or tread detail, since flat shapes are what make this style work. Add a thin strip of sandy beach under the van last to ground it in the scene.
The curve of the van roof is the trickiest line here, so sketch it lightly in pencil first and check that both sides of the roof curve match before you commit to paint. A small plate or lid traced at the corner gives you a clean, even curve if freehand feels shaky.
For your next version, try a different two-tone combination, like a pale pink top with a teal lower half, to get a whole new mood from the same simple shape.
You Will Need
- a small plate or lid to trace the van’s roof curve
Palette: Pastel Sky Blue,Cream,Mustard Yellow,Sandy Beige
After a still van, bring in some movement with two roller skaters gliding along a pastel boardwalk. Paint the boardwalk and sky background first in flat horizontal bands of pale pink, cream and avocado, then block in the skaters as simple rounded figures with bent knees and outstretched arms.
Keep faces minimal, a hint of a smile or no features at all, since the energy of this painting comes from the pose and the bright colors of their outfits rather than facial detail. Add the roller skates last as small colored wheels under each figure, a few dots of paint is all they need.
Balance is what trips people up here, since a skater that leans too far in one direction looks like she is falling rather than gliding. Keep her head directly above her back foot and her front leg stretched forward, and check that against a quick pencil sketch before you paint.
If you want more movement in ten extra minutes, add a few short curved lines trailing behind the back skate to suggest speed.
Palette: Pastel Pink,Cream,Avocado Green,Burnt Orange
Bring the scene indoors again with a glowing lava lamp beside a beanbag, sitting on a shag rug. Paint the shag rug first with loose, short vertical brush strokes in mustard or burnt orange, which is the one spot in this whole list where texture matters more than a flat block.
Block in the beanbag as a soft rounded shape in avocado or cream, then paint the lava lamp last as a glass dome shape with a few floating blobs inside in a contrasting warm color. The glow of the lamp base can be a simple warm highlight rather than anything realistic.
The lava blobs are easy to overwork, so paint only three or four shapes inside the dome and stop, since too many small blobs start to look cluttered rather than glowing. If your lamp dome looks flat, add one pale highlight down one side with a dry brush for a hint of glass.
If you do not want to paint rug texture, swap in a flat mustard rug and let the lamp and beanbag carry the whole piece.
Palette: Mustard Yellow,Burnt Orange,Avocado Green,Warm White
A rotary phone against a wall of mushroom print wallpaper is a great small still life once you are ready for a bit more pattern work. Paint the wallpaper background first as a repeating grid of simple rounded mushroom caps in cream and avocado, keeping every mushroom shape identical so the pattern reads as wallpaper rather than a messy scatter.
Once that layer is fully dry, block in the rotary phone on top as a rounded rectangle body with a circular dial, painted in a single bold color like mustard or burnt orange so it stands out clearly against the busier background.
Wallpaper patterns can quickly look chaotic if the spacing drifts, so lightly pencil a grid of dots across the canvas first and center one mushroom on each dot before you paint. That single trick keeps the whole repeat even.
Try the same dial-and-cord trick on a different wallpaper print next time, like a daisy or a geometric diamond, once this layout feels comfortable.
Palette: Cream,Avocado Green,Burnt Orange,Chocolate Brown
Step back outside for a retro motel with its swimming pool and tall roadside sign. Paint the pastel sky first, then the motel building as a row of simple rectangular rooms in cream with a flat roofline, before adding the pool in front as one confident flat shape in turquoise or avocado.
The motel sign is the fun part, a tall thin shape in a bold color with a simple starburst or arrow on top, painted last so it stands crisply against the sky. Keep the pool water completely flat, no ripples needed, since the flat shape is what sells the retro look.
Where this one tilts off balance is the eye level: paint the pool and building from a slightly low angle, with the bottom edge of the building sitting high in the frame, and the whole scene feels more like a postcard snapshot than a flat floor plan.
No room for a full sign on a small canvas? Simplify it down to a single tall pole with one round shape on top and the motel still reads clearly.
Palette: Turquoise,Cream,Pastel Sky Blue,Burnt Orange
A woman reading a magazine under a salon hair dryer is a fun character piece once figures feel comfortable. Block in her chair and the dome hair dryer first as simple rounded shapes in a soft pastel color, then paint her seated figure in a flat dress color, keeping the pose relaxed with crossed legs and a slight forward lean toward the magazine.
Paint the magazine last as a small rectangle in her hands with just a hint of color blocking on the cover, no need for readable text or images. Her hair can be a simple rounded shape in curlers, a few small ovals is enough to suggest the style without detailed curls.
Faces are where confidence often wavers, so keep hers extremely simple: two dot eyes, a small curved line for a smile, nothing more. If a face feels risky today, turn her slightly in profile so only a simple nose and chin line are needed.
If you like painting people, this list pairs well with these gouache painting ideas for beginners, which cover a similar flat, graphic approach to figures.
Palette: Pastel Pink,Cream,Mustard Yellow,Chrome Grey
A sunflower print sofa with a cat curled on it brings pattern and an animal together in one cozy scene. Paint the sofa shape first in cream, then add a repeating sunflower print across it using a simple round yellow center and a few petal strokes per flower, spaced evenly so the pattern reads calmly rather than busily.
Once the sofa print is dry, paint the cat on top as a few soft rounded shapes, a curled body, a round head and two small triangle ears, in a solid color like orange or grey so it sits clearly above the pattern underneath.
Patterned fabric can swallow the cat if the colors are too close in value, so pick a cat color that contrasts clearly against the sofa print, a dark grey cat against a cream and yellow sofa for instance. That single contrast choice saves the whole composition.
If painting a repeating flower print feels like too much today, swap it for a solid mustard sofa and let the cat be the only detail in the piece.
Palette: Cream,Mustard Yellow,Burnt Orange,Charcoal Grey
A boxy vintage TV set glowing beside a bowl of popcorn is a satisfying small still life for a cozy retro wall. Paint the TV cabinet first as a rounded wooden box in walnut brown, then add the screen as a flat rectangle in a contrasting bright color to suggest it is switched on and glowing.
Block in the popcorn bowl beside it last, a simple rounded bowl shape filled with small irregular cream blobs for the popcorn, no need to paint individual kernels in detail. A few antenna lines on top of the TV finish the silhouette.
The screen glow is the detail that sells this scene, so once the flat screen color is dry, add one soft pale highlight in the corner with a slightly damp brush to suggest light spilling out. Skip this step if you are short on time and the flat screen color alone still reads clearly.
For a quicker version, paint just the TV screen glowing large and close up and leave the popcorn bowl out entirely, which still tells the whole story in under ten minutes.
Palette: Walnut Brown,Burnt Orange,Cream,Mustard Yellow
A cassette tape and a pair of headphones resting on a bedspread makes a simple, close-up still life after some busier scenes. Paint the bedspread pattern first, a few soft stripes or a simple floral in pastel colors, then let it dry fully before adding the objects on top.
Block in the cassette as a flat rectangle with two small circular reels and a short printed label area, then paint the headphones as a curved band shape with two round ear cups, one resting slightly tilted for a casual, just-set-down feel.
Shiny plastic surfaces like a cassette case are easy to overdo with reflections, so add just one small pale highlight stroke along the top edge with a dry brush and leave the rest flat. That single touch is enough to suggest plastic without extra detail work.
If you want to vary this one later, swap the cassette for a small transistor radio and keep the same headphones, which reuses the same close-up still life setup with a new focal object.
Palette: Pastel Pink,Cream,Charcoal Grey,Mustard Yellow
A 50s gas station with a pastel car pulled up at the pump brings back the open road feel of the earlier camper van scene, but with more architectural shapes to block in. Paint the station building first as a simple flat rectangle with a wide overhanging roof line, then add the fuel pump as a tall narrow box shape in a bold color standing in front.
Block in the pastel car last, parked beside the pump, keeping its body one rounded flat shape with simple dark window cutouts and small circular wheels. A single round sign on a pole above the roofline finishes the period feel.
Getting the roof overhang to sit convincingly above the pumps is the trickiest part of this layout, so sketch a simple horizon line first and keep everything, building, pump and car, sitting on that same line so nothing floats.
If a full building feels like too much for today, zoom in on just the pump and the car and let the roofline become a thin strip of shadow across the top of the canvas.
Palette: Pastel Blue,Cream,Burnt Orange,Chrome Grey
A wobbly jello mold dessert sitting on a party table is a bright, playful still life that rewards a confident brush. Paint the tablecloth first in a flat pastel or patterned cream, then block in the jello mold as a tall fluted shape in a bold translucent-feeling color like coral or mint.
Suggest the wobble and shine of the jello with one or two curved highlight strokes down the side using a slightly lighter version of the same color, rather than trying to paint true transparency. A small plate underneath and a scattering of fruit pieces inside the mold finish the piece.
The fluted mold shape is where proportions slip, so compare its height to its width before you paint: most molds are roughly as tall as they are wide, and keeping that ratio steady stops it looking stretched or squashed.
Try a different mold shape next time, a ring mold with a hole in the center instead of a solid dome, for a fresh version of the same party table setup.
Palette: Coral Pink,Mint Green,Cream,Mustard Yellow
A bicycle with a long banana seat and handlebar tassels is a nostalgic single-object painting that works well leaning against a simple background. Paint the background first as a flat pastel wall or sky, then block in the bike frame as a simple curved line shape in a bold color, keeping the frame geometry loose rather than mechanically precise.
Add the two wheels as perfect circles, the long banana seat as a stretched oval, and finish with small dashes of color trailing from the handlebar grips to suggest the tassels. Painting the tassels as a few loose flicks of the brush rather than individual strands keeps this step quick and loose.
Wheels that do not match in size are the most common slip here, so trace around the same round object, a cup or a small lid, for both wheels to keep them identical.
If you want a quicker ten-minute version, paint just the front wheel, handlebars and tassels large and close up and let the rest of the bike fade off the edge of the canvas.
You Will Need
- a small round object such as a cup to trace matching wheels
Palette: Burnt Orange,Mustard Yellow,Cream,Chrome Grey
Two dancers in bell bottoms on a lit dance floor bring movement and bold color into one lively scene. Paint the floor first as a flat grid of alternating bright squares, mustard, orange and cream, then block in the two dancers on top as simple rounded figures with wide flared bell bottom legs and raised arms mid-move.
Keep both figures loose and gestural, a round head, a simple torso shape and those dramatic flared trouser legs doing most of the storytelling, rather than detailed anatomy. A small colored spotlight glow behind them, just a soft circle of warm light, finishes the scene.
Balancing two figures so they feel like they are dancing together rather than standing apart is the real challenge here, so sketch them first with one figure’s raised arm angled toward the other, which visually connects the pair before any paint goes down.
Once this pose feels comfortable, try a single dancer mid-spin for a simpler, quicker version of the same lit dance floor idea.
Palette: Mustard Yellow,Burnt Orange,Cream,Magenta Pink
A wicker peacock chair with a trailing fern beside it is a striking silhouette once you feel ready to tackle a more detailed shape. Paint the background wall first in a flat pastel color, then block in the chair’s tall fan-shaped back as one solid silhouette, saving the woven texture lines for after the base shape dries.
Add the woven texture with a thin brush in a slightly darker tone, painting simple curved lines that follow the fan shape rather than trying to render every individual strand of wicker. Finish with the fern beside it, a loose cluster of curved green fronds painted with quick confident strokes.
The fan shape is the part most likely to look lopsided, so fold a piece of paper in half to check that both sides of your pencil sketch mirror each other before any paint touches the canvas.
If the woven texture lines feel like too much detail today, leave the chair as one flat silhouette and let its shape alone carry the period look.
Palette: Mustard Yellow,Avocado Green,Cream,Walnut Brown
A fondue party table with its little pot and dipping forks is a fun, slightly busier still life to try once simpler scenes feel easy. Paint the tablecloth and surrounding plates first as flat shapes, then block in the fondue pot itself as a rounded shape on short metal legs with a small flame glowing underneath.
Add a few cubes of bread and fruit on skewers around the pot, kept as simple geometric shapes rather than detailed food, and finish with two or three thin fork handles leaning against the pot’s rim. Keeping the number of small objects low stops this scene from feeling cluttered.
The glowing flame under the pot is easy to make look like a solid orange blob rather than fire, so paint it as a simple pointed teardrop shape in two colors, a mustard center inside a thin burnt orange outline, which reads as flame without extra detail.
If you have no orange paint handy, a warm yellow flame against the same mustard pot still reads clearly as a lit burner.
Palette: Mustard Yellow,Burnt Orange,Cream,Chocolate Brown
A woman in a 60s swimsuit resting under a striped beach umbrella is a sunny figure piece that builds on the earlier salon scene. Paint the sand and sky first in flat warm and pastel bands, then block in the umbrella as a simple dome shape divided into alternating stripes of two bold colors.
Paint the woman seated beneath it last, keeping her swimsuit one solid bright color and her pose relaxed, leaning back on her hands with legs stretched out. Large round sunglasses, just two dark ovals, finish her face without any need for detailed features.
Striped umbrellas can warp if the stripes are not evenly spaced around the curved dome, so lightly mark the dome into equal segments with pencil before painting each stripe, which keeps the curve looking deliberate rather than uneven.
If you would rather skip the figure today, the striped umbrella and a beach towel alone still make a complete, sunny retro scene.
This scene pairs nicely with the beach umbrella idea in these ocean oil painting ideas for beginners if you want to keep exploring sunny seaside subjects.
Palette: Coral Pink,Cream,Pastel Sky Blue,Burnt Orange
A soda fountain counter lined with round stools takes the diner booth idea and widens it into a longer scene. Paint the counter as a long flat horizontal shape in a bold color first, then add two or three round stools in front of it, each a simple circular seat on a thin pole leg.
Behind the counter, block in a few simple shapes for glass dispensers or a menu board in contrasting pastel colors, keeping every shape flat and geometric. A couple of tall soda glasses sitting on the counter finish the scene without needing any additional figures.
Keeping the stools evenly spaced along the counter is what makes this read as a real soda fountain rather than a jumble of circles, so mark three evenly spaced points along the counter’s length in pencil before painting each stool on top.
For a simpler ten-minute version, paint just one stool and one tall soda glass up close, letting the long counter fade out at the edges of the canvas.
Palette: Burnt Orange,Cream,Mint Green,Chrome Grey
A 70s living room built around a sunken conversation pit is a satisfying interior to paint once perspective basics feel comfortable. Paint the surrounding floor and walls first in flat warm tones, then block in the pit itself as a lower rectangular shape, using a slightly darker tone along its inner edge to suggest the step down.
Fill the pit with simple cushions and low seating shapes in mustard and avocado, overlapping a few rounded cushion shapes rather than painting each one with perfect symmetry. A round coffee table or a shaggy rug pattern in the center finishes the layout.
The step down into the pit is the one place perspective really matters, so keep the front edge of the pit lower on the canvas than its back edge, which tricks the eye into reading it as sunken rather than flat on the floor.
If a full room feels ambitious today, crop in tighter on just the cushions and the step, which still reads clearly as a conversation pit.
Palette: Mustard Yellow,Avocado Green,Burnt Orange,Cream
A slide projector beaming its image onto a plain wall is a simple, moody little scene built almost entirely out of light. Paint the wall first in a flat pastel or cream, then block in the projector itself as a boxy shape on a small table, with one bright triangular beam of light reaching across to a glowing rectangle on the wall.
Keep the projected rectangle on the wall as a single flat color, standing in for whatever slide is showing, rather than trying to paint a tiny picture within the picture. The light beam itself is just a soft-edged triangle in a pale warm tone, painted last over the dry background.
Getting the beam to look like light rather than a solid orange triangle is the trick here, so thin your paint slightly with water or medium for that shape only, which lets a touch of the background show through for a soft, glowing edge.
If you do not want to thin your paint, a dry brush dragged lightly over the beam area gives a similar soft, slightly broken edge.
Palette: Cream,Mustard Yellow,Walnut Brown,Pale Gold
An orange arc floor lamp curving over a velvet armchair is a graphic, lighting-focused scene that builds nicely on the projector idea. Paint the armchair first as a rounded solid shape in a deep velvet color, then add the lamp’s tall thin pole and dramatic curved arm reaching out above it, finishing with a round lampshade at the tip.
Where the light actually falls is what sells this scene, so once the chair and lamp are blocked in, add a soft pool of warm light on the floor directly beneath the shade and a touch of lighter color across the top of the chair where the glow hits it.
The long curved arm of the lamp is easy to make too stiff or too wobbly, so sketch it first as one smooth sweeping line in pencil, checking it echoes a gentle arc rather than a sharp bend, before you commit to paint.
If a full curved arm feels tricky today, paint a simpler straight-necked lamp instead and let the velvet chair and warm light pool carry the mood.
Palette: Burnt Orange,Deep Emerald,Cream,Pale Gold
A drive-in movie with a convertible parked in front of a glowing screen at dusk is a bigger landscape scene once interiors feel comfortable. Paint the dusky pastel sky first, graduating from a warm pink near the horizon to a deeper blue higher up, then block in the large flat movie screen as a pale glowing rectangle standing against it.
Add the convertible parked facing the screen as a simple rounded car shape in a bold color, with its top down and two small headlights, keeping all detail minimal since it sits in near silhouette at this hour. A few other small parked cars in the distance, just simple shapes, suggest a fuller lot without extra work.
The glow of the screen against the dusk sky is the detail to get right, so paint the screen slightly brighter than anything else in the scene and keep the sky around it a touch darker, which pulls the eye straight to it the way it would at a real drive-in.
Drop the background cars entirely for a quicker version and let one convertible and the glowing screen fill the whole canvas.
Palette: Dusky Pink,Deep Blue,Pale Gold,Burnt Orange
A percolator coffee pot beside a tin of cookies is a calm, cozy still life that is easy to finish quickly. Paint the counter or table surface first in a flat cream or avocado, then block in the percolator as a rounded metal body with a small glass knob on top and a curved handle to one side.
Add the cookie tin beside it as a simple cylinder shape with a lid, painting a loose decorative pattern around its sides in two or three quick strokes rather than detailed illustration. A few cookies peeking from the open tin, simple round tan shapes, finish the scene.
The percolator’s metal shine is easy to overdo, so add just one curved pale highlight down its side with a dry brush once the base color is dry, and resist adding more, since one clean highlight reads as metal far better than several scattered ones.
If metal shine feels tricky today, paint the percolator in a flat solid color with no highlight at all, which still reads clearly in this graphic style.
Palette: Chrome Grey,Mustard Yellow,Cream,Walnut Brown
A breakfast table with a chrome toaster and a plate of eggs is a bright, simple still life that works well paired with the percolator idea above. Paint the tablecloth first in a flat pastel or gingham check, then block in the toaster as a rounded box shape in shiny chrome with two slices of toast peeking from the top.
Add the plate of eggs beside it, two simple round yolks on a flat white oval, and finish with a small jar of jam or a cup of juice to round out the table. Keep every object a simple geometric shape so the whole scene reads as a quick, cheerful breakfast rather than a detailed food painting.
The toaster’s chrome body is the shiniest surface in this scene, so paint it first as a flat mid-grey, then add one pale highlight stroke and one darker shadow stroke down opposite sides once dry, which is enough to suggest a curved metal surface.
If a gingham tablecloth feels like too much pattern today, a flat solid cream cloth lets the toaster and eggs stay the clear focus.
Palette: Chrome Grey,Pale Gold,Cream,Cherry Red
A pink tiled hair salon with a vintage chair is a bold, color-first scene that revisits the earlier salon idea from a wider angle. Paint the tiled wall first as a flat grid of small pink and white squares, keeping every tile the same size by lightly marking a grid in pencil before you paint, then block in the vintage salon chair as a rounded shape in a contrasting color standing in front.
Add a round mirror on the wall above the chair and a small side table with a hairbrush or bottle, both kept as simple flat shapes. The repeating tile pattern does most of the visual work here, so keep every other object in the scene deliberately plain.
Painting a clean tile grid by hand can wander off course over a wide wall, so work in small sections, finishing one row of tiles at a time rather than trying to keep the whole grid in your head at once.
If a full tiled wall feels like a lot of repetition today, paint just a few tiles in the corner and let a flat pink wall fill the rest.
Palette: Pastel Pink,Cream,Mint Green,Chrome Grey
A glowing pinball machine in a dim arcade is a fun, lit-up subject that leans on strong contrast rather than fine detail. Paint the dark arcade background first in a deep flat tone, then block in the pinball machine as a tall angled box shape, its backglass panel glowing with a bold pattern of two or three bright colors.
Add the playfield at an angle beneath the backglass, suggested with a few simple colored dots and lines standing in for bumpers and lanes rather than a detailed layout. Two small flipper shapes at the bottom finish the machine’s silhouette clearly.
Getting the glow to read against a dark room is really about contrast, so keep the surrounding arcade noticeably darker than the machine’s lit panel, since that gap in value is what makes it look lit rather than just colorful.
If a dim arcade background feels fussy, paint the whole scene against a plain dark wall instead and let the machine’s glow do all the work.
Palette: Deep Navy,Burnt Orange,Mustard Yellow,Magenta Pink
A stack of vintage suitcases in a few different sizes and colors is a satisfying shape study once you want a quick, confident still life. Paint the background first in a flat pastel or cream, then block in three or four suitcases of different sizes stacked slightly off-center from each other, each one a simple flat rectangle in its own bold color.
Add a thin darker line around each suitcase edge once the base colors dry to separate them clearly, plus a small strap or buckle shape on one or two cases for period detail. Keeping each suitcase a totally flat color, with no texture, keeps the whole stack graphic and clean.
A stack like this falls apart visually if every case is the same size, so vary the width and height of each rectangle noticeably before you paint, which makes the pile read as a real stack rather than a flat pattern.
Try restacking them at a different angle next time, leaning rather than stacked straight, for a looser version of the same idea.
Palette: Mustard Yellow,Burnt Orange,Avocado Green,Cream
A macrame plant hanger with trailing pothos leaves is a gentle, pattern-based scene that slows things down after the busier arcade and suitcase ideas. Paint the background wall first in a flat pastel tone, then block in the hanging pot as a simple rounded shape suspended by a few knotted cord lines falling from the top of the canvas.
Paint the macrame knots as a repeating pattern of small diamond or X shapes down each cord, keeping the knot spacing even so the pattern reads calmly. Finish with trailing pothos leaves cascading down from the pot, each leaf a simple pointed oval in two shades of green for a little depth.
Overworking the knot pattern is the easy mistake here, so paint only three or four knots per cord rather than trying to fill the whole length, since fewer, evenly spaced knots read more clearly than a dense, fussy pattern.
If cord knots feel fiddly today, paint the cords as plain straight lines and let the trailing leaves carry all the detail instead.
Palette: Cream,Avocado Green,Sap Green,Walnut Brown
A mint green tiled bathroom is a quiet architectural scene that leans entirely on color and pattern rather than any figure or object. Paint the wall as a flat grid of small mint tiles first, using the same even pencil grid trick from the salon idea, then block in a simple vintage sink or tub shape in cream standing against it.
Add a round mirror or a small shelf with a bottle or two, both kept as flat, minimal shapes, so the tiled wall stays the clear star of the piece. A thin strip of a darker mint or white trim along the floor line grounds the whole room.
Tile grids drift out of alignment fastest along a tub or sink’s curved edge, so paint the fixture’s outline first, let it dry, then paint the tiles around it rather than trying to tile straight through where the fixture will sit.
If you prefer less pattern work, paint a flat mint wall instead and add two or three single tiles as a small accent strip near the sink only.
Palette: Mint Green,Cream,Chrome Grey,Pastel Pink
A pastel blue 60s car parked under a row of palm trees pulls together everything from the earlier camper van and gas station scenes into one sunny finale of sorts. Paint the pastel sky first, then block in two or three simple palm trees as a thin curved trunk topped with a few long pointed leaf shapes, kept loose and quick rather than botanically exact.
Add the car last, parked beneath the palms, as one smooth rounded body shape in pastel blue with simple dark window cutouts and round chrome details picked out in a single pale highlight color. Keep the car’s reflections minimal, just one or two clean strokes, so it stays flat and graphic rather than photographic.
Palm leaves can turn into a messy scribble if you rush them, so paint each leaf as one single confident brush stroke, lifting the brush cleanly at the tip, and stop once you have five or six leaves per tree rather than crowding in more.
For a looser version, paint the palms as flat silhouettes against a bright sunset sky and let the car’s pastel blue be the only cool color in the whole piece.
Palette: Pastel Blue,Avocado Green,Cream,Pale Gold
If you enjoy painting simple palm shapes, the same loose leaf stroke works well for other quick botanical fillers, similar to the approach in these acrylic painting flowers ideas for beginners.
Close out the set with a sunburst clock mounted above a low teak sideboard, a classic piece of period decor painted as its own small scene. Paint the sideboard first as a long flat rectangle in warm walnut brown, with a couple of simple drawer lines and round handles, then add the wall behind it in a flat pastel or cream.
Block in the sunburst clock last, starting with a small round clock face in the center and radiating a ring of straight tapered rays outward in alternating lengths, like spokes on a wheel. Keep the rays simple triangular shapes painted with confident single strokes rather than fussy outlines.
Uneven ray spacing is the one thing that throws this whole piece off, so lightly mark the ray positions around the clock face with a protractor or by eye in even steps before you paint, which keeps the sunburst looking balanced rather than lopsided.
If a full ring of rays feels like a lot for today, paint just the top half of the sunburst above the clock face, since a sideboard and a half-sunburst still reads clearly as this classic piece of retro decor.
You Will Need
- a protractor or round object to mark even ray spacing, optional
Palette: Walnut Brown,Mustard Yellow,Burnt Orange,Cream
If you want more practice with bold flat shapes before a piece this graphic, start with the simpler blocks in these easy acrylic painting ideas for beginners.
What to Do Next
Pick whichever scene caught your eye first, tape off a small canvas and start with the biggest flat shape, whether that is a wall, a sky or a sofa, then build the smaller details on top once it dries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of paint works best for retro painting?
Acrylic paint works best for retro painting because it dries fast, covers in flat opaque layers and holds crisp edges, all of which suit the bold color block look of mid-century scenes.
How do I get those flat, smooth color blocks instead of visible brushstrokes?
Use a flat brush loaded evenly with paint, work in one direction per section and let each color dry before adding the next, which stops colors from mixing and keeps edges clean.
What colors define a retro painting palette?
Burnt orange, mustard yellow, avocado green and cream form the core of most 50s to 70s palettes, usually set against a pale pastel sky or cream background for contrast.
Do I need to be good at painting people to try these ideas?
No, most retro scenes use simple rounded figures with minimal facial detail, so a basic sense of pose and proportion is all you need, and several ideas skip figures entirely.
What size canvas suits a retro painting best?
A small canvas around eight by ten inches works well, since it keeps the subject filling the frame and the whole piece finishable in one sitting without large areas to cover.