Simple Watercolor Ideas for Beginners (+ Free Templates & Watercolor Inspo!)

Last Updated on June 11, 2025 by Dee

Are you just getting started with watercolor and looking for easy watercolor inspo? You’re in the right place! This post is packed with simple watercolor ideas for beginners, including free printable templates (scroll to the end of the post!), gentle painting tips, and creative prompts that are perfect for sketchbooks, art journals, or just relaxing weekends at your desk.

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Watercolor doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, some of the most beautiful results come from the simplest ideas. Whether you’re painting for the first time or returning to your creative side, here are 25 easy watercolor inspiration ideas to try — along with helpful links, beginner-friendly supplies, and templates to get you started.

Watercolor Painting Supplies To Get Started!

This is my go-to list of recommended watercolor painting supplies that we use for all our watercolor art, junk journaling, and art journaling!

**This page may contain affiliate links to products I have used or recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.**

Watercolors: Windsor & Newton is a reputable brand that offers high-quality watercolor paints. You can choose from their range of professional-grade watercolor tubes or pans, depending on your preference.
Watercolor Paper: Look for cold-pressed, 140lb (300gsm) watercolor paper for the best results. This type of paper is durable and has a nice texture that’s ideal for watercolor painting.
Brushes: A selection of round and flat brushes in various sizes will give you the versatility you need for different strokes and details. Sable or synthetic brushes designed for watercolor will give you the best performance.
Palette: A mixing palette with wells for both mixing and holding your paints is essential. It can be a simple plastic one or a porcelain palette for a more luxurious feel.
Water Container: Any clean jar or container will do, but having two for clean and dirty water can help keep your colors pure.
Masking Fluid: This is used to cover areas of your painting that you want to keep white. Make sure to apply it with an old brush or a dedicated masking fluid brush, as it can ruin fine bristles.
Pencils: A soft pencil, like a 2B, is great for sketching your design before painting.
Eraser: A kneaded eraser is gentle on watercolor paper and can lift pencil lines without damaging the surface.
Paper Towels or a Rag: These are useful for blotting your brush to control the amount of water and paint.
Board: If you’re using watercolor paper from a pad or sheets, you might want to tape your paper down to a board to prevent warping.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use and love in my own art practice. Your support helps me keep creating free content and tutorials for the art community. Thank you!

25 Simple Watercolor Ideas for Beginners (Watercolor Inspo Included!)

Let’s explore some fun, beginner-friendly watercolor painting ideas — no experience required. Many of these can be done with just a small palette of colors and a brush.

A Ripe Strawberry or Slice of Watermelon

watercolor templates watercolor inspo and watercolor ideas

Fresh fruit makes a bright and satisfying subject! Keep your shapes simple and focus on layering color from light to dark. For watermelon, try wetting the shape first and dropping in pinks and reds, letting them blend naturally. Add seeds with a black fine liner when dry. (Try this digital version)

A Teacup with Steam or a Flower Inside

A classic teacup gives you great practice with curves and shadows. Use soft greys for the cup and a gentle gradient for steam. Add a small flower inside for a cozy touch.

A Stack of Books or Journals

This idea is perfect for sketchbooks or journaling spreads. Use muted tones and loose brushwork to keep things simple. Add a little shadow under each book to give the stack a gentle depth.

Simple Leaves or a Vine on the Page

Try painting a few different leaf shapes in varying greens, letting them bleed slightly for a soft, botanical effect. You can also create a looping vine with delicate leaves — great as a sketchbook border.

Vintage Keys or Spoons for Contrast

These metallic objects add lovely contrast to your pages. Use Payne’s Grey or a muted brown, and add fine lines and tiny highlights to suggest shine and texture.

Wildflowers in a Loose Bouquet

Start with a light wash and build up small blooms and stems using wet-on-dry. Mix up petal shapes and layer your colors with confidence. (Try this flower tutorial)

A Butterfly Resting on a Leaf

1 butterfly watercolor painting tutorial

Use symmetry to sketch the wings, then blend vibrant colors wet-into-wet for a natural gradient. Add fine black lines and dots after drying for detail. You can watch the full tutorial here 👉 How to Paint a Watercolor Butterfly

A Cottage Window with Flower Boxes

Sketch a simple rectangle, add shutters or small panes, and fill the bottom with bright floral dabs. This is a great one for combining structure with playful flowers.

Mushrooms Under a Tree

Use earthy reds and browns for the caps, and pale washes for stems. Try splattering the background with diluted paint for a forest floor effect. (Explore woodland themes here)

A Mountain Silhouette with a Sun Behind It

Try layering a gradient wash for the sky, then paint mountains as sharp shapes over the top. Fade your color intensity with distance to show depth.

A Soft Sunset with Orange and Purple Blends

Start with a wet background and blend warm colors across the top. Let them bleed into each other, then add distant trees or silhouettes when dry. (Learn how here)

A Rolling Green Hill or Meadow

Use a mix of yellow and sap greens for a peaceful effect. Let your brushwork suggest texture, and add hints of wildflowers or trees.

A Quiet Forest Edge or Treeline

Begin with a light background wash, then use layered vertical strokes to build your trees. Use less detail further back to create depth.

A Calm Lake with Sky Reflection

Wet the whole page and paint a soft sky, then mirror those colors in horizontal strokes for the water. Add a soft tree line to anchor the reflection.

A Single Palm Tree with a Blue Wash Background

Use a fine brush to create the trunk and long, curved fronds. Keep the background light with a summery sky wash.

A Sunflower Close-Up

Use warm yellows and oranges, and add texture to the center with stippling. Let petals overlap slightly for a natural look. (Explore 25 sunflower templates)

Peonies with Soft Pink Washes

Start with the outer petals using a diluted pink, then deepen the center with more saturated pigment. Let layers dry in between. (Peony templates here)

A Magnolia Bloom

painting of a magnolia in pen and watercolor

Paint large petal shapes in pale pink or soft white using negative space for the highlights. Add subtle shadows near the base of each petal. (Paint a watercolor iris)

An Iris with Deep Purple Tones

Let purples and blues blend organically across each petal. Add veins with a fine brush or pen for detail. (23 Delicate Iris templates available)

Loose Green Stems with Tiny Blossoms

This is a lovely warm-up or sketchbook idea. Let your brush flick gently to form soft, irregular shapes and wispy stems.

A Splash of Watercolor Behind Your Handwritten Quote

Lay down a loose blob of color, then letter your quote on top with pen or white ink. Perfect for mood journaling.

Swatch Your Favorite Colors in Fun Shapes

Instead of squares, try painting circles, blobs, or flower shapes for each swatch. (See sketchbook ideas here)

Paint a Postage Stamp Design or Collage it into Your Journal

Draw a small rectangle and add a simple icon or flower inside. Outline with a dotted line or perforated edge for a stamp effect.

Add Watercolor Behind a List of “5 Things I Love Today”

Create a block of color, then write directly over it or use white gel pen. It’s a relaxing way to combine gratitude and creativity.

Create an Abstract Page with Circles and Lines to Explore Color Combos

Play with shapes, layering, and transparency. Let one color bleed into another and experiment without rules.

Beginner Watercolor Tips

Start with light layers and build up color slowly
Use more water than paint — especially for backgrounds
Let your brush do the work — no need to press hard
Don’t worry about perfection — embrace the natural flow of the paint

And if you love painting from templates, check out these themed sets:

Keep Exploring More Watercolor Inspo

Want more? Here are some helpful tutorials and inspiration posts to keep your creativity flowing:

You can also check out my Payhip store and Patreon membership tiers for weekly watercolor kits, templates, and creative downloads.

Happy painting! 🎨

Grab the Free Printable Watercolor Templates HERE (below👇🏻)!

I’ve created a freebie pack that includes 3 printable watercolor templates — perfect for beginners to trace or transfer onto watercolor paper or import into Procreate.

These include:

A whimsical flower bouquet
A juicy watermelon slice
A soft countryside landscape sketch

To access the free in-post printables for this post, you’ll just need to create a free account or log in with the Grow.me tool. Then, confirm by email and refresh the page, and ALL my free printables will automatically unlock in every post!

Love These Watercolor Templates? Get Even More Exclusive Creative Goodies in the Artsydee Creation Watercolor Club! 🎨

If you’re enjoying these free printables, why not join my Artsydee Creation Club? As a member, you’ll gain access to exclusive watercolor lessons, and tons of printables like this one, which are delivered to you every week. Plus, you’ll get sneak peeks at upcoming projects and have a say in what content I create next. ✨

Join today and unlock premium resources to take your creativity to the next level!

Join The Artsydee Creation Club HERE!