Beginner Watercolor

Over the last few months, I’ve delved into exploring watercolor and I’m loving it! I’ve never been the most creative person in the room, but within the past few years I have enjoyed working on some DIY projects and crafting more and more. In December 2020, I made my sister and grandma some birthday cards then I just kept going.

So far, I’ve been making about 20 designs at a time and I’m excited to continue to improve my skills so I wanted to show off my process so far and share the tutorials I’ve been following. I definitely recommend just trying it out and not being too hard on yourself. I’ve found that most of the time, it looks better once it dries and a little outline with a thin black marker does a lot to make each design more streamlined.

The tools

Paints

I actually started with simple Crayola watercolors. I plan to research and find a few colors and paints that are more “professional,“ yet affordable so stay tuned for that, but I’ve found that the Crayola paints are just fine for a beginner!

Brushes

I also purchased a variety pack of Crayola brushes so I can try out different brush sizes without breaking the bank as I am still learning. However, the bristles do shed on the paper so I don’t necessarily recommend these.

Conclusion

Basically, just start with what you have and what’s easily accessible if you ask me! There are definitely other paints out there and brushes that I’m sure exist at a reasonable price point but I just wanted to start with simple tools and hit play on a YouTube tutorial. Hopefully I’ll have some more advice as I progress in my watercolor adventures!

My go-to tutorials

Jenna Rainey

As you all know, I LOVE color and Jenna Rainey’s style is one that is totally my vibe so instantly I gravitated towards her tutorials. She shows you how to make everything from abstracts to flowers to landscapes. I’ve only just started but I’m loving the paintings I’ve made so far from her tutorials!

Maremi SmallArt

I followed Maremi’s tutorials for holiday and winter cards. It looks like she has tutorials beyond watercolor, that I haven’t explored but she was a perfect “hype“ woman for me as a beginner. I was not confident in my skills, but Maremi encourages you in her narration of each designs and really encourages creativity and to believe in yourself and your creations! I definitely recommend these as a beginner and Maremi is all about exploring your creativity and having fun.