It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, you have a cup of tea at your side, and you want to make something beautiful. The catch here, you’re not Picasso, right? You don’t have to worry — you are in good company! These Watercolor Painting Ideas, will make your life easier (whether you’re a total beginner or need ideas for stress-free painting) 🙂
If you’ve not used watercolor before, I’m about to show you five simple and yet freaking stunning watercolor painting ideas that’ll leave you thinking that you, too, can be an artist, even if you’ve barely drawn anything past kindergarten. Ready to dive in? It’s paint’s time. Grab your brush and we can paint some magic 🎨
Why Watercolors?
But first, let’s give watercolors their moment of fame before we discuss the ideas. Affordable, forgiving (mostly), and brings that dreamy effect to anything. They also lend themselves well for those of us who like a bit of controlled chaos—the beauty is in the unpredictable!
1. Classic Sunset Gradient
Blending colors is one of the greatest things ever, and sunsets are the best canvas here. All you will need is shades of yellow, orange, pink, and purple.
How to Do It:
- Start with a wet-on-wet technique: So, wet your paper slightly with clean water.
- Layer a pretty orange hue at the bottom, add streaks of yellow and gradually work your way to orange, pink, and purple.
- Semi-smooth gradients require the edges to be blended a little bit gently.
Why It’s Simple: It does most of the work with the colors, and if you screw up a little it looks planned. Pro tip: Very easy to add a silhouette of a tree or a bird for extra flair!
2. Abstract Blooms
Watercolor beginners swear by flowers. And guess what? Beauty doesn’t have to be realistic.
How to Do It:
- Pick a few bright colors (red, pink, yellow, or blue work great).
- Paint dab your brush in paint and make loose petal-like shapes.
- Allow the colors to slightly blend as a natural effect.
- If dry, use a thin brush for the stems and leaves.
Why It’s Beautiful: As the shapes are imperfect, and color blends soft, it has a dreamy, artistic vibe. Did no one judge your petals here!
3. Starry Night Sky
If you don’t want to go through an existential crisis, want to feel like Van Gogh without the trauma, consider it. Well, you will need a starry night painting.
How to Do It:
- Cover the top half of your paper with dark blues, purples, and blacks.
- Sprinkle salt while the paint is still wet. (Yes, salt!)
- Brush off the salt once dry to show a star-like texture.
- Rdot tiny stars and maybe a moon with white paint or gel pen.
Why It’s Unique: Salt trick with texture about as magical. It’s also a great conversation starter—“Oh, this”? Just a little salt wizardry.”
4. Mountain Ranges in the Minimalist Style
If you’re a person who likes crisp and clean designs, this one’s for you.
How to Do It:
- Start with a light blue wash as the background.
- Go with darker shades of gray or blue so they layer like mountain shapes from back to front.
- They should be slightly darker for depth, or not, if that’s your desired effect.
Why It Works: It’s modern, minimalist, foolproof. No questions asked, you’re going to end up with something you can frame.
How to Take Stunning Photos of Your Cat and Show Off Their Beauty
5. Rainbow Splashes
For those free spirits! No rules, just fun.
How to Do It:
- Dunk your paper in water and drop red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple into it.
- Don’t try to make the colors bleed perfectly into each other.
- I encourage you to tilt the paper to permit the paint to follow.
Why It’s Fun: Messy, unpredictable, and perfect for stress relief. But you’ll have better results than when you were a kid!
5 Watercolor Quick Tips to Help You Succeed
- Don’t use paper that is too thin (like 180gsm) if you want to avoid warping.
- It’s your undo button, so always have a tissue nearby.
- Try some brushes, flat for larger washes, small round ones for small details.
- Don’t overthink it! Fun is supposed to be part of art.
Your Masterpiece Awaits
See? Watercolor Painting Ideas don’t need to be hard or time-consuming. If you’re a beginner or a pro, you’ll love these five ideas as they provide some creativity, relaxation, and a sense of accomplishment.
So, what are you waiting for? Get your paint brushes out and get them dusted, grab some paint and let your inner artist out. It’s unique, like your fingerprint, but prettier and it’ll be alright even if your painting doesn’t turn out ‘perfect.’