5 Watercolor Painting Exercises You Can Do

In one of our previous posts, we talked about watercolor tricks beginners can try! We're still pretty much into watercoloring these days that's why for this article, we're sharing with you 5 fun and easy exercises you can do as you get better and better with watercolor as a painting medium.

If you have anything more to add, please feel free to share them with us in the comments section below!

Create fun circular shapes

Creating circles, as in any art medium you're learning to do, is a great freehand practice. Aside from helping you feel comfortable, it's also fun to watch how circles bleed colors and create charming patterns especially when let them intersect.

For this exercise, check out and try these steps:

1. Select at least 3 to 4 colors from your watercolor palette. It doesn't have to be complementary or anything - just pick the colors you want to use. 
2. On your watercolor paper, create a large circle using one color. The circle doesn't necessarily have to be in the center. 
3. Clean your paintbrush and add another color. Create an adjoining circle with the first circle you create. Watch how the colors will bleed!
4. Continue creating circles with the other colors you picked!

You can be spontaneous with the circles you create or let it dry first before adding another circle. It's really up to you.  

Mesmerizing rectangle patterns

Doing rectangular patterns is a great exercise if you want to create your own color swatch or guide. This is a great way to practice drawing lines with a brush and understanding proportions.

For this exercise which you can do to create your own color palette, check out and try these steps:

1. Pick a color and load it on your brush.
2. Paint the outline of a rectangle starting from the bottom of your paper. 
3. Using the same brush paint (and without loading it up again with paint), create another rectangular brush stroke on top. Observe how the colors become lighter and lighter. 

This exercise will help you hone lightening effects. It's also an effortless way to create a dramatic on your painting! Your rectangles need not be perfect too. As you practice more, you will get the hang of making more defined and cleaner shapes.

Blend different geometric shapes

Another way to make watercolors bleed is to create random patterns of geometric shapes! With this kind of exercise, you're also becoming more aware on how color combinations work.

​You can do more than just triangles like the example we have above. For instance, create a large circle first with orange. While it's still damp, dip another color (like yellow) in the center and observe how the colors spread. Do this process over and over until you see more alternations of shapes and colors.

Create a beautiful rainbow

Creating an arc of rainbow is a fantastic way to master your watercolor brush strokes and brush control. Choose whether your rainbow will have thin or thick layers!

​It's totally up to you if you want to create an outline first of your rainbow (like in the image above) or don't have any guide at all and just start painting a red arc followed by an orange arc, a yellow arc, a green arc, a blue arc and so on and so forth!

​You don't have to be very careful staying within the lines too! Watch how beautifully the colors will bleed as they slightly intersect with one another.

Leaves, branches and other natural elements

​Practice the wrist flick, a playful watercolor brush stroke used in creating leaves, branches and other natural elements. This brush stroke can easily be done with a decent round brush or a fine one. 

​On your watercolor paper and watercolor paints in green and brown, create random leaves, blades of grass or branches using the wrist flick! Vary the thickness or thinness of your brush strokes as you try to imitate the natural behavior and look of grasses and branches. This exercise is also a great way to create feathers!

Explore watercolor more at Art Smart

Here at Art Smart, we're more than happy to establish the foundation of watercolor in your painting arsenal. Learn the basics and advanced theories of watercolor in our small class size following the 2:1 student to teacher ratio. This is our way of ensuring students get the proper guidance and motivation they need to become proficient in painting. 

Check out our schedule below and call us at 0995-260 8927/ 02-7886766/ 0917-8784766 / 02-6160305 to reserve your slot.

​See you all in our studios!

Photo sources:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/abstract-watercolor-rainbow-circles-olga-shvartsur.html
http://surelysimple.com/5-watercolour-exercises-to-try-and-enjoy/
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/geometric-watercolor-pattern-rainbow-triangles-olga-shvartsur.html
http://www.messforless.net/rainbow-craft-black-glue-and-salt-watercolor-rainbow-salt-painting/
https://watercolorpainting.com/brush-exercise-secret-brush-skills-for-watercolor/