5 Simple Prompts to Spark Your Creativity on World Watercolor Month

World Watercolor Month is just around the corner! If you’ve been hoping to get into watercolors and incorporate them in your handmade cards, then this blog post is for you! 

World Watercolor Month 2024 is a great event for both aspiring and experienced watercolorists to get their creative juices flowing, engage with other watercolor lovers in the community, and play with watercolors! In this blog post, we’re taking a quick look at this annual celebration of all things watercolor and providing 5 watercolor prompts and some tips to help you improve. Let’s get started!

What is World Watercolor Month?

World Watercolor Month is a celebration of the beautiful art form of watercolor painting. It takes place every July, and it's a time for artists and art enthusiasts to come together and share their love for watercolor. This month-long event is filled with activities, challenges, and prompts to inspire creativity and encourage people to pick up their brushes and paint.

Why do we celebrate World Watercolor Month? 

World Watercolor Month is celebrated to promote the art of watercolor painting and to raise awareness for the importance of clean water around the world. It's also a way to support and connect with the global watercolor community, as well as to encourage people of all ages to explore the joys of watercolor painting.

Why is it important to practice watercoloring?

Watercolor painting is not only a beautiful and expressive art form, but it also offers numerous benefits for the artist. Practicing watercoloring can help improve focus, patience, and mindfulness. It's a versatile medium that allows for a wide range of techniques and styles, making it accessible to artists of all levels. Additionally, watercolor painting can be a therapeutic and relaxing activity that provides a creative outlet for self-expression.

5 Simple Watercolor Prompts for Beginners

Here are 5 simple yet challenging watercolor prompts for World Watercolor Month 2024. We hope you give these a try! 

Artists' Watercolor 24 Pan Set, Fine Liner Pen Set

1. Paint a vibrant sunset over a serene lake. Focus on blending colors smoothly and capturing the reflections on the water.

Woodless Watercolor Pencil 24 Set

2. Sketch and paint a whimsical forest scene, featuring a variety of trees, ferns, and wildlife. Experiment with different brush techniques to create the textures of the foliage.

Watercolor Paper Set (Cold Pressed, 5" x 7" Loose Sheets, 30 sheets/set)

3. Capture the essence of a fresh bouquet of flowers. Pay close attention to the delicate petals and use wet-on-wet techniques to achieve soft, organic shapes.

4. Create your own watercolor wash. Challenge yourself to mix colors, go monochromatic, or try ombre!

5. Paint a still-life arrangement of various fruits and vegetables. Concentrate on rendering the unique shapes, textures, and colors of each item using a limited palette.

Read more on 8 Watercolor Painting Ideas for Beginners.

Additional Tips for Watercolor Beginners

• Start with simple subjects and gradually progress to more complex ones.
• Use high-quality watercolor paper to enhance the vibrancy and longevity of your paintings.
• Experiment with different brush sizes and shapes to achieve various effects.
• Try different types of watercolors until you find one that works for you.
• Practice layering and glazing techniques to create depth and richness in your paintings.
• Don't be afraid to make mistakes; embrace them as part of the learning process.
• Study the work of other watercolor artists for inspiration and guidance.
• Have fun and enjoy the process of creating with watercolors.

Peony & Lilac Swag

World Watercolor Month 2024 is an exciting time to explore the endless possibilities of watercolor painting. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced watercolor artist, these simple prompts can ignite your creativity and inspire you to create beautiful watercolor art.

By practicing watercoloring, you can improve your artistic skills and find joy and fulfillment in expressing yourself through this captivating medium. Plus, you’ll be able to seamlessly incorporate watercolor art, watercolor wash, and other techniques into your handmade cards, scrapbook pages, DIY projects, and more! 

Find more watercolor art ideas and tips for beginners In the Craft Room. See you there!