Our tips for getting started with watercolor: the step-by-step beginner's guide

Watercolor painting has long seemed reserved for seasoned artists… Yet, anyone can give it a try . This water-based medium is appealing because of its softness, its transparencies, and its relaxing power.
Good news: you don't need to know how to draw to get started. A few brushes, some paper, and a dose of curiosity are all you need to create your first colorful works.

In this guide, you will discover:

• The minimum equipment needed to get started without breaking the bank,
• 6 basic techniques for understanding essential movements,
• progressive exercises to learn how to measure water and color,
• and a final mini-project to admire your progress.
  
  

🎨 Watercolor supplies for beginners (simple & affordable)

Before you paint, breathe.
No need for an artist's studio or dozens of tubes: a few essentials are enough to get started with watercolor painting in a relaxed way.

The essentials to get started 🧺

Start small, but just right:

• Round brushes no. 4 and no. 8 – the essentials.
• “Student” watercolor pans – the basic colors.
• White palette – for observing your mixtures.
• 300 g/m² paper – it retains water, does not warp.
• Two pots of water + a soft cloth – maximum simplicity.

Comfort option: gummed tape to fix the sheet, a smooth board, a 2H pencil for light sketches and a kneaded eraser to correct without damaging.

Paper & brushes: choosing the right one without making a mistake

👉 Paper : opt for a fine grain , 100% cellulose, 300 g/m² minimum. It absorbs well and is forgiving of mistakes.
👉 Brushes : round, fine-tipped "belly" brushes are perfect. Their belly holds water, and their tip is ideal for detail work. A single good brush can be enough to start with.

💧 The essential basics of watercolor

Before painting a landscape or a flower, you must tame the water . That is the true magic of watercolor.

Water/color ratio: the secret to the nuances

Watercolor is a dance between two elements: water (for lightness) and color (for life).
Start by creating a gradient color chart : from light to dark.
You will quickly understand the “muscle memory” of the brush and the reaction of the paper.

💡 JOY! tip: if the paper is shiny, there is too much water; if it is scratchy, there is not enough.

The 3 basic techniques 🎨

1. Wet on dry: Paint on dry paper: clean outlines, precise details (leaves, letters, silhouettes).
2. Wet-on-wet: Apply the color to a damp area; the colors will diffuse and blend. Ideal for soft skies, flowers, and hazy backgrounds .
3. Glazing: Layer a dry wash with another transparent color: this allows you to darken without clouding , and to give depth.

The 3 useful steps

• Preserve the white of the paper: it's your light!
• Drying: let time do its work, or use a warm hairdryer from a distance.
• Masking tape: draw clean reserves or clean frames.

🖌️ Our exercise ideas to get you started (15 to 30 minutes each)

These three little exercises will help you feel the paper, the colours… and the right time for each gesture.

Exercise 1: Color charts & color recipes 🎨

Draw stripes from light to dark, then test your warm (yellow, red, brown) and cool (blue, green, purple) mixtures .
Have fun noting your combinations: you'll see that each shade tells a different story.

Objective: to understand transparency and layering , and to better control the amount of water used according to the desired effects.

Exercise 2: Easy repeating patterns 🍃

Paint drops, leaves or circles using the wet-on-wet technique.
Let the colours merge, spread, and interact with each other.
It's a moment of total relaxation, almost meditative.

Objective: to develop fluid movement , a gentle and natural muscle memory .

Exercise 3: Mini-landscape in 3 layers 🌄

1. Sky – wet on wet: let the colours blend.
2. Horizon – glaze: layer a light, transparent tint.
3. Dark silhouettes – trees, hills or birds: work on dry paper.

Objective: to learn to read humidity times — neither too early nor too late — for a balanced result.

🌸 Mini-project without drawing: painting a printed pattern

You don't need to know how to draw to feel the magic of watercolor.
Choose a sketchbook of illustrations ready to paint : flowers, birds, objects, or gentle landscapes.

Steps:

1. Tape the page down for a clean border.
2. Create a color chart with 3 shades (light, medium, dark).
3. Paint the light layer – let it dry.
4. Add the fusion ingredients – let the water do its work.
5. Finish with a glaze and some fine details .
   
   

Result: a quick, lightweight and rewarding creation .
To frame, give as a gift, or turn into a card or bookmark.

💧 Understanding (and loving) your “mistakes” to progress in watercolor

In watercolor, there are no real mistakes. Only surprises, happy accidents, and opportunities to learn. Every halo, every overly intense shade tells a story: your hand searching for its balance.

✨ Our mantra: “Watercolor doesn't like to be rushed. It teaches us patience, lightness, and confidence.”

🌿 Routine for learning and progressing calmly

The key to progress is not perfection, but regularity .
Painting a little each day is better than one long, frustrating session.

🌞 10 to 15 minutes per day

Choose a mini-exercise:

• a color chart ,
• a repetitive pattern ,
• or a fusion of two colors .

Little by little, your movements will become safer and more natural.

📔 Watercolor Creative Journal

• Keep a notebook: date, colors used, mood of the day.
• Add scraps of test paper, trials, “fails”.
• It's a living journal, not a museum: your colorful memory.

🗓️ 4-week challenge to progress

• Week 1: Gradients & Water/Color Mixing
• Week 2: Repetitive patterns
• Week 3: Glazing & Overlays
• Week 4: Mini-project (landscape, flower or sketchbook to paint)

🌈 Go further: cool techniques to try

Once you've mastered the basics, it's time to play!
Watercolor loves small experiments: a few simple gestures are enough to bring your creations to life.

🌟 Easy effects & textures

• Salt: sprinkle on a damp area — it creates magical crystals and textures.
• Pen scraper or needle: to lightly scratch the paper and draw blades of grass or reflections.
• Liquid masking: perfect for preserving white areas (snowflakes, lights, petals).
• Dry brush: a little pigment on a brush almost empty of water for soft textured effects.

💡 Tip : Let yourself be surprised — these effects work best when you test them without seeking perfect control.

🎨 Washes & colorful gradients

Play with the transitions: a blue that slides towards purple, a pink that stretches towards orange.
Experiment with multicoloured washes , blended backgrounds , and "lost and found" edges — where colour gently dissolves in water.
This is one of the most poetic pleasures of watercolor painting.

🖼️ First steps towards composition

No need for rigid rules, think in terms of balance of shapes and light .

• The rule of thirds helps to place the main subject (a corner of the frame, not the center).
• Vary the light and dark areas to create depth.
• Let the white of the paper breathe: it is part of the painting.

🌷 Remember: watercolor is a dialogue between you, water, and light.

Quick FAQ

Do I need to know how to draw in order to paint with watercolors?

No way !
With the illustration coloring books offered by JOY!, you can focus on color without going through the drawing stage.
Ideal for learning the movements, discovering fusions and gradually gaining confidence.

Do I need a hairdryer?

It's convenient, but not essential.
A warm breeze from a good distance is enough to speed up drying, especially between coats.
Otherwise, just let the water do its work; patience is part of the charm.

How to avoid sweat stains?

The famous “flowers” ​​often appear with too much water or a mixture that is too wet .
Leave the paper matte , not glossy, before applying a new layer.
And always keep a small paper towel handy to absorb any excess.

How many colors do I need to buy?

No need to fill an entire pallet.
Start with 6 to 8 pans: the three primary colors (yellow, magenta, cyan) + a few neutrals (earth, gray, ochre). You can then create all the other shades by mixing; that's where the magic of watercolor lies ✨

What exactly is watercolor painting?

Watercolor is a paint made with water and transparent pigments .
It is worked in thin layers , on thick paper , often 300 g/m².
The light comes from the paper itself, not from the paint; this is what gives it that unique, airy effect.

How to develop your creativity with watercolor?

Creativity thrives on curiosity and experimentation .
Try painting without a specific goal: a free palette of colors , repetitive patterns , or circles of color . Test your techniques on wet paper, play with water, contrasts, and transparency. Little by little, you'll find your own "signature" and style —without ever forcing anything.

Where can I find inspiration for painting?

All around you: a bouquet, a ray of light, a cup of coffee, a travel photo.
Pinterest and YouTube are full of online watercolor courses and creative challenges for beginners.

Can watercolor painting really be therapeutic?

Yes, absolutely. The contact with the water, the slow drying time, the gentle brushstrokes… Everything invites you to slow down, to breathe, to reconnect with yourself . Painting becomes an active meditation , a way to transform stress into color.

How long does it take to improve at watercolor painting?

Watercolor painting requires time… and gentleness towards oneself .
In one month, you will already be able to master the basics: water dosage, nuances, small landscapes.
After a few weeks of regular practice , the movements will become instinctive.
The important thing is not speed, but regularity: a little exercise every day is better than a long creative marathon.

Which famous artists practice watercolor painting?

From Turner to Blake , from Monet to Sargent , many painters have used watercolor to explore light. Even today, contemporary artists share their techniques and sketchbook examples on social media and blogs.
What do they have in common? A free, spontaneous and vibrant approach.

How do colors influence our emotions?

Each color acts like a vibration. Blue soothes, yellow stimulates, green recenters.
When you paint, listen to what the color tells you. The palette of your emotions becomes your greatest source of inspiration.