October Watercolour Challenge

Daily Painting Exercises
Watercolour painting excursuses for beginners to intermediate to aid in getting a daily routine.

October Week 1

  • 1 OCT
  • 2 OCT
  • 3 OCT
  • 4 OCT
  • 5 OCT
  • 6 OCT
  • 7 OCT
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Paint a Single Flower

Take any flower and place it on a white, if possible a slightly glossy surface. Then use an intense light creating an exciting shadow for this painting. 

Keep the shadow and the stem simple and only vary the coolness and warmth a little.  The flower itself will look best if you add lot of detail because it will contrast the simplicity of the shadow. 

Pink Silver Eucalyptus

The silvery looking drop eucalyptus plant is a gorgeous edition for any flower bouquet.

To provide some difference, we will be painting the plant in pink and grey tones instead of green.  

You choose how simple or complicated you want your final work to be. 

Forrest Illustration

Today we are playing with ideas for an illustration using the stems of trees. This exercise is quite some fun. You can create a little series of images if you want. 

Draw the stems and apply a simple wash. Then use a fine ink pen to create some interesting patterns on the stems to finish your work.  

Paint a Flower in Abstract

Here is a refreshing idea for the effortless creation of an abstract painting of a vase with flowers. 

All you need to do is flatten and simplify forms, place straight lines on unusual angles and here we are. 

Paint Feathers

Feathers can be painted in so many ways, and colours and are an easy way to learn how to create gradations. 

Play with colours as much as you like. 

Paint Asparagus

I think that the mixture between white and green asparagus is the best for painting.  Combined with a good composition and we have a simple idea for a watercolour painting. 

Catch Up Day

Today you can either rest, or try to finish some of the uncompleted work due for this week.

October Week 2

  • 8 OCT
  • 9 OCT
  • 10 OCT
  • 11 OCT
  • 12 OCT
  • 13 OCT
  • 14 OCT
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A Little Beach Scene

You can paint this little beach scene with flat washes in watercolour.

​When painting the lines of the beach houses make sure that they vary and don't appear as lifeless or static, but indicate light influx and line variation. Also make sure that they are not too dark, as that would distract and busy the painting unnecessary. 

Simple Landscape

Today we are painting a simple landscape. We will be using the dry on dry method.

​Make sure that the colours you are using harmonising with one another. 

Colourful Balloons

Entirely contrary to yesterdays exercise we are using bright colours today. 

Once you have painted the balloons in their particular colour, use the rest of the paint to splatter over the image for more interest. 

Fishing Boats

We are using the same technique we have applied yesterday. 

Playful Butterfly

Once again we will be using the technique we have applied in the last days. 

Have fun. 

Landscape Painting

Today we are painting a landscape by first creating a background wash.  For the details starts with the lightest colours and then add gradually darker ones. 

If the colours are too bright for you, which they are for, than add a hint of red to the green to dull the green down. 

Catch Up Day

Today you can either rest, or try to finish some of the uncompleted work due for this week.

October Week 3

  • 15 OCT
  • 16 OCT
  • 17 OCT
  • 18 OCT
  • 19 OCT
  • 20 OCT
  • 21 OCT
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Eastern Blue Bird

Although this watercolour painting is a little more elaborate, don't feel pressures to paint the whole. Just a part of it is as good. 

Use a minimum of 300gsm watercolour paper and wet it with a hake brush. Then add the background colours leaving the bird, some of the flower buds and leaves white. Then add the rest of the details. 

White Daisies

When painting white flowers you should always paint the background first as we otherwise tend to paint the colours within the white of the flowers too dark. 

Wet the paper around the white flowers and add a wash to it so that the colours can flow into each other, yet keep very clear and precise outlines for clarity.  Make sure that you use some dark tones towards the bottom of the painting. Last paint the few details into the white petals. 

Fish on Display

Draw your image in pencil first and paint from light to dark. 

Fluffy Feather

The white lines within the feather can be painted with gouache or drawn with masking fluid first to get the effect. This time wet the area within the feather first so that when you add paint, the colours can run into each other. 

Glass Vase with Flowers

Today I want us to leave pencil lines visible by using rather delicate washes of paint.  

Wet on Wet Washes

We are playing today by adding colours wet on wet and some splattering. 

Before you start the fun, make sure that you use masking fluid for the white flower or whatever main subject you wish to have for this painting. 

Catch Up Day

Today you can either rest, or try to finish some of the uncompleted work due for this week.

October Week 4

  • 22 OCT
  • 23 OCT
  • 24 OCT
  • 25 OCT
  • 26 OCT
  • 27 OCT
  • 28 OCT
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Paint a Daisy

This is a beautiful simple painting of a daisy. 

After you have drawn the contours of the flower add the background first. We tend to paint light areas too dark if the background has dark colours, so to avoid this mistake it is always best to  paint the dark areas first. When drawing the centre of the flower don't be too specific with details. Also check where the colour of pedals run into one where they are clearly separated.  

Paint Crocus Flowers

In the same simple style as yesterday, we are painting the humble crocus flower which is common in Europe in springtime appearing along snowbells as the first flowers of the season. 

Paint a Falcon

Draw the image first and then use the same style we have applied yesterday. 

Paint a Budgie

This is a good example of using complementary colours within a painting such as blue and orange or purple and yellow.  Those colour combinations are very effective and dramatic. 

Vase with Flowers

In this watercolour, the vase should take the more substantial part of the painting to create an exciting composition. 

Start by drawing the vase and central flowers in pencil. Then wet the paper around the vessel and drop the colours you want to have into that area. Once dry do the same now within the vase, then add more details to finish. 

Paint a Tugboat

Hamburg's harbour, where I was born is almost 830 years old.  As Germany's largest port I saw a lot of tugboats in my youth. 

When painting this image, begin with the background and make a clear division between land and water. Make sure you use sharp edges for the boats. 

Catch UP Day

Today you can either rest, or try to finish some of the uncompleted work due for this week.

October Week 5

  • 29 OCT
  • 30 OCT
  • 31 OCT
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Vintage Car

It is advisable to mask out the fine lines of the wheels with masking fluid, after you have finished your initial drawing. 

Stylised Flowers

It is a joy to play with a realistic subject that can be stylised and abstracted to create an interesting painting. 

​As long as you keep the colours harmonious it will work. 

Paint a Castle

First apply a flat wash of a main background colour to harmonise the overall painting. 

After the initial drawing add the lighter background section and then continue with the darker colours step by step. 

Finish the work by adding some speck like forms on top in grey and a few splatters to shy away from an ordinary landscape painting.