Briefly about the main points: The main art trends on Etsy in 2026 are paintings with playing cards, images of tax (the leading animal), the aesthetics of sourdough bread, geese and swans, and also night moths. The most in-demand are oil paintings on dark or gold backgrounds, miniatures on stands, and interior series with 2-4 works.
Hello everyone, greetings! I am Masha Kaganovich, a marketer at Western Bid. Today we will talk about what you should write on your paintings. That is, if before we only discussed style, what types of paintings will be popular in 2026, now we are discussing what is trending, what has already started in 2025 and gradually grows, grows, grows. And it will still be very popular or even, perhaps, gain momentum next year.
Remember how I recommended sardines or mushrooms, and how all those themes took off at one time? That’s how these themes are now gradually fading, declining, like any trends. They usually don’t last more than a year or two. But sometimes there are frost-resistant trends like unicorns, which lasted many years, but even unicorns are now starting to fade. Funny. Strange, but it’s a fact. Honestly, I haven’t seen the end of this trend.
Trend #1: Playing card paintings in various styles
So, let’s start with the first topic I’ve never shown you before. It’s paintings of cards in different styles. Of course, this is Anthropologie, which is ahead of the curve. Always pay attention to trends in Target and Anthropologie, then compare, see how much of this is already on Etsy or not yet.
Last year, paintings with aces were very popular. And by the way, aces continue to be popular. Remember, we had this theme and it continues. Like paintings with dark backgrounds and something bright, shiny, perhaps gold. Here you go. An ace — it’s a symbol of luck, fortune. Remember, “feeling lucky,” yes, written on these aces. Yes. An ace — luck — is when you believe that you are lucky. “Luck is believing you’re lucky.” “What if it all works out?”
What if everything somehow aligns? Or, please, a modern Queen painting, done in such a childish primitive style, we talked about this last time. So, all of this can be combined with the styles we discussed earlier.
I searched for “Card suits Wall art“, so, a general theme. Honestly, I expected much more competition, but no. The demand for it, as you can see, shows nothing, but probably, judging by how many paintings are already in baskets and that Anthropologie is promoting this, I assume that this demand will rise in 2026. Young people in America love playing cards more and more now, I notice. Overall, catch this new trend from me.
Trend #2: Tasseled items everywhere
So, the second trend involves dogs. Remember, we had dogs everywhere? Different dogs, corgis. Now it’s dachshunds. Dachshunds everywhere. Dachshund keychains, metal bronze figurines like this, dachunds on T-shirts, sweatshirts, basket shaped like a dachshund, book holder. Maybe you’ve seen such things. By the way, the thing about dachshunds — they are long. You can easily split them in half. Wine holder for a wine bottle. A great gift, by the way.
If you, for example, embroider, sew, choose fabric, or knit, or do something with plastic, 3D printing, or any craft — just use your imagination.
Look at the competition. Demand significantly increased in March. They probably assumed, yes, that the past years were also good in September, but no, they weren’t. But this demand still exists, continues to grow. Well, 3000 competitors is still manageable. Especially if you promote with advertising.
In general, these are dog paintings — the new sardines. See, many small miniature dogs. Many personalized pieces. For example, a popular dachshund, yes. Two people already bought this dog. Smoking, drinking dachshund with a whiskey bottle. In general, Victoria Fine Gallery on a gold background. The dachshund is split into two parts. But it’s not just miniatures. It could be two more original, funny, or adorable dogs. For example, a bestseller with wind, yes. The dog withstands strong wind, and its fur flows beautifully. Wonderful.
In general, just pay attention. No need to copy what others do, by any means. If this painting is small, miniature, put it in a frame. That’s all about dogs.
Trend #3: Sourdough bread
Next theme. I’ve never shown this before. Although food themes have already been popular. I discussed it — burgers, yes. Remember, this was discussed. Do not paint or write about Russian or Ukrainian food. No shchi, borscht, pelmeni, or anything like that. Instead, create paintings that Western audiences understand. If you sell to the Western market, that is.
One thing I can tell you now is that sourdough is bread made without natural yeast but with regular starter. It became, or rather, was already in the past, super popular two years ago. Do you know how many videos women make showing how they make this sourdough bread? Here. Olive oil and bread. Also a crusty bread with a beautiful crust. Or bread with butter. Just in seven cards, look. Butter. And this crust — you can really feel it. It’s called “Rustic sourdough bread” in English. Ah.
Where did I get this idea? I’ll tell you. I found it again on Anthropologie. Then checked if these paintings are sold on Etsy. And saw that competition is still very low. And sales in those shops are excellent. That doesn’t mean all the ideas I take and check are in high demand, but this one is definitely among them.
See how demand increased significantly in November. And the competition is 3000. I made a general search — “bread painting”. I didn’t add “bread oil painting” specifically if it’s an oil painting. The most popular are oil paintings. Keep in mind, not acrylic. Look, adding the word “oil” immediately lowered competition to 1000. But demand for oil paintings will be higher.
In summary, appetizing, tasty bread. Crunchy, evoking feelings of hunger, especially this bread with butter — it creates a huge appetite and desire to bite into that crispy crust. And you?
Trend #4: Geese and swans
Yes, next is geese and swans. This theme is not new anymore. You see how demand increased last year. And it continues, remains very strong. Although competition is already 9000, yes. But again, I did a very general search — “Swan painting”. I didn’t add any oil or specifics. So, of course, this competition can be significantly narrowed down. See.
And the same applies to geese, yes, geese and swans. “Goose painting”, look, it exceeds everything — what’s been in the last 5 years. The theme of geese is even better than swans. Let’s look. Search for “goose painting”. And see. Just look at how many geese we see here. Oh, by the way, a goose with bread. A combination of geese and bread. And here’s a popular goose on a dark background. Dark background, bright and light picture. This combines popular styles and themes together.
Also, a golden background for geese. Gold backgrounds remain very, very in demand. Or another Barbie modern art with 17 cards. Small miniature pictures. If you make these, they should not only be framed, but also preferably have a stand. Many people just put them on office desks. Not hang on walls at all. Round paintings. Oval paintings this season. Paintings in golden frames. Goose in boots.
If you take just a goose, yes. Competition 3000. But if you find a goose in the right frame, with the right background, for example, a dark background — then you’ll see you can sell these paintings very easily.
Trend #5: Butterflies and moths
The last, fifth item, which can be continued to be painted, is butterflies and moths. Here, again, butterflies. On a golden background. Moths were already popular last year. Nothing special to say. Pay attention not only to the fact that these are moths, but also to how many paintings.
They are all in similar frames, sold together as sets. Sets of two, three, four, five sell better. This applies not only to paintings, but to wall art generally. Ceramic pictures that can be hung around a mirror or above a bed. 3D ceramic designs. By the way, someone asked what can be made from ceramics? Here, please.
The butterfly fits very well with dark-themed paintings. I return to them because this is a new trend that has started and is still growing. Look. Night moths. And dark frames. Bright moonlight.
The reason these paintings often sell poorly is because they lack any bright spot. See, one painting, for example. Just look. It’s all monochrome, but there’s a spot that stands out. Something bright and shiny. A little brighter. In this case, it looks like the eyes of this butterfly — vintage style. Very.
Condensed table of Etsy art trends 2026
Bonus: Stained glass-and-nylon chandeliers
By the way, I was also asked about glass. Yes. Transparent. Like a suncatcher, yes. That can be hung on a window, door. Places where light falls. Made from colored glass. Also, keep in mind this is a new theme. See. The bestseller in 20+ cards. And such a small piece costs $49. It’s about 5.6 by 6.5 inches. And the larger one is 7.5 by 9 inches. This size. And it costs $119. And see. It’s a bestseller.
It sells very well. In different colors. Look. A butterfly. Monarch. Barfly. Morpho. Well, they have various butterflies. And all of this is very popular this year. See. Competition is still up to 6 thousand. I generally believe that if competition for paintings is less than 10 thousand, it’s a great niche. Not very crowded yet, because painting is one of the most challenging categories — very difficult to sell paintings.
Conclusion
- What to paint on paintings in 2026 to sell well on Etsy
In 2026, the best themes are those that started gaining popularity in 2025: playing cards, tasseled items, geese, swans, butterflies, moths, and appetizing scenes with sourdough bread. These topics are familiar to Western audiences, evoke emotions, and fit well into interior trends, so they have high commercial potential on Etsy. - Which art trends on Etsy in 2026 are considered the most promising for artists?
The most promising trends are paintings with a clear visual focus: dark backgrounds + bright spots, gold elements, vintage frames, series of 2-4 works, and unusual formats (oval, round, miniatures with stands). Interest in food (sourdough bread), animals, and decorative motifs like butterflies and moths is also actively growing. - How should an artist choose a theme for paintings if competition on Etsy seems too high?
Even in popular niches, competition can be reduced by refining: technique (oil painting), format, style, background color, or set arrangement. For example, instead of a general “goose painting” search, work with dark background, gold frame, or a series of miniatures. This approach helps stand out and sell steadily even in the challenging category of paintings.
Well, friends, I hope this material was useful and interesting for you. Thank you very much for your attention. Don’t forget to leave comments. I would be very grateful. Thank you very much. Goodbye all!
