Fun watercolor techniques are my favorite way to loosen up when my sketchbook starts feeling too precious or stiff. I used to get caught up trying to make every page look polished, but the more I experimented – often by ignoring the “right” way to paint – the more I started to enjoy watercolor again.
These aren't wild or reckless methods. They're playful, practical, and designed to help you stop overthinking. I’ll share some ideas here that helped me get messy, embrace accidents, and make more expressive work without stressing over the final result.
Key Points
- You don’t need to follow traditional watercolor rules to improve. Some of the most useful discoveries come from ignoring them.
- Texture is your friend – embrace irregular edges, pooling, and granulation.
- Tools beyond the brush can open up new creative directions (think pastels, watercolor tape, or even paper towels).
Fun Watercolor Techniques That Loosen You Up
These techniques aren’t fancy or high-risk. They’re simple ideas you can try in any sketchbook – even a cheap one. Most of them don’t require any special gear or setup, just a willingness to let go of control. If you’re wondering which sketchbook to use, I’ve shared some thoughts here on my favorite watercolor sketchbooks, including hot press and mixed media options.
1. Watercolor + Wax Pastel Layering
Sometimes I’ll start a page with loose scribbles using a water-soluble wax pastel, then flood the page with watercolor. The pastel resists the paint in some areas and melts into it in others. I never quite know how it’ll turn out, but that unpredictability is half the fun. It’s especially great for backgrounds or adding mood to a quick landscape.
The key here is to treat the pastel like a partner, not a tool you control perfectly. I like to hold it lightly and draw in curved, almost mindless motions – circles, loops, uneven marks. Once I add water, those marks either peek through or shift slightly. It feels like a little collaboration between you and the materials.
If you want a softer version of this, check out these watercolor pastels, which are a bit more subtle and blend more easily. They’re great for layering and adding depth at the end.
2. Tape-as-Texture Instead of Borders
We all know tape is great for clean borders—but what if you use it to block out shapes or even rip it up and press it onto wet paint? I’ve used masking tape to make ghost shapes in skies or to create broken textures on a wet page. It gives a layered, collage-like effect without adding anything permanent.
I’ll sometimes tear the tape by hand and press it lightly onto wet paint, then lift it while it’s still damp. The edges blur and pull some of the pigment up with them. It’s not predictable, but that’s kind of the point. You can also tape a shape (like a leaf or geometric form), paint around it, and then remove it to leave a crisp silhouette.
If you’re curious about which tape won’t ruin your paper, I’ve tested a bunch – this guide walks through the pros and cons. I’ve ruined enough pages by using the wrong tape to know it’s worth getting one that releases cleanly.
Also, here’s a tip: you can reuse slightly damp masking tape for extra texture if you lift it before it dries completely. It gives you more variety and helps reduce waste.
3. Grey First, Then Color
One thing I started doing a few years ago is painting with neutrals first – mostly greys – before adding any color. It lets me focus on values and composition without being distracted by the fun part (color). Then I glaze over the top with bolder pigments. This process has made a huge difference in how I build up my work.
Doing a grey underpainting first helps me spot problem areas early, especially when I’m working from imagination. And when I do use reference, it forces me to really notice the light and dark shapes instead of getting caught up in color-matching. Once the greys are dry, I add warm or cool tones depending on the mood I want to create.
You can make some really rich greys by mixing complementary colors. Here’s my go-to method for how to make grey in watercolor, which I keep pinned in my sketchbook. I almost never use grey from a tube – it’s just not as lively.
4. Dirty Brushes and Dual Pigments
Instead of cleaning my brush completely between colors, I sometimes let a bit of the last pigment linger. It muddies things in a good way and adds a kind of visual cohesion across the page. It’s not for every piece, but if you want a more expressive, moody look, it works wonders.
This technique helps especially when I’m feeling tight or overworked. Letting colors bleed into each other on purpose – without always rinsing the brush – adds more soul to the piece. It creates softer transitions and unexpected color shifts. Sometimes I’ll even dip my brush into two pigments at once, so the color splits naturally on the page.
This approach pairs really well with a limited palette. I use the same three or four colors and let them bleed into each other. If you’re curious about how different pigments interact, this color mixing chart for watercolor is worth exploring. I refer back to it constantly.
5. Forget Skin Tones – Use Wild Colors
If you paint people, you’ve probably struggled with skin tones. Instead of obsessing over realism, I sometimes go the opposite direction: green shadows, purple highlights, even blue underpaintings. It gives the portrait an emotional edge and makes it more interesting than if I got the skin tone “right.”
It took me a while to get comfortable with this. I used to feel like I had to match what I saw perfectly – but those paintings never felt alive. When I started using wild colors to express mood, everything shifted. The portraits felt more personal, more like illustrations of feeling than documents of appearance.
That said, I still keep a go-to method for mixing believable tones. If you want a more grounded starting point, I wrote a breakdown of how to make watercolor skin tone that doesn’t rely on pre-mixed colors. Even if you only use it as a jumping-off point, it’s a helpful anchor.
What to Let Go Of (And Why It Helps)
Most of us learned some version of “don’t use black,” “never erase after painting,” “always stretch your paper,” or “avoid blooms.” I say: try all of them. Use black ink and add a watercolor wash on top. Let a bloom happen and then push it further. Play with the materials instead of resisting them. That’s where the magic happens.
And if your painting warps, try flattening it later rather than interrupting the flow to prep it perfectly. That step can wait.
You might also be surprised by how freeing it is to paint directly on the kind of paper you’re “not supposed to.” I love hot press paper for ink and wash—even though some people say it’s harder to control. If you’re curious about that surface, I wrote about hot press watercolor sketchbooks here.
And don’t forget: the tools matter, but not as much as how you use them. If you’re new to all of this, you can get started with these beginner-friendly brushes, some decent watercolor paper, and one palette. You don’t need to own everything before you start.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Breaking the rules doesn’t mean abandoning all structure. It just means giving yourself room to explore without judging every mark. If you’re looking to experiment with some of these techniques while traveling, I’ve shared a few of my setups in this travel watercolor book guide. It’s all about staying light and portable, so you’re more likely to paint on the go.
Also, if you’re short on storage or drowning in half-finished pages (me too), this watercolor storage setup might help you organize things without guilt. You don’t have to finish every page. You just have to keep showing up.
Lastly, if you want to go deep into more foundational watercolor ideas, I’ve created a whole page on painting with watercolor, including articles, gear recs, and a few sketchbook demos. Everything on that page is built to be approachable, not overwhelming.