Introduction
Watercolor is one of the most ancient painting forms. When you are too young, and your parents get you into an art training school, you must initially learn watercolor after pastel drawing. Its versatility makes it one of the most used and most appealing forms of painting. People of any age can start this form of painting.
Source: WhataPortrait
If you are one of those who want to start their watercolor journey now, then definitely you should keep on reading this blog. There are always better times to create watercolor paintings. You can just start with watercolor. You can experiment, practice, play, and do whatever you like with watercolor. In this blog, you will find more than 30 watercolor painting ideas.
Small and Simple Watercolor Painting Ideas
In this blog section, you will find various simple and beautiful watercolor ideas for beginners.
1. Shapes
As a beginner in watercolor, you can start with various shapes painting on watercolor paper. You can use freehanded shapes painting with watercolor. Initially, to get the idea of shapes, you can go with pencils to sketch them and then start filling them with watercolor paint. You can use various shades to paint the shapes from your watercolor palette.
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2. Abstract
You can always paint abstracts with watercolor. Abstracts don’t need to have significant meanings or any exact shapes or perfect colors; you can paint with whatever color you want to add and play with your watercolor brush.
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3. Big brush strokes
You can find various shapes and sizes of watercolor brushes. Utilize them for this. You can use big brush sizes of 10 or 12. And start playing with it, make shapes or things per your choices. Paint big brush strokes with these brushes, and you will get excellent outcomes. Remember, watercolor or any form of painting doesn’t need to be perfect; just go with the flow.
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4. Cloud painting
You can make big clouds with watercolor. Use big stroked brushes to paint these clouds. You can doodle over it with a pen to add more detailing. And if not, that is also great. It is totally up to you.
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5. Leaves
Big or small leaves of trees with watercolor wet paint are simple things to paint with. Watercolor print leaves are straightforward to make. You can directly paint it with watercolor or sketch with a pencil and then paint the leaves with colors.
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6. Trees
You can make big, vast trees with watercolor paint. Making trees with watercolor paint is one of the famous paintings everyone makes initially. You can practice light and dark. Shades by painting trees.
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7. Flowers
Flowers are one of the best ways to practice brush strokes using watercolor. You can play with various ranges of watercolors. You can either direct paint with watercolor or make a sketch first and then fill it with paints.
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Cool and Creative Watercolor Designs
This easy watercolor painting idea is for those who have started with watercolor but need more ideas. Here in this blog, you will find creative and exciting cool watercolor painting ideas.
8. Sunset
You can paint the sunset with watercolor, as watercolor is a very vibrant form of paint. You can easily add and blend vibrant hues such as orange, red, yellow, and white to make an excellent sunset scenery. You have to mind one thing: you must add ample water with color to blend the colors because while painting a sunset, it is crucial to make a nicely blended sky with the setting sun.
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9. Night sky painting
Painting a night sky with watercolor is a great idea. You have to add various vibrant shades of blue, or you can add a pinch of purple to the painting. You must blend all the colors well to make a nicely painted night sky. This is one of the most creative yet easy paintings.
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10. Fern painting
You can practice watercolor painting by making fern leaves with green or yellow colors. You should practice making such fern and leaves blending and free-hand painting. These are very easy to make yet creative also.
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11. Landscape mountain
Watercolor mountains are one of the easiest yet creative paintings. You can make great scenarios with long mountains with a wide range of vibrant colors. The expansive, majestic mountains are perfect for practicing watercolor painting.
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12. Autumn leaves
Autumn leaves are great to paint with watercolors. You can first take an autumn leaf and then paint with colors of your choice. Then you can paste the leaf with a light hand on the paper and then leave it for some time and then take up the leaf and get a lovely vibrant colored leaf with just tracing with watercolor. You can paint a whole autumn leaf, too.
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13. Botanical prints
Botanical prints are another excellent way of practicing watercolors. Use various watercolor brushes with vibrant paints to paint lovely trees, leaves, or botanical prints on watercolor paper.
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14. Sky
You can paint the sky with whatever colors you feel like painting with. You don’t need to worry about the typical blueish tone of the sky. You can play with various colors out there. Painting skies with watercolor is a great way to practice because you will learn how to blend all the colors with water.
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15. Watercolor house
You can try Watercolor House Painting. This is one of the most commonly painted pictures. You can practice making a rough sketch but always paint the background first. Now go with painting the house. You can paint a village, city, or whatever you like.
Source: WhataPortrait
16. Exotic fish
It may sound complicated to paint, but with regular practice. You need immense patience to paint such a painting, as it will require waiting until the paint layer dries and then adding another layer above it.
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Fun and Relaxing Watercolor Projects
Now, you should learn about some fun watercolor painting ideas. In this blog section, you will read about lots of them, so continue reading.
17. Watercolor and fine liner
This is one of the most fun project and relaxing watercolor projects. You first have to paint some flowers with your hand with a brush; do not make a pencil sketch and then paint that with watercolor. After the paint is dried completely, you can use a fine liner pen to add more fine details to the painting.
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18. Cactus project
You can paint cute yet minimal-looking cactus with watercolor and hang them on your room wall. You can paint it on canvas. Cactus painting is straightforward, and anyone can draw that. You can try cactus painting.
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19. Gradients
Try painting by wetting the paper first and then adding several vibrant watercolors. Try adding them from dark to light. It will make the painting look elegant and energetic yet creative, letting the colors spread themselves. That will add more detailing to that painting.
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20. Fruit bowl
Focus on your fruit bowl or basket for some time. Observe it. Study every angle from where the light is coming and where the light is going. Study everything. Then start painting it. This is known as still life painting. You will learn observation, light and dark angles, and shapes; you can practice watercolor more precisely with this technique. This is an amusing and creative painting idea, too. Give it a try once.
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21. Wildflowers
Take a watercolor copy, and start creating various wildflowers per your choices. Painting wildflowers with watercolor is a lovely way to practice this art form. Make sure to use multiple brushes, as every shape of brushes will give you different wildflower shapes.
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22. Orchids
Orchids have spectacular colors, making them a perfect art project to try. You can practice remarkable contrasts. You have to add more detailing to the picture, as orchids have details on their petals.
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23. Roses
Roses are one of the most beautiful paintings ever made by watercolors. It looks heavenly when painted with watercolors. Roses are beautiful; watercolors are the cherry on top. You can practice directly painting the flower with paints or make a sketch initially and then paint it. You can add different layers to that picture by adding more details.
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24. Sunflowers
Sunflowers are one of the easiest to paint with watercolors. Create a dark circular center with a black or brown shade. Then, add yellow petals around it. Your watercolor brushes have shapes that can easily make the petals effortlessly. Just press and gently pull the brush outwards from the center. You can add more detailing to it as per your choices.
Source: Google
25. Mixed Bouquet
This is one of the easiest things to paint with watercolors. Do not use pencils to make a rough sketch of the bouquet. Directly use the brush; it has beautiful shapes, so just press and pull outwards.
Source: Google
26. Lilies
Lily flowers are great to paint with watercolor. Lily flower has vibrant color options you can add while practicing watercolor. It is an excellent yet elegant painting idea that uses various brushes to paint lilies.
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Easiest Things to Paint in Watercolor
You have learned about various complex, simple, relaxing, creative watercolor painting ideas till now. In this section, you will learn about some of the easiest things to paint with watercolor. As you have read earlier, watercolor is studied by students initially. The usage of the brush was taught originally by watercolor painting. Later, they switched to art forms such as acrylic paint, oil, etc. Here, you will learn about things to paint with watercolor for beginner artists.
27. Salt wash:
This is an exciting yet simple technique to try with your watercolor. Take a stiff watercolor paper. Paint with whatever paint you feel like and make something abstract. Then sprinkle table salt on the wet painting. Wait till the salt dissolves and pushes the color all over the paper. After the whole thing dries, scrape off the extra salts from the paper. And you are ready with your masterpiece.
Source: Google
28. Adding alcohol:
Yes, you can add alcohol to your watercolor painting as well. Make an abstract art with different hues of watercolor on the paper. Then splatter some alcohol on it and watch how color washes and pushes away from the drops, creating tiny white spots that look like stars. This will result in the whole painting as you have made the galaxy with watercolor.
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29. Soap resists
Suds, adding bubbles to the watercolors, creating delicate webs and lacy patterns everywhere. Use a straw on paper to blow bubbles into a drop of soap added to a wet paper. This will create a magnificent effect on the paper with such easy tasks that can be done within a few minutes.
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30. Straw airbrush:
Take a stiff watercolor paper and pour a dollop of your preferred colors with a brush. Take a straw and blow air with the straw on the paint while the paint is still wet and hasn’t dried. This will create an effect of abstract painting with watercolor with just little to no effort. The best part is anyone can paint it, be it a beginner or pro artist. It doesn't even take much time or effort.
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31. Tissue paper:
Pour your preferred colors on wet paper with your watercolor brush. Use a tissue paper and smash it on the paper where you brushed your watercolor. You will create a kaleidoscope-like texture on the paper.
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32. Whale
Watercolors are the perfect medium to paint water creatures. Use blue, gray, white, and a little black shade to create a transparent medium. If you can not paint it realistically, you can go for a cartoon or abstract way.
Source: Google
33. Horse
Animal lives are extraordinary to paint with watercolors. You can go for painting horses with it. This helps you practice light and dark shades and various shapes to paint with watercolor. Always use the best references to paint such paintings.
Source: Google
34. Ocean scenery
The ocean is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Try painting this with watercolor. The blending of every color is very well with watercolor. You can paint with many shades, such as for the sky, you can use a little bit of lavender or white to give a dawn finish. You can use whatever color you feel to add.
Source: Google
35. Forest:
Try painting the forest with watercolor. It may look phenomenal with watercolor. Paint large trees, with sunlight coming out behind the trees in a vast forest with many trees. First, make a layer of open sky with any shade of blue and white, then let the color dry. Use a little thinner brush this time to paint long tree bodies. It is advisable to paint the whole thing with watercolor only. Using a pencil to draw a rough sketch will not improve your watercolor painting skills. Now, make tree leaves of whatever shapes you may like to paint. You can search for reference paintings or use your imagination to paint.
Source: Google
36. Long roads between Deodar trees
You can paint along roads between Deodar trees on both sides of the road. This scenery looks beautiful if you have ever been to the mountains. Use grey to paint the road. You can add a little bit of snow on the road. Now, use little thinner brushes to paint the trees on both sides. This way, you can complete a whole scenery of mountain roads with watercolor.
Source: Google
37. Trees over mountains:
Try painting trees over misty mountains. Watercolors are best for the hazy effect on the mountains. Always start painting the background layer with a big brush and complete the sky. Now, when it is completely dried, make mountains with brush. Now, use another brush to paint the trees over the mountains. You can add whatever details you prefer.
Source: Google
38. Geometric shapes
These are great to test the brush paper on watercolor paper. You can practice painting any shape, for example, round, square, rectangle, triangle, etc. You can even make different layers with these shapes. This painting idea is best for practicing different shapes bare-handed with watercolors.
Source: Google
39. Layered painting:
Take various shades from your watercolor palette and start pouring them with your preferred brush on the watercolor paper. First, you make a layer and wait for a while so that it dries. Now, make whatever shape you want over that layer; do not make a whole shape over the previous one; add a corner of the painting to balance with other shapes to complete every layer.
Source: Google
40. Dog painting:
Painting your pet dog with watercolor is one of the cutest gestures. You may not find them to be your best model. Try referencing some of their still photos. Use various brushes to paint your dog. Even if you don’t have a pet dog, you can paint a dog. Try your imagination or refer to any image from the internet. This is great for practicing brush movement, angles, and layering.
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Conclusion
This blog contains 40 watercolor painting ideas. You can refer to any of these, or you can try each of them. Remember to use various brushes for watercolor and consistently clean your brushes after finishing the painting. These ideas will help you master watercolor.
