Discover 19 easy watercolor painting tutorials for beginners featuring flowers, leaves, landscapes and more beautiful projects you’ll actually want to try.
Have you ever looked at one of those soft and dreamy watercolor paintings and thought…I would love to try that, but there is absolutely no way I could paint it?
Well my friends…this collection is especially for you!
Watercolor is one of those wonderfully forgiving creative hobbies where sometimes the little drips, blends and imperfect brushstrokes are exactly what make the finished piece so beautiful. You do not have to know how to draw perfectly. You do not need an art studio filled with expensive supplies. And you certainly do not have to call yourself an artist before you pick up a brush.
Sometimes you simply need a little paint…a little water…some good paper and someone kind enough to show you where to begin.
So today I gathered 19 easy watercolor painting tutorials for beginners that actually teach you something along the way. We are going to start by looking at some of the beautiful things you can create…because sometimes seeing the possibilities is exactly the little push we need to begin!
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What Do You Really Need to Start Watercolor Painting?
Please don’t feel like you have to buy half of the art store before you begin.
For your first watercolor adventures, a few simple supplies will do beautifully:
- A basic set of watercolor paints. Yes…you can even start with an inexpensive set and upgrade later if you fall in love with painting!
- Watercolor paper
- One medium round watercolor brush
- A smaller brush for details
- A pencil and eraser
- Two little containers of clean water
- Paper towels or an old cloth
- A simple palette or even a white plate for mixing colors
Good watercolor paper really does make learning easier because it handles water much better than ordinary paper. Beyond that, start with what you have and upgrade things only if watercolor becomes a hobby you truly enjoy.
Most of all…give yourself permission to make some wonky leaves and funny looking flowers.
That is how we learn!
Paint like no one is watching!!!
First…Let’s See What You Can Make!
Before we start talking about washes and water control, I want you to see where all this practicing can take you.
Beginner watercolor does not have to mean painting one lonely little blob on a piece of paper!
There are gorgeous flowers…landscapes…fruit…trees…wreaths and so many other things waiting for your paintbrush.
These first few stops are packed with inspiration and I think they just might make you want to pull those paints out immediately.
20+ Easy Watercolor Flowers Tutorials
Oh my goodness…now this is how we get excited about learning watercolor! This beautiful collection is filled with loose flowers, colorful bouquets, wildflowers, sunflowers, roses, hydrangeas and so much more. Browse around…find the flowers that make your heart happy…and let them give you a glimpse of what you might soon be creating yourself.
Source: A Piece of Rainbow
Beginner Watercolor Tutorials From The Frugal Crafter
If you thought beginner watercolor meant you had to spend three weeks painting circles before you were allowed to make anything interesting…think again! This wonderful collection of beginner watercolor lessons is filled with real projects you will actually want to paint, including flowers, colorful landscapes, hydrangeas and so much more. Sometimes the easiest way to learn is simply to grab a brush and follow along.
Source: The Frugal Crafter
Three Watercolor Leaves Tutorials
This one caught my eye immediately because those delicate little leafy borders would be absolutely beautiful on handmade note cards, stationery, gift tags, place cards or even around a favorite quote. The tutorial shows you several simple ways to paint watercolor leaves while practicing brush control and the amount of water and color on your brush. It is useful practice…but you end up with something pretty too. My favorite kind of lesson!
Source: The Postman’s KnockNow Let’s Learn a Few Watercolor Basics
Okay…we have officially seen what is possible.
Now let’s learn a few little tricks that are going to make everything else much easier!
Think of these next tutorials as our watercolor toolbox.
How to Do Watercolor Washes fo r Beginners
If you have never used watercolor before, this is an excellent place to learn what all that water is actually supposed to do! Mary walks you through flat, gradient and variegated washes along with wet on wet, wet on dry and other basic techniques. Make yourself one little practice sheet and suddenly words like “wash” won’t sound nearly so mysterious.
Source: Mary Moreno StudioBeginner Wet on Wet Watercolor With Flowers
This simple flower is really teaching us one of watercolor’s most useful techniques. You will learn how wet on wet painting works while following along with an easy floral project, and there are helpful outlines and written instructions too. Pay more attention to what the paint and water are doing than whether your flower belongs in a botanical garden!
Source: Watson WatercolorEasy Watercolor Projects That Build Confidence
We’ve practiced a little…we’ve learned a few tricks…and the watercolor police have not shown up because we colored outside the lines.
I think we’re ready to paint!
Easy Watercolor Rose Tutorial
Now this is my kind of beginner art lesson…loose, imperfect and absolutely no pressure to make every petal behave! This tutorial breaks a rose down into easy curved strokes and shows you how to build the flower from its darker center outward. You may be very surprised by how quickly those simple marks begin looking like a real rose.
Source: At Forest’s Edge
Watercolor Painting for Beginners: Paint a Lemon
How happy is a bright yellow lemon! This beginner project is completed in just a handful of steps and teaches layering, wet on wet blending and simple shading along the way. I love projects like this because the subject is uncomplicated, recognizable and almost impossible not to make cheerful.
Source: Mallory Paige Studio
How to Paint Pears in Watercolour
Once you’ve painted a lemon…perhaps we should just keep working our way through the fruit bowl! These pretty pears are created with loose washes of yellow, red, brown and green, allowing the colors to naturally move and blend while the paper is wet. It is a wonderful little lesson in letting watercolor be watercolor rather than trying to control every drop.
Source: Emily Wassell
Easy Watercolor Flowers Step by Step
Flowers and watercolor were simply made for one another. This beginner friendly tutorial explores loose florals and several individual flower styles while helping you practice simple brush marks, color variation and that lovely imperfect look that makes watercolor flowers so charming. Lavender lovers…there is something waiting here for you too!
Source: Artsydee
How to Paint Watercolor Trees
Trees are another wonderfully forgiving subject because nobody can tell you that a branch is leaning three millimeters too far to the left! This beginner guide breaks watercolor trees into simple shapes, colors, layers and shadows and even includes tree templates for extra practice. Once you learn a few basic tree shapes, you can use them in landscapes for years to come.
Source: Artsydee
Watercolor Sunset Tutorial
This one looks impressive but teaches some wonderfully useful watercolor basics along the way. You will work with soft color changes, skies, values and blending as the painting grows into a glowing sunset scene. Definitely one of those projects where you might look down halfway through and think…WAIT…I actually painted that!
Source: Learn to Paint Watercolor
Learn to Paint Trees, Mist and Mountains
Oh this one is dreamy! Soft mountains…misty layers…trees disappearing into the distance. The tutorial demonstrates wet on wet and wet on dry techniques while showing how different values can create depth. Don’t let the finished painting intimidate you…the process is broken down so you can take it one section at a time.
Source: Jackie Peacock
Botanical Watercolor Wreath Tutorial
Once you learn a few leaves, branches and simple floral shapes, you can start combining them into something wonderful. This botanical wreath is built gradually around a simple circle or oval, so there is plenty of room to experiment with different branches, colors and little details. Imagine this technique on handmade cards, gift tags, stationery or little pieces of wall art.
Source: The Postman’s Knock
Watercolor Landscape Painting for Beginners
Landscapes can look terribly complicated when you see the finished painting, but they are really just a collection of manageable layers. This beginner guide walks through skies, mountains, hills and trees while explaining why the order you paint them in matters. A beautiful next step once you are comfortable making washes and basic shapes.
Source: Nicholson’s Peerless WatercolorsA Watercolor Artist You Will Want to Follow
Watercolor Inspiration From Sisca Wungu on Instagram
Before we head into Fall…I’ve got a little side trip for you!
If you are a visual learner like I am, you are going to have so much fun browsing Sisca Wungu’s watercolor work. Her beautiful little painting lessons and step by step projects have that wonderful quality of making you think…I want to try that! This is one of those accounts where you go in planning to look at one thing and suddenly discover you have saved half the page!
Visit Sisca Wungu on InstagramCozy Fall Watercolor Projects to Try Now
Now you know I wasn’t going to get through an entire August craft collection without autumn sneaking in somewhere!
These next projects are perfect for practicing all those washes, blends and layers while painting some of the things we love most about Fall.
Watercolor Maple Leaf Tutorial
One colorful leaf is all you need for a lovely little painting. This tutorial focuses on wet on wet watercolor so those gorgeous reds, oranges, yellows and hints of green can mingle naturally on the paper. There is also a simple technique for adding the delicate leaf veins at the end.
Source: Ciaoyin Luo
How to Paint a Watercolor Fall Pumpkin
Pumpkins are almost begging to be painted in watercolor with all those curved sections and naturally blended oranges and yellows. This easy tutorial starts with a simple sketch and then uses layers and wet watercolor techniques to give the pumpkin shape and dimension. A sweet little painting for September right through Thanksgiving.
Source: Crafty Art Ideas
How to Paint a Mushroom in Watercolor
Mushrooms are having their forever moment in cottage style, aren’t they? This tutorial walks through painting an earthy mushroom with a colorful cap while explaining the watercolor techniques used as the painting progresses. It is a little more detailed than our first projects, which makes it a wonderful one to try after you have practiced those earlier washes and layers.
Source: Watercolor AffairHow to Paint a Watercolour Wreath
Leaves…berries…warm autumn colors…this one has everything we love about the season. The lesson goes step by step through creating a Fall themed watercolor wreath while also sharing helpful information about paper, paint and brushes. Once you understand how the individual elements come together, you can change the colors and foliage and create wreaths for practically every season.
Source: The Happy Ever Crafter
DIY Black Cat Watercolor Painting
And because Halloween is beginning to whisper our name…how about finishing with this fabulous black cat and harvest moon painting! The project combines a glowing orange moon, silhouetted black cat and branches while using layering and lifting techniques to create light and shadow. It is definitely one of the more adventurous projects in our collection, but what a fun one to work toward after completing some of the easier tutorials.
Source: eHowReady to Pick Up a Paintbrush?
I hope this collection makes watercolor feel a little less intimidating and a whole lot more fun.
You absolutely do not have to create a perfect painting the first time…or the tenth time for that matter. Part of the beauty of learning something creative is watching yourself improve little by little.
Try a page filled with leaves. Paint one lemon. Make some wonky flowers.
Play with the way two colors run into one another.
Then one day you may sit down to paint a little landscape or wreath and suddenly realize that all those tiny practice sessions taught your hands exactly what to do.
And even if watercolor never becomes your great artistic calling…you may discover something equally wonderful.
A quiet little hobby that gives your mind somewhere peaceful to go for an hour.
Now that sounds pretty wonderful to me.
Happy Painting, my friends!
Andrea @ The Cottage Market
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