7 Day Mini Watercolour Challenge

If the idea of a 30 day painting challenge feels a little overwhelming right now, I’ve got you! This free 7 day watercolour challenge is the perfect way to dip your toes into daily painting without committing to a full month. Just 7 prompts, 7 days, and about 10-15 minutes of painting each day. That’s it! Whether you’re brand new to watercolours or just getting back into a creative routine, I designed this mini challenge to be fun, low pressure, and totally doable. Let’s go!

What Is the 7 Day Watercolour Challenge?

The 7 day watercolour challenge is a short challenge made up of 7 one-word prompts – one for each day of the week. Just like my longer watercolour challenges, I designed each prompt to be open-ended so you can interpret it however you like. There is genuinely no wrong way to do it! The whole point of this mini challenge is to get you picking up your brushes and actually painting – even if it’s just for a few minutes each day.

This is also a great way to figure out if daily painting is something you want to commit to longer term. A lot of people use this 7 day watercolour challenge as a warm up before jumping into the full 30 Day Watercolour Challenge. Honestly that is the perfect approach!

Your 7 Day Watercolour Challenge Prompts

Here are your 7 watercolour prompts for beginners! Save the image to your phone or print it out and keep it somewhere you’ll see it every day.

Here are a few things that will help you make the most of each prompt:

• Keep it small. Seriously – index cards or a tiny sketchbook work perfectly. Small format means less pressure and faster results!
• Set a timer. Give yourself 10-15 minutes per prompt and just go for it. You’ll be amazed what you can paint in that time!
• Don’t overthink the prompt. Your interpretation is always the right one. If “sunshine” makes you think of a yellow blob – paint a yellow blob! It counts.
• Share your work! Post your paintings on Instagram and tag them with #foxandwatercolour – the community is there to cheer you on!

Tips for Getting the Most Out of This Mini Watercolour Challenge

The biggest thing that will help you complete this short watercolour challenge is setting yourself up for success before you even start. Get your supplies out and ready the night before. When everything is already on your desk waiting for you, it’s so much easier to actually sit down and paint. If you have to dig out your paints every time it becomes a barrier. You’re way more likely to skip it!

Once you’ve got your supplies sorted, the next thing that helps is consistency. Paint at the same time every day if you can. Whether it’s first thing in the morning with your coffee or after the kids go to bed – having a consistent time makes daily painting feel like a natural part of your routine rather than another thing on your to do list.

And most importantly – give yourself permission to make bad paintings. Not every piece from this 7 day watercolour challenge is going to be a winner and that is completely okay! The whole point is to paint, learn, and have fun. Progress over perfection every single time!

Ready for More? Try the 30 Day Watercolour Challenge!

Loved this mini watercolour challenge and want to keep the momentum going? Amazing – that’s exactly what I hoped would happen! Head over to the 30 Day Watercolour Challenge for five complete sets of free watercolour prompts for beginners to keep your daily painting practice going. It’s the perfect next step after finishing your 7 day watercolour challenge – and the community over there is just the best!