How to Paint a Lighthouse | Inspired By Michigan's Lighthouses

Learn how to paint a lighthouse with acrylics in this painting tutorial. Artist Ashley Krieger is traveling and painting in all 50 U.S. states. Today she takes you to Michigan to capture the stunning Sturgeon Point Lighthouse.  I hope you learn a lot and enjoy this video as she paints plein air. 

While we were traveling in Michigan we saw several lighthouses. Michigan is called the Great Lakes state because you can find all three Great Lakes bordering it. There is a rich shipping history here as well as fishing. We saw shipwrecks, old school houses, learned about the fall of the fishing industry with invasive species, and a learned about the native people who also used the lakes for survival. As we navigated through the educational aspect we enjoyed the beaches and touristy towns.

We stayed at a tourist town called Harrisville that had the lighthouse in this painting, which is called Sturgeon Point. I thought this lighthouse was stunning with the red trim, doors, and shutters. This was a tough painting because I loved the detail and so I got a little more detailed than usual. I call it "Navigating" because I felt like I was navigating through the details of everything in my life at this point, not just this painting. It's difficult to stay on course and see the light to guide me. 

You can find the videos for each state she has traveled to thus far here. ​​

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Learn How to Paint A Lighthouse

You can find the acrylic art supplies use here. I also used metallic gold and silver Liquitex heavy body acrylic paints. Watch the tutorial to see what colors I used and when. ​

Watch the video tutorial

Steps to Painting Your Own Lighthouse Painting

Step 1 - Sketch your lighthouse with a watercolor pencil (grey will work). Createful Art Members get a reference photo. You can become a member and get it as well. Become a Member. 

Step 2 - Paint the sky blue, grey, or add clouds. Be creative! 

Step 3- Paint in the trees using several colors to create depth. 

Step 4 - Paint the lighthouse using whites, greys, gold, greens. White will be the main color that is added on top of the other colors with brush strokes to make the appearance of bricks. Use more grey and black for the roof and paint texture. Use red for the trim with purple as the shadow.

Step 5 - Paint in the grass using greens, yellow, blue and gold. Give it texture with your brushstrokes. 

Step 6 - Add the details to your lighthouse. Be creative! 

Thank you for watching!

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