Painting for Seniors: Easy Watercolor and Paint-by-Number Projects

How we wrote this guide

We describe types of paint and kit and the features to compare. No product was bought or tried for this page, we have no affiliate links and nobody paid for a mention, and we name no brands. Label rules come from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), seal meanings from the Northern New England Poison Center, and lighting advice from the National Eye Institute. No supplies were priced, so costs appear as rough labels.

Watercolor, acrylic or paint-by-number: which paint for seniors

Are art supplies safe? Reading the labels

The CPSC explains that federal law (LHAMA) requires every art material to be assessed by a toxicologist at least every 5 years for chronic hazards. The label must then include wording like "Conforms to ASTM Practice D-4236." That statement applies to every art material, hazardous or not, so by itself it tells you the product was assessed and labeled, not that it is harmless. Read any warning next to it.

Two voluntary seals add more. The Northern New England Poison Center explains that the AP ("approved product") seal means a product has been certified as nontoxic, while the CL ("cautionary labeling") seal means it is safe if used according to the directions. For a painter who might put a brush in their mouth, choose AP-sealed paints. If anything is swallowed, Poison Control is at 1-800-222-1222, free and confidential.

Setting up a painting table for older adults

• Light. Paint near a window in daytime or under a bright lamp placed to the side. The National Eye Institute recommends brighter lights and a magnifier for close work when vision is low.
• Two water pots. One for rinsing, one for clean water, in heavy mugs or jars that will not tip. Mark the rinse pot so nobody drinks from it.
• Tape the paper down. Masking tape round all four edges stops the sheet sliding and leaves a clean white border that makes the finished piece look framed.
• Thick handles. Wrap foam or a rubber grip round thin brushes, or use wide flat brushes and sponges.
• Cover up. An old shirt worn backwards, and a wipe-clean cloth on the table.

Easy watercolor projects for seniors

1. A wet-on-wet sky

The simplest watercolor there is: wet the paper first, then drop in color and let it spread. Every result looks like weather.

Materials: Watercolor paper (a postcard-sized pad works well), a pan set, a large soft brush, two water pots, masking tape, paper towel.

Steps:

1. Tape the paper to a board or the table.
2. Brush clean water over the whole sheet until it shines.
3. Load the brush with blue and touch it along the top; watch it bloom.
4. Add a band of yellow or pink lower down and let the edges run together.
5. Dab a crumpled paper towel into the wet blue to lift out clouds.
6. Leave it flat to dry, then peel the tape off slowly.

• Approximate cost: Low: a pan set, a pad and one brush.
• Large-print / low-vision option: Use strong colors such as ultramarine and orange rather than pale tints, and a white board under the paper so the edges are clear.
• Make it easier: Use only one color and let the person tip the board to move it.
• Make it harder: Once dry, paint a dark silhouette of hills or trees along the bottom edge.

2. Painting a real leaf or flower

Painting from something on the table rather than a photo: a leaf, a lemon, a single flower in a glass. Large, simple shapes with one or two colors work best.

Materials: One object with a clear outline, watercolor paper, watercolors or watercolor pencils, a medium round brush.

Steps:

1. Set the object on a plain contrasting cloth close to the painter.
2. Look at its outline together and name the main shape.
3. Draw the outline lightly in pencil, or skip drawing and paint the shape directly.
4. Fill it with the lightest color first.
5. While it is still damp, touch in a darker shade on the shadowed side.
6. Add a stem or vein lines once dry.
7. Write the date and the plant name in the corner.

• Approximate cost: Free to low: something from the garden or fruit bowl and basic paints.
• Large-print / low-vision option: Choose a big, bold object, such as a large leaf on a white plate, and bring it within arm's reach. A magnifier on a stand can help with the outline.
• Make it easier: Trace round a real leaf onto the paper, then color it in.
• Make it harder: Paint the same plant once a week as it changes, or set up a small group of objects.

For more subjects, the Library of Congress publishes free-to-use sets of rights-free images, including sets of birds and of flower and vegetable gardens, which make good reference pictures. See also our birdwatching guide for painting from the feeder.

Paint-by-number for seniors: choosing a kit and getting started

Paint-by-number removes the hardest part, deciding what to paint, and gives a framed-looking picture at the end. Kits vary widely, so before buying look at:

• Size of the smallest areas. Some kits have areas smaller than a fingernail, which can be frustrating with a shaky hand or weak eyes. Product photos of the blank canvas show this better than photos of the finished picture.
• How the numbers are printed. Faint gray numbers vanish under paint. Darker, larger numbers help.
• Number of colors. Fewer colors means fewer pots open at once.
• Surface. Canvas on a frame stands up by itself; rolled canvas has to be taped flat.
• Subject. A picture of a place, animal or season the person cares about is worth more than a hard one.

3. A first paint-by-number canvas

One kit worked over several short sessions, one color at a time.

Materials: A paint-by-number kit with large areas, its paint pots and brushes, a magnifier if needed, a jar of water, paper towels.

Steps:

1. Copy the color key onto a sheet in big writing if the printed key is small.
2. Open only one pot at a time and close it before opening the next.
3. Start with the largest numbered areas, such as sky or background.
4. Paint just inside the lines; a second coat can come later.
5. Stop after 30 to 45 minutes, or sooner, and rinse the brush.
6. Next session, move to the next number.
7. When every area is done, go back over any spots where numbers show through.

• Approximate cost: Some purchase: the kit.
• Large-print / low-vision option: Pick a kit with the largest areas you can find; enlarge the color key on a copier; work under a lamp with a magnifier.
• Make it easier: A helper paints the small areas while the person does the big ones, or use a water-reveal sheet instead.
• Make it harder: Choose a kit with more colors and finer areas, or add personal touches beyond the printed design.
• Safety: Close pots between colors so they are not mistaken for something to drink; see the label section above.

Painting with low vision, tremor or dementia

• Low vision: bold colors on white, a lamp to the side to cut glare, and subjects with big shapes. The National Eye Institute suggests asking an eye doctor about vision rehabilitation if poor vision gets in the way of everyday activities.
• Tremor or stiff fingers: wide brushes, sponges on a clothespin, foam rollers and stamps; work with the forearm resting on the table.
• Dementia: the Alzheimer's Association names painting and drawing among creative activities, and advises focusing on enjoyment, not achievement, keeping to activities the person has always liked and adjusting them as abilities change. Water-reveal sheets and wet-on-wet washes suit this well, since there is no wrong result.

A painting project to share

4. Painted postcards for family

Small watercolors on postcard-sized paper, written on the back and mailed. The size keeps each one to a single sitting.

Materials: Postcard-sized watercolor paper, watercolors, a fine black pen, stamps and addresses.

Steps:

1. Paint a simple scene or pattern on the front of each card.
2. Let them dry flat under a book.
3. Write a short message on the back, or dictate it.
4. Add the address and stamp and mail them together.

• Approximate cost: Low: paper, paints and postage.
• Large-print / low-vision option: Write messages with a thick felt pen; use a postcard template with a bold dividing line.
• Make it easier: Paint only the fronts; a helper writes the backs.
• Make it harder: Make a matching series, such as the four seasons, for one relative.

Painting with a companion caregiver

Much of the work in painting is setting up and clearing away: filling water pots, taping paper, washing brushes, finding the kit again next week. A companion caregiver can handle that, keep a regular painting afternoon going, sit and paint alongside, and take the finished postcards to the mailbox.

Read what companion care includes, or browse crafts for seniors for more table projects. Posting a job on CaregiverConnect is free; you talk to applicants and hire directly, and checking references and backgrounds is your decision (safety tips). To start, find a caregiver near you.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Art materials business guidance (LHAMA)
2. Northern New England Poison Center, Are your art supplies toxic? Look for the ACMI seal
3. Poison Control, poison.org
4. National Eye Institute, Low vision
5. Alzheimer's Association, Activities
6. Library of Congress, Free to use and reuse sets