16 Easy Watercolor Projects for Beginners – Fun, Relaxing, and Skill-Building

Want easy watercolor projects for beginners? You’re in the right place. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll share 16 fun watercolor painting ideas to help you gain confidence, improve your skills, and enjoy creating art.

If you’re brand new to watercolor, check out my Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Watercolor Painting first — it covers the basic tools, techniques, and tips every artist should know.

You can also explore trusted art supply recommendations from Dick Blick or Jackson’s Art Supplies before starting your first project. My complete materials list is below in case you have any questions about my preferred brands.

1. Easy Watercolor Ice Cream Cone (Wet-in-Wet, Gravity, Fusion)

A playful project where you use gravity and fusion to blend soft, colorful scoops. Perfect for mastering wet-in-wet blending while keeping the mood light.

2. Watercolor Metal Pots (Monotone, Wet-in-Wet)

Paint shiny metal objects with a single color to practice tonal control, edges, and light reflection. Easy approach to what can be a difficult subject, but using the wet-in-wet and lifting techniques you can easily add the illusion of shiny metal and reflections.

3. Slotted Metal Spoons & Spatulas (Wet-in-Wet, Charging)

Learn to use charging techniques to drop in richer colors for depth and realism in metallic surfaces. Easy beginner watercolor idea that utilizes the fundamentals without the fuss.

4. Lipstick & Make-Up Bottle (Wet-in-Wet, Layering Wet-on-Dry)

Combine loose underpainting with precise layering to create convincing three-dimensional objects. Simple idea for painting everyday objects like all while practicing a variety of layering techniques.

5. Tea Cup – Version 1 (Wet-in-Wet, Liner Brush Detailing)

A delicate teacup painted with soft washes and fine brushwork for added details. Beginner project loaded with fun skills such as wet-in-wet washes and using liner brush details.

6. Tea Cup – Version 2 (Wet-on-Dry, Embracing Happy Accidents)

A looser, more expressive approach that celebrates unexpected effects. Easy idea using a tea cup using wet-on-dry technique for beginners. This version is a bit tighter because we start with dry paper.

7. Contemporary Galloping Horse (Monochrome, Mixed Washes)

Dynamic horse figures painted with one main hue, blending wash techniques and brush-drawing methods. Monochrome watercolor painting of galloping horses for beginners that blends a lot of loose, expressive ideas techniques like splatter and negative space skills.

8. Expressive Horses (Negative Space, Splattering)

Bold, energetic horses created by painting around shapes and adding lively splatter effects. Approachable watercolor idea with horses using positive space and drawing with the paintbrush techniques.

9. Stacked Fish (Wet-in-Wet, Gravity, Wet-on-Dry)

Let the paint flow naturally, then add sharp details to bring this playful stack of fish to life. Easy watercolor subject of stacked fish using wet-in-wet and wet-on-dry technique. Great way to embrace fusion and gravity!

10. Coke Bottle (Wet-in-Wet)

Capture the curves and transparency of glass using a set-in-wet approach. Beginner friendly watercolor painting of a Coke bottle using set-in-wet technique along with white gouache for highlights.

11. Sprite Bottle (Variety of Washes)

A study in subtle color shifts and reflections using layered washes. Simple idea using minimal palette while creating a bottle of Sprite.

12. Vine Tomatoes (Variety of Techniques)

Paint a fresh, vibrant still life with rich reds, soft greens, and realistic highlights. This simple subject is a great way to explore intense red hues and wet-in-wet painting.

13. Clementines (Color Variety, Texture)

Practice creating depth and texture in fruit with playful orange hues. Easy watercolor idea using a group of clementines with color variation. Explore another warm hue and using gouache for highlights.

14. Complex Still Life with Vessels – Part 1 (Multiple Techniques)

A more challenging still life combining different materials and forms. This get a bit more interesting as we up the challenge by choosing a still life with multiple objects. But, it's still a beginner friendly idea a still life using multiple techniques.

15. Complex Still Life with Vessels – Part 2 (Multiple Techniques)

Build on the first still life with added complexity and detail. This one using dominant warm hues and negative space techniques. Plus it teaches how to paint multiple objects at once with broad strokes. This skill simplifies the composition.

16. Bonus Still Life Challenge (Mixed Techniques)

Combine your favorite techniques from the series for a final creative challenge. I just had to end it with a fun, loose take on the somewhat complex still life subject. But hopefully you found joy in how I approached it painting upside down versus the tradition way.

Why These Easy Watercolor Projects Work for Beginners

• Build Core Skills – Practice key watercolor techniques in fun, low-pressure projects.
• Variety of Subjects – From food to animals to objects, you’ll explore different styles.
• Confidence Boosting – Each project gives you a finished piece to be proud of.

Materials You’ll Need

Here are the materials I use all the time and have for decades. I only buy from Blick Art but feel free to shop where you prefer.

Recommended Watercolor Materials

• Holbein Professional Watercolor Paints – 8 Essential Hues
  Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Neutral Tint, Burnt Sienna
• Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Paper – 140lb Cold Press
  Buy full sheets and cut into quarter sheets for best value
• Silver Jumbo Wash Brush
  Great coverage, excellent quality for the price
• Princeton Neptune Point Rounds (No. 12 & 6)
  Reliable and affordable detail & wash brushes
• Princeton Neptune Dagger (1/2")
  Versatile size for lines, edges, and detail work
• Masterson Aqua Pro Palette
  Durable, with deep wells for generous mixing space
• Gator Board
  Lightweight, long-lasting painting support board
• Holbein White Gouache
  Optional for highlights and fine details
• Miscellaneous: plastic water containers, paper towels, masking tape

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More Great Watercolor Courses

Take the 18 Watercolor Challenge, a great way to learn many confidence building skills.

Looking to up your landscape, then check out the FREE Watercolor Landscape Painting Workshop

That's all for now! Hope you enjoyed the fears ideas and happy painting....