Watercolor Painting Tutorials, Courses & Resources

Welcome to your Golden Ticket. You just unlocked the Willy Wonka factory of watercolor—free tutorials, step-by-step projects, and complete courses for every level. Start with the Essentials below, or jump straight into the beginner’s path.

The Essentials - Best Watercolor Supplies 2025

• Top Watercolor Paint Picks → Save money, skip duds, and build a minimal pro-ready palette.
• Best Watercolor Brushes (Top 4) → Chef’s knife to whisk—four brushes that do it all.
• Best Watercolor Papers 2025 → Find your perfect dance partner—no more buckled, potato-chip paper.

Beginner’s Path — Decadent Free Watercolor Courses & Tutorials

This path is like meeting Willy himself and stepping into the factory for the first time. The doors swing open, and you’re about to see how watercolor really works::

• Ultimate Beginner Watercolor Course → Your complete starting point. Learn materials, basic techniques, and paint step-by-step projects.

Full Watercolor Courses

The wrappers are off—time to taste the good stuff:

• 16 Easy Watercolor Painting Projects → Like sampling a box of chocolates, each project teaches something new.
• 18 Watercolor Challenges → Color and value exercises that feel like Everlasting Gobstoppers—skills that stick.
• Watercolor Landscape Workshop → Master the basics from skies to field rocks, this is a well rounded course for developing a solid landscape foundation.

Core Skills & Techniques

Think of these like Wonka’s secret recipes—the foundations that make watercolor magical:

• Complete Watercolor Workspace Setup → Organize your studio for maximum efficiency and contamination prevention.
• 18+ Essential Watercolor Techniques → From wet-on-wet to dry brush.
• Complete Wet-in-Wet Mastery Series → Four-part systematic progression from fundamentals to advanced problem-solving. Master timing, color control, and lifting techniques.
• Complete Wet-on-Dry Mastery Series → Three-part systematic progression from fundamentals to advanced troubleshooting. Master clean, controlled techniques.
• Watercolor Brush Techniques → Master grip control from loose to tight for better painting results.
• Complete Watercolor Layering Guide → Master depth, charging techniques, and systematic layer development.
• Advanced Watercolor Value Gradation Techniques → Create dimensional atmosphere with systematic wash control.
• Advanced Color Gradation: Atmospheric Watercolor → Master complex variegated foundations and color temperature relationships.
• Easy Watercolor Project → Test your wet-in-wet and wet-on-dry skills with this fun project.
• Student Wash Problem Critiques → Real student work analyzed with specific solutions for common wash issues
• Watercolor Color Mixing → Clean, vibrant colors without the mud.
• Garage Artist Color Theory vs. Traditional Color Theory → Harmony that just works.

Project-Based Learning

Roll up your sleeves—this is the candy kitchen where you try things hands-on:

• Easy Watercolor Projects for Beginners → Quick wins to build confidence.
• Watercolor Painting Ideas for Every Season → From spring blooms to snowy scenes.
• Watercolor Landscapes using Negative Space → Paint a coastal scene with water and distant village
• Rural Landscape with Red Barn - no artist website is complete without the classic red barn painting
• Paint Boats, Water and Reflections - One of my 'construct' tutorials for foundational landscape skills
• Unconventional Watercolor Landscape Techniques - a unique way to approach washes, one of my new ideas
• Complete Guide to Loose Watercolor Landscapes - develop a system that works
• The Big Four in Watercolor Painting Explained → Master composition before the paint even touches paper.

Reference & Inspiration

Curiosity, surprise, and delight—the Wonka way:

• Watercolor Glossary → Know your terms.
• 60 Easy Watercolor Landscape Ideas → Spark fresh creativity.
• Advanced Techniques → COMING SOON....it will be like riding the Great Glass Elevator—next level, sky’s the limit.

Get Inspired Daily

Follow me on Pinterest — Come with me, and you’ll see… a world of watercolor imagination. Fresh ideas, tips, and projects posted daily.
Join my email list for monthly inspiration and behind-the-scenes studio notes.