March 22 // Watercolor Ideas That Require No Talent (+ Dots and Boxes)

We've got lots of pictures and ideas today!

Yesterday we talked about weekly traditions you can establish with your kids, and here’s a little more fleshed-out example of what watercoloring together can look like…even if you have zero artistic talent.

Unlike markers, watercolors last a very long time and they’re not super easy to ruin. Watercolors are also washable (obviously) and easy to clean up. Watercolor painting is an awesome way to have fun, relax, encourage, and create beautiful art together.

I (Hope) do not consider myself artisically skilled 😬. While I wish our sample paintings looked more masterful for you, it’s also kind of the point that they don’t. Our goal isn’t perfection, but creative expression and quality time with our kids.

If you want more challenging tutorials, use a book like 15-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces, use Youtube tutorials, or see this list here.

And if watercolors are not for you, maybe try some side-by-side quality time with something like the Dot Game (see below).

Some Basic Watercolor Tips

• It’s worth it to buy watercolor paper, but to keep kids from going through it too quickly, cut each large piece of paper into smaller pieces, using a paper trimmer if you or a friend have one. Bookmarks and cards small enough to fit into envelopes work great 👌

Be careful with guillotine slicers, of course.

• For the coolest-looking watercolor art, make sure your paint is quite watery. Put some drops of water on your paints before you begin, and mix them with water and other colors on the side of your palette. Be really generous with the water. When it dries, the paint goes to the edges and it looks awesome. You can also add little dabs of paint that will spread and mix in beautiful ways. Watercolor is constant experimentation, and it’s very rewarding.

• If you use too much paint, you can dab it with a paper towel to absorb some and make that area less opaque.

• If you put washi tape or masking tape around your artwork, it will keep the paper from bulging and create a cool white frame around the edges.

• If you have little ones who combine all the colors, choose a paint set with removable pans so you can give them only one or two colors at a time. You might be pleasantly surprised. P.S. If you put a few dabs of paint and plenty of water on their paper, they can use their fingers to mix the rest.

Pictured: Kuretake paints, which have very large pans.

• As you’re practicing, it’s okay to imitate other artwork you find. You’re learning, not selling another artist’s ideas. (Aristotle said that all art is imitation.) Here’s a tip: copy pictures that you like into a Keynote/Power Point document and print it out so you and your kids can keep your inspiration in front of you.

We printed out a Keynote slide of inspiration pictures from the internet.

And now for some ideas!

Easy Watercolor Ideas

Here are a few easy watercolor ideas to get you started. We will share lots more over time (especially when our monthly theme is Creativity!)

• Experiment with layers (remember, lots of water.) This usually works best if you let each layer dry before adding another, so you might want to work on multiple pieces at once while you’re waiting for different pieces to dry.

• Painting a school of koi is another fun experiment in layering. Do the reddish ones last.