How To Start Watercolour Painting For Beginners: My First Week Journey (With Videos That Actually Helped)

I started watercolour painting on January 5th, 2026. Before that, I’d never touched watercolour paints in my life – unless you count that one time in primary school where everything turned into muddy brown.

But I’ve always wanted to make my own birthday cards for people, you know, the sort with hand-painted flowers that look thoughtful rather than just something you grabbed from Tesco. So I finally decided to just start.

This isn’t some expert guide where I pretend to know everything. This is literally what I did in my first week, what worked, what didn’t, and the videos that actually made sense when I was sat there with a wet brush wondering what on earth I was supposed to do next.

What I Bought To Get Started

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t spend ages researching the perfect watercolour supplies. I bought a basic set from Amazon that came with:

• Watercolour paints (in pans, not tubes)
• A few watercolour brushes in different sizes
• A pencil and a rubber
• A watercolour pad

Cost me about £25, which felt like a reasonable price for testing whether I’d actually stick with this or give up after three attempts.

Was it the best tools available? Probably not. The brushes are synthetic brushes rather than fancy natural hair ones, and I’m sure an experienced artist would tell me the paints are student-grade paints at best. But here’s the thing – it’s enough to learn the basic techniques without spending a fortune before I know if I actually enjoy watercolour painting.

The most important thing when you’re an absolute beginner is just having the essential supplies to start. You can upgrade later if you get into it.

My Plan: Watercolour Pads As A Journal

Here’s what I decided to do differently from just painting random things on loose sheets. I’m treating my watercolour pads like a sketchbook journal. Each page gets dated, and I’m recording what technique I tried and how it went.

Why? Because I want to look back in six months and actually see progress. Also, it keeps everything in one place rather than having random bits of watercolour paper floating around my desk getting paint-splattered.

My goals are specific:

• Learn to paint flowers so I can make birthday cards
• Try landscapes and snowy scenes
• Maybe some sea paintings, because I love the coast

Having actual goals helps more than just “learn to paint.” It gives you a reason to practise specific things.

The First Thing I Did: Watched This Video

Before I even opened my paints, I watched this tutorial:

Watercolour Basics – Color Theory and Water Control

This video is brilliant for understanding how watercolour actually works. It covers:

• How much water to use with your paint
• The flow of water on wet paper versus dry paper
• Basic colour theory and mixing

This is genuinely the best way to start watercolour painting – understanding the basics before you dive in.

Creating My Colour Wheel

The first page in my journal (dated 5th January) is my colour wheel. This is what the video above walks you through.

What I learned:

• You only need three primary colours (red, blue, yellow) to mix everything else
• How to use different values to get lighter colours

Sounds simple, right? But actually doing it teaches you SO much about:

• How much water to add
• What happens when you add more pigment
• How colours change as they dry
• The texture of the paper affects how paint sits

I used a round brush (size 8 from my set) and practised controlling the wet brush on dry paper. Some areas I did wet-on-wet technique where you put wet paint on wet surface, which creates softer edges. Other parts I used the dry technique where you work on a completely dry area.

Common mistakes I made:

• Using too much water at first (everything became super pale)
• Not cleaning my brush between colours (got muddy mixes)
• Being impatient and not letting sections dry (colours bled together when I didn’t want them to)

But that’s fine. Happy accidents are part of learning, and honestly, some of the “mistakes” looked quite nice.

Practising Brush Strokes: Painting Leaves

Still following that first video, I spent a whole page just painting different leaf shapes. This taught me about:

Brush control: How to create sharp edges versus soft ones

Water balance: The right amount of water for different effects
Pressure: Light touch for thin lines, heavier for broader strokes

I used the wet-on-dry technique mostly, which means applying wet paint to a dry piece of paper. This gives you more control than wet techniques, where everything bleeds everywhere.

The video shows you how to create simple shape leaves with just a few brush strokes. It’s quite satisfying once you get the hang of it.

My First Flowers (With Video Tutorials)

After the colour wheel and leaves, I felt ready to try actual flowers. I used these two tutorials:

Simple Watercolour Flowers Tutorial 1

Simple Watercolour Flowers Tutorial 2

These are fantastic for beginners because they break down flowers into simple shapes. You’re not trying to paint a perfect rose – you’re learning how watercolour behaves when you paint petals.

What I learned from painting flowers:

The white paper is your friend. You don’t use white paint in watercolour – you leave areas unpainted to show light and highlights.

Layering works: You can add depth by letting the first layer dry, then adding another layer on top. The tutorial calls this glazing.

Different effects happen with different water amounts: More water = paler colours and softer edges. Less water = richer colours and more control.

A smaller brush helps with details: I switched between my medium round brush for petals and a smaller brush for details like stems and centres.

My flowers turned out… fine? They’re not gallery-worthy, but they’re recognisable as flowers, and I was quite pleased with them. The colours are bright, some petals have a nice texture, and you can tell what they’re meant to be. That’s a win for a beginner painter.

Trying A Landscape

Feeling brave, I attempted a landscape using this tutorial:

Easy Watercolour Landscape

Painting landscapes teaches different skills than flowers:

• How to create gradient effects in skies
• Working with wet techniques for atmospheric backgrounds
• Using dry brush for texture in trees and grass
• Creating depth with lighter colours in the distance

This was harder than flowers. Managing the wet surface and keeping clean water for mixing was trickier when you’re working on larger areas.

Things that helped:

• Having two jars of water (one for cool colours, one for warm colours)
• A paper towel for blotting excess water from my brush

Masking tape around the edges to keep borders neat would have helped.  The landscape came out a bit wonky, but I learned loads about layering and using different tones and colours to create the hills or things in the foreground. That’s the point at this stage.

Essential Supplies You Actually Need

After a week of watercolour practice, here’s what I think you really need to start:

Watercolour paints: Pans or tubes, it doesn’t matter much when you’re beginning. Watercolour sets for students are fine. You can upgrade to quality paints or artist quality later.

Watercolour paper: Get at least 140gsm/300gsm weight. I’m using cold-press paper, which has a slight texture. Hot press paper is smoother, rough paper is very textured. Cold press is the best option for beginners.

Brushes: Start with a medium round brush (size 8). Add a smaller size for detailed work. Synthetic brushes work fine and they’re way cheaper than natural hair.

Water jars: Two of them. Trust me on this.

Paper towel or cloth: For controlling water on your brush.

Palette: Mine came with the set, but you can use a white plate if needed.

Optional extras:

• Masking tape for securing paper
• A reference photo if you’re painting something specific
• Colour pencils for initial sketches

You can find most of this at your local art store or online. Don’t overthink it – you can add more watercolour supplies as you develop your own unique style.

Understanding The Basic Techniques

These are the first steps every watercolour artist learns:

Wet-on-Wet: Applying wet paint to a wet surface. Creates soft, bleeding effects. Great for backgrounds, skies, and abstract areas. Less control but interesting textures.

Wet-on-Dry: Applying wet paint to dry paper. Gives sharp edges and more control. Better for detailed work and defined shapes.

Dry Brush: Using a relatively dry brush with thick paint. Creates scratchy, textured marks. Perfect for smaller areas, grass, tree bark, fur.

Layering/Glazing: Letting a layer dry completely, then adding another transparent layer on top. Builds depth and colour intensity.

I’ve tried all of these in my first week. Wet-on-dry is easiest to control. Wet-on-wet is fun but unpredictable. Dry brush takes practice to not use too much water.

Common Mistakes I Made (So You Can Avoid Them)

Using too much water: My first colour wheel was so pale you could barely see it. Less water = more pigment = brighter colours.

Not letting things dry: I got impatient and added a second colour while the first was still wet. They bled together into a muddy mess.

Overworking areas: I kept going back to “fix” sections and the paper started to break down. Leave things alone and move on.

Dirty water: I kept using the same water jar for everything, and my colours got muddy. Use two jars – one for cool, one for warm colours helps.

Wrong brush size: Using a massive brush for tiny details doesn’t work. Match your brush sizes to what you’re painting.

Being too scared: I was terrified of “ruining” my work at first. But you’re learning – it’s fine if things don’t look perfect. Those happy accidents teach you loads.

Tips For Developing Important Skills

Practise regularly: I’m aiming for 15-30 minutes most days. Even painting a simple shape or practising brush stroke techniques helps.

Date everything: Writing dates on my pages helps me see progress. Looking back at my colour wheel from day one, compared to flowers from day five, shows actual improvement.

Try different techniques each session: Don’t just paint the same thing. One day practice wet techniques, another day try dry brush on different colours.

Copy tutorials first: Following along with watercolour tutorials teaches you way more than trying to invent everything yourself. Once you’ve learned the basics, you can experiment.

Join online classes or communities: There are loads of free watercolour tutorials on YouTube. Some people like more structured online classes if that suits their skill level better.

Keep a reference photo nearby: When painting flowers or landscapes, having a photo to look at helps you understand light, shadow, and colour.

Different Effects You Can Create

Even as a beginner, you can create varied work:

Soft, dreamy backgrounds: Wet-on-wet technique with lots of water

Sharp, defined shapes: Wet-on-dry on smooth surface paper

Textured, rough areas: Dry brush on rough paper or cold press paper

​Depth and richness: Layering multiple transparent colours

Interesting textures: Playing with how much water you use and the texture of the paper

​

The flow of water is honestly the key to everything. Too much and you get pale, watery paintings. Too little and you can’t blend colours. Finding that balance takes practice.

What I’m Learning About My Own Style

After just a week of watercolour painting, I’m noticing my favourite things:

• I prefer wet-on-dry for control when painting flowers
• I like keeping white areas rather than filling every space
• Smaller brush sizes feel more comfortable for my style of work
• I’m drawn to softer colours rather than really bright, bold ones

This is what I mean about developing your own unique style. Even as a student artist, you’ll notice what feels natural and what you enjoy.

My Goals Going Forward

Short term:

• Fill this entire watercolour pad with practice pieces
• Master painting at least three different flower types
• Get better at painting landscapes
• Try some snowy scenes

Longer term:

• Make my first batch of birthday cards for friends
• Maybe upgrade to quality brushes and artist-quality paints if I stick with it
• Try painting the sea (I’m a bit scared of water reflections, but I’ll figure it out)

Things I want to try:

• Different watercolor techniques like salt for texture
• Painting on hot press paper for smoother work
• Using masking fluid to preserve white areas
• Mixing watercolour with colour pencils for mixed media

Resources That Are Actually Helpful

Free YouTube tutorials: The videos I linked above are all free and genuinely useful for beginner painters. The channel has loads more at different skill levels.

Art supply stores: Browsing helps you understand what’s available, even if you start with a basic Amazon set as I did.

Online communities: Instagram and Reddit have watercolour groups where people share their work. Seeing other beginners’ progress is really encouraging.

Practice, practice, practice: This sounds obvious but it’s true. My fifth flower looks noticeably better than my first. Each painting teaches you something.

Is Watercolour Painting Hard?

Honestly? It’s easier than I expected in some ways, harder in others.

Easier: The materials are simple, tutorials are everywhere, you can start making recognisable things quickly, it’s quite forgiving if you embrace the “happy accidents.”

Harder: Controlling water takes practice, colours dry lighter than they look wet, it’s easy to overwork areas, you need patience to let things dry between layers.

But nothing about it feels impossible. I’m seeing improvement even after a week. If you’re an absolute beginner wondering if you should try it – yes, just get a basic set and start.

Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting

You don’t need expensive gear: My £25 Amazon set is working fine for learning. You can upgrade when you know what you actually like painting.

White paper is part of your palette: Don’t fill every space with paint. Those white areas create light and make your work breathe.

Colours change as they dry: They get lighter. Paint a test swatch and let it dry to see the actual colour.

Less is more with water: Start with less water than you think. You can always add more.

Your first work won’t be a masterpiece: That’s fine. You’re learning. Each painting is practice.

Watching tutorials before trying helps: I’m glad I watched that first video before I started messing about on my own.

Dating your pages shows progress: Seriously, do this. It’s encouraging when you look back.

What Makes Watercolour Different

Compared to other painting methods:

It’s transparent: You build up layers rather than painting thick, opaque colours

Water is your medium: How much water you use completely changes the effect

White comes from the paper: You plan your white areas rather than adding white paint

​It dries lighter: What looks vibrant when wet becomes softer when dry

It’s unpredictable: Water does what it wants sometimes, creating effects you didn’t plan

It’s forgiving: You can lift some paint while it’s wet, and “mistakes” often look interesting

This is why it’s a great option for beginners. You can create beautiful work without needing perfect control, and the medium itself does some of the work for you.

My Honest First Week Verdict

I’m genuinely enjoying watercolour painting more than I expected. It’s relaxing, I’m seeing progress quickly, and I love having this little sketchbook journal documenting my learning.

The flowers I painted aren’t perfect, but they’re recognisable, and I’m pleased with them. The landscape is a bit rough, but I learned loads doing it. My colour wheel taught me about mixing and water control.

What’s working:

• Following video tutorials step by step
• Practising most days, even if just for 15 minutes
• Dating my work to see progress
• Not being too precious about “ruining” things
• Having specific goals (birthday cards with flowers)

What needs improvement:

• Water control – I still use too much sometimes
• Patience – I need to let things dry more
• Confidence – I’m still quite tentative with my brush strokes
• Colour mixing – I need more practice to get the exact shades I want

But that’s all normal for someone who started less than a week ago. The best results come from consistent watercolour practice, and I’m committed to filling this whole pad.

If you’re thinking about starting watercolour painting, honestly just get a basic set and those video tutorials I linked. Watch the first video, paint a colour wheel, try some leaves, then follow along with the flower tutorials.

You’ll surprise yourself with what you can create, even in the first week. And if you’re like me, you’ll be planning your next painting before you’ve even finished the current one.

Have you tried watercolour painting? What were your first attempts like? I’d love to hear from other beginners about what helped you most when you were starting out!

FAQ

What supplies do I need to start watercolour painting as a beginner?

You need watercolour paints (pans or tube paints), watercolour paper (at least 140gsm), a few good brushes including a medium round brush, two water jars, paper towel, and a palette. Student grade paints and synthetic brushes work fine when you’re learning the basic techniques. A decent starter set costs around £20-30.

Should I use watercolour pans or tubes as a beginner?

Either works fine. Watercolour pans are more portable and great for quick practice. Tube paints give more intense colour and are better for larger areas. I started with pans in a set and they’re working well for learning different watercolor techniques. Choose based on what feels easier for your skill level.

What’s the best way to learn watercolour painting at home?

Start by watching beginner watercolour tutorials that cover water control and colour mixing. Practise basic techniques like wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry on small pieces. Paint simple things like colour wheels, brush strokes, and basic flowers. The most important thing is regular watercolour practice – even 15 minutes daily helps you develop important skills faster than occasional longer sessions.

What type of watercolour paper should beginners use?

Cold press paper is the best option for beginners. It has a slight texture that’s forgiving and works with most techniques. Get at least 140gsm/300gsm weight so it doesn’t buckle with water. Hot press paper has a smooth surface for detailed work, while rough paper has heavy texture. Start with cold press – it’s a great option that gives good results for most watercolour painting styles.

What are the most common mistakes beginners make with watercolours?

The common mistakes include using too much water (making colours too pale), not letting layers dry before adding more paint, overworking the same area until paper breaks down, using dirty water that muddies colours, and choosing the wrong brush sizes for the job. Also, a lot of people don’t leave enough white paper for highlights. These basic techniques improve with practice – just keep painting and learn from each piece you create.