The 30 Day Watercolour Challenge | Free Painting Prompts for Beginners

Have you been wanting to paint more but just can’t seem to find the motivation to sit down and actually do it? Same. That’s exactly why I created the 30 day watercolour challenge! It’s a free daily painting prompt challenge designed to get you picking up your brush every single day for 30 days – and with five complete sets of free prompts there is plenty to keep you going! Whether you’re a total beginner or just someone who needs a little creative kick in the pants this watercolour challenge for beginners is for you! No pressure, no perfection required – just paint, have fun, and see what happens!

What Is The 30 Day Watercolour Challenge?

The 30 day watercolour challenge is a daily watercolour practice challenge made up of 30 one-word prompts. I designed each prompt to be open-ended so you can interpret it however you like – go as simple or as detailed as you want. You literally cannot do this wrong! The whole point is to make daily watercolour practice feel achievable and fun rather than intimidating.

This challenge originally started as a way to build community on Instagram, and honestly the response blew me away. People from all over jumped in, started sharing their paintings, and began cheering each other on. It turned into everything I hoped for and more! Now it lives here as a free evergreen resource so anyone can pick it up and start whenever they feel ready. Today, tomorrow, six months from now, it doesn’t matter. These watercolour painting prompts will always be here waiting for you!

What to Expect from the Watercolour Challenge Community

One of my absolute favourite parts of this watercolour challenge is the community that shows up around it. When you share your work on Instagram using the hashtag #foxandwatercolour you’re joining a group of artists working on the same prompts. They will cheer you on every single step of the way! Creating is fun, but it can be hard to do it alone. It’s so much more meaningful when you are working with others and rooting for each other along the way. The Fox Pack is honestly one of the nicest groups of people you’ll ever encounter online – no trolls here!

And don’t let the idea of painting every day feel overwhelming. You can spend as little as 10-15 minutes on each prompt. We’re not looking for a masterpiece here. I just want you to bust out those paints every day and make something. Simple as that! You can work as big or as tiny as you like – I personally do all mine at 3″ x 3″ which is the perfect low pressure size.

Why A Daily Watercolour Practice Is Worth It

Here’s the thing about watercolours: the more you paint, the better you get. That sounds obvious, but it’s actually really hard to make yourself paint consistently without some kind of structure. That’s where daily watercolour practice comes in. Even if you only spend 10-15 minutes on each prompt, that’s enough. Painting every day for 30 days will genuinely transform how comfortable you feel with the medium.

You’ll start to understand how the paint moves, how much water to use, and how to get the effects you’re going for. Watching tutorials alone won’t get you this kind of progress – you have to actually paint!

The 30 Day Watercolour Challenge Prompts

Here are your 30 watercolour painting prompts! Remember: each one is just a starting point. Interpret them however feels right to you!

A Quick Guide to the Technique Prompts

Not sure what some of the technique prompts mean? Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Wash – cover your paper in watercolour using a large brush and long vertical strokes.
• Masking – use tape or masking fluid to cover areas of your paper, paint over them, then peel back to reveal the white underneath.
• Alcohol – do a wet wash and then drop rubbing alcohol onto the wet paint. It pushes the pigment away and creates the most beautiful organic patterns!
• Salt – sprinkle salt onto wet watercolour paint for a similar effect to alcohol but with a finer, more crystalline texture.
• Drips – wet your paper with clean water first, then drip watercolour paint on top and let it run. So satisfying!
• Layers – let a layer of paint dry completely, then paint on top of it. This is how you build depth and richness in a watercolour painting.

Once you’ve got those techniques under your belt, you’ll be amazed at how much more confident you feel with watercolours!

How To Use These Watercolour Painting Prompts

There are no strict rules for this watercolour challenge for beginners, but here are a few suggestions to get the most out of it:

• Paint every day if you can. Even a tiny 10-minute painting counts! Consistency is everything with daily watercolour practice.
• Keep your paintings small. A small sketchbook or even index cards work great. Small means less pressure and faster results!
• Share your work. Post your paintings on Instagram and tag them with #foxandwatercolour so the community can cheer you on. Accountability makes such a difference!
• Don’t skip a prompt because it feels hard. The tricky ones are where the most growth happens. Give it a go even if it feels weird!

Recommended Supplies for the Watercolour Challenge for Beginners

You don’t need fancy supplies to do this 30 day watercolour challenge. Honestly, whatever you have on hand will work! But if you’re just getting started and need some guidance, here are a few of my favourites:

• Sakura Koi Field Sketch Kit — this is what I personally use and love. It’s portable, affordable, and has a great colour range for beginners.
• Watercolour Paper — please don’t skip this one! Regular printer paper will buckle and pill when it gets wet. Even an inexpensive watercolour pad makes a huge difference.
• Basic watercolour brushes — you don’t need a full set. A medium round brush and a large flat brush will get you through most of the prompts.

For a more detailed supply list, check out my post on 21 Watercolour Supplies Under $50 — it covers everything a beginner needs without breaking the bank! 

I really hope you’ll give this 30 day watercolour challenge a go. There is genuinely no better way to build confidence with watercolours than just painting every day and letting yourself be a beginner without apology. Grab your supplies, download the prompts, and jump in! And if you share your paintings on Instagram, tag me @foxandhazel – I want to see every single one. You’ve got this!

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The 31 Day Watercolour Challenge Prompts

Loved the first set of prompts so much that you want more? Great news – here’s a second set of watercolour painting prompts to keep your daily practice going! This 31 day set has a slightly different mix of subjects so you can keep challenging yourself and building on what you learned in the first round. The same rules apply – interpret each prompt however you like and have fun with it!

Not sure where to start with this set? Here are a few tips to keep your daily watercolour practice feeling fresh:

• Try a different colour palette for this round. Limiting yourself to 3 or 4 colours is a great creative challenge!
• Experiment with a new technique you haven’t tried before. Wet on wet, salt effects, or masking fluid are all fun to explore.
• Keep your paintings small. Index cards or a tiny sketchbook work great and take the pressure right off.
• Share your work on Instagram with the hashtag #foxandwatercolour so the community can cheer you on!

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The June 30 Day Watercolour Challenge Prompts

Still going strong? You absolute legend! Here’s a third set of watercolour painting prompts to keep your daily practice rolling. This set has a fun summery feel to it – think popsicles, beach vibes, and all the good stuff. But as always, interpret every prompt however you like. Every interpretation here is the right one!

Remember – you don’t have to do these sets back to back. Some people work through one set, take a break, and come back for the next one whenever the mood strikes. That is completely valid and honestly really smart! The prompts will always be here whenever you need them.

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The 31 Day Cozy Watercolour Challenge Prompts

This is my favourite set and honestly the cosiest one of the bunch! I created these free watercolour prompts with a fall theme in mind – think warm colours, cozy subjects, and all the autumnal vibes. But here’s the thing – there is no official start date for these. I love seeing how so many people use these prompts at all times of year and that is exactly how it should be. Use them whenever you dang well feel like it!

Every interpretation here is a great one. Every time someone posts on Instagram and tags me or uses the #foxandwatercolour tag I am blown away by the creativity. So many different interpretations of the same prompts and I love every single one of them. So even if you’re staring at these prompts wondering if they’re right for you – yes. They are absolutely right for you. Get painting! Whenever you’re ready, the prompts are right here waiting for you!

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The 31 Day October Watercolour Challenge Prompts

Surprise – there’s a fifth set of watercolour painting prompts and this one is a little different! I designed this set with October in mind but kept the prompts open-ended so you can use them any time of year. The prompt sheet itself has a bold black and white design which makes it really easy to read and save to your phone. Same rules as always – interpret each prompt however you like and make it your own!

This is a great set to reach for when you want a fresh challenge with zero theme restrictions. No seasons, no colour palette requirements, no rules – just 31 prompts and your imagination. A few ideas for making this set feel fresh if you’ve already worked through the other sets:

• Try a limited palette – pick just 2 or 3 colours and stick to them for the whole 31 days
• Go monochromatic – inspired by the black and white design of the prompt sheet, try painting everything in one colour with different values
• Paint bigger – if you’ve been working small, challenge yourself to a larger format this time around
• Share your work on Instagram with #foxandwatercolour – the community would love to see your take on these prompts!