Starting Your Watercolor Journey: A Beginner’s Guide

"Everything You Need to Know to Begin Painting with Watercolors – From Zero to Confident Artist!"

Mar 05, 2025

Introduction: Where Do You Begin with Watercolors?

If you’re new to watercolors and don’t know where to start, you’re not alone! Many people are drawn to the delicate, fluid beauty of watercolor painting but feel intimidated by the medium. Questions like “What supplies do I need?”, “How do I mix colors?”, or “What’s the best way to practice?” often stop beginners from even picking up a brush.

The truth is, watercolors are one of the most rewarding and enjoyable mediums to work with—once you understand the basics! This guide will walk you through everything you need to get started with confidence and excitement.

Let’s begin your watercolor journey together! 🎨✨

1. Gathering the Right Supplies

Before you start painting, you’ll need a few essential materials. You don’t need to buy the most expensive supplies, but investing in decent quality materials will make a huge difference in your experience.

🎨 Essential Watercolor Supplies for Beginners

✔ Watercolor Paints – Start with a basic set of 6 to 12 colors. Choose artist-grade if possible, as they have better pigments and last longer. Great beginner brands: Winsor & Newton Cotman, Van Gogh, Sakura Koi, Daniel Smith, Schmincke , and Sennelier l'Aquarelle

✔ Watercolor Paper – Watercolor needs thick, absorbent paper to work properly. Look for 300 GSM (140 lb) cold-pressed watercolor paper. Brands like Arches, Saunderss Waterford, Hahnemuhle, Fabriano, Canson, are excellent choices.

✔ Brushes – A good round brush (size 8-12) and a flat brush will be enough to start. Kolinsky sable or synthetic brushes work well.

✔ Water Jars – You’ll need two jars: one for clean water and one for rinsing your brush.

✔ Palette – A mixing palette for blending colors. If using tube paints, squeeze a small amount onto the palette.

✔ Tissues or Paper Towels – For blotting excess water and correcting mistakes.

✔ Masking Tape or Board – Helps to keep paper flat while painting and create clean edges.

✔ Spray bottle – A fine mist of water from the spray bottle keeps the watercolor paper moistened and helps in creating a wispy effect by spreading the paint and for other creative techniques and experiments.

💡 Tip: Avoid cheap watercolor sets and very thin paper—they can lead to frustration!

2. Understanding Watercolor Techniques

Now that you have your supplies, it’s time to learn the fundamentals. Watercolor behaves differently from other painting mediums because it relies on water movement, transparency, and layering.

🎨 Basic Watercolor Techniques to Start With

✅ Wet-on-Wet: Apply clean water to the paper, then add color. The paint will spread beautifully, creating soft, blended effects. Great for skies, backgrounds, and misty effects.

✅ Wet-on-Dry: Apply paint on dry paper for more control and sharp edges. Used for detailed work, trees, buildings, and figures.

✅ Dry Brush Technique: Use a damp brush with very little water to create texture and rough effects like grass, stone, or tree bark.

✅ Layering (Glazing): Watercolor is transparent, so you can layer colors to build depth without muddying the painting. Let each layer dry before adding the next.

✅ Lifting & Blotting: Use a clean tissue or damp brush to lift color from the paper for highlights and corrections.

💡 Tip: Practice these techniques on a separate sheet of paper before starting a painting.

3. Mixing Colors: Understanding the Color Wheel

One of the joys of watercolor is mixing colors! You don’t need a huge palette—just a few primary colors can create an endless variety of shades.

🎨 Primary Colors (Red, Blue, Yellow) – The Building Blocks of Color

Red + Yellow = Orange
Blue + Yellow = Green
Red + Blue = Purple

🎨 Color Mixing Tips for Beginners

✔ Use more water for lighter tones (tints).
✔ Mix complementary colors (opposites) to tone down brightness and create more natural shades.
✔ Avoid over-mixing—watercolor shines when colors blend naturally!

💡 Tip: Keep a color chart of your paints to see how they behave when mixed.

4. First Easy Watercolor Exercises

Instead of jumping straight into complex paintings, start with simple exercises that help build confidence.

🎨 Fun Beginner Exercises:

✔ Create a Gradient Wash – Load your brush with color and fade it into lighter tones.
✔ Paint a Simple Sky & Clouds – Use the wet-on-wet technique to make fluffy, natural clouds.
✔ Make a Color Swatch Chart – Paint and label each color to see how they look on paper.
✔ Paint Basic Shapes (Cubes, Spheres, Leaves, Flowers) – Focus on controlling water and blending.

💡 Tip: Keep a sketchbook dedicated to watercolor practice to track your progress!

5. Common Beginner Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them!)

Many beginners struggle with water control and color mixing. Here are some common mistakes and how to fix them:

🚫 Using Too Much Water: Colors become too diluted and lose intensity.
✅ Fix: Use a tissue to dab excess water off the brush before painting.

🚫 Overworking the Paper: Scrubbing too much can damage the paper’s surface.
✅ Fix: Let layers dry naturally before adding more details.

🚫 Muddy Colors: Over-mixing or using too many layers can create dull, lifeless colors.
✅ Fix: Stick to clean, transparent layers and allow drying time between washes.

💡 Tip: Accept that watercolors have a life of their own! Let them flow naturally instead of controlling every detail.

6. Your First Simple Watercolor Painting

Now that you understand the basics, try painting a simple subject like:
✔ A sunset sky with wet-on-wet blending
✔ A single flower with soft shading
✔ A minimalistic landscape with trees and a lake

💡 Tip: Don’t aim for perfection—enjoy the process of exploring color and water!

Share Watercolors

Final Thoughts: Just Start Painting!

Starting watercolor painting doesn’t have to be overwhelming. All you need is:
✔ A small set of good-quality materials
✔ Basic watercolor techniques
✔ Lots of practice and experimentation

🎨 Watercolor is a journey, not a destination! Embrace the unpredictability, enjoy the process, and watch your skills improve over time.

The key to learning watercolors is consistency—so pick up your brush and start painting today!

🎨 Call to Action: Join My Watercolor Mastery Community! 🎨

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✅ Beginner-friendly watercolor techniques
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✅ Expert guidance on color mixing and composition

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✨ Let’s create beautiful watercolor paintings together! 🎨🚀