Watercolor Inspiration for Beginners — 5 Fun Prompts to Celebrate June ✨

Watercolor inspo for beginners — easy monthly prompts to explore seasonal beauty and grow creatively.

🤫 Published early so you can get your June creative spark on the 1st, available and waiting whenever you're ready to dive in!

📝 Introduction

June is here with its longer days, golden light, and that unmistakable shift into summer energy. Whether you’re painting indoors by a breezy window or taking your sketchbook out to the backyard, this month is an invitation to slow down and enjoy the creative process.

As always, you don’t need an invitation to slow down and embrace the creative process. Just show up, splash some color, and let the journey unfold!

🎨 This Month’s Theme: Joyful Simplicity

June invites us to embrace lightness—both in color and in mindset.
“Joyful Simplicity” means letting go of complicated compositions or rigid rules.

• Paint what brings a smile.

• Use colors that feel good.

• Let it be easy.

This month is about reconnecting with watercolor as a source of calm, curiosity, and creative play.

☀️ 5 Watercolor Prompt Ideas for June

Here are five fun, beginner-friendly prompts to inspire your creative practice this month:

1. Lemon Slices & Sunshine
   Use a range of yellows to create a juicy watercolor study. Layer translucent shapes and play with warm vs. cool yellows for contrast.
   💡Beginner tip: Keep your lemon slices soft by adding wet paint onto a damp base.

2. Breezy Blue Skies
   Practice simple gradient washes in blue to capture the feel of an open sky. Let the water do the work.
   💡Try using two blues—like cerulean and ultramarine—for extra depth.

3. June Wildflowers
   Choose a few favorite summer blooms (daisies, clover, lavender) and paint them simply—no need for detail. Just color and gesture.
   💡Tip: Use a small round brush for fine stems and petals.

4. Popsicles & Ice Cubes
   Paint a summery treat with fun, vibrant colors. Think playful shapes, melting edges, and transparency.
   💡Try wet-on-wet to create soft, melty blends.

5. Your June Mood
   Paint an abstract expression of how June feels to you. Use only three colors and focus on brushstroke, water flow, or shape.
   💡Beginner tip: There's no right or wrong here—just go with what feels like “you” this month!

Reference Photos and Creativity

If you're looking for extra inspiration, check out my Beginner's Guide to Using Reference Photos for Creative Inspiration for more tips on using reference photos to fuel your creativity. Reference photos are visual blueprints that can guide and inform your creative process. They provide inspiration, structure, and a reference for your subject’s shape, color, and details. Think of them as starting points — not the end goal. There’s no need to feel tied down to copying every single detail. Instead, use them as a foundation and let your creativity and style take over!

🌀 Looking for Something Simpler? Try This Easy Prompt

When in doubt or overwhelmed, just start with one color!

Use it to fill a whole page with swirls, dots, and loose brushstrokes.

Don’t aim for a “painting” — just enjoy the movement and creative play.

It’s a great way to reconnect with watercolor when you’re stuck or low-energy.

🌟 Quote of the Month

“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.” — Henry David Thoreau

Let this be a reminder that even the simplest things — a patch of sunlight, a half-finished paint swatch, a shiny apple — can become inspiration if we’re present enough to notice.

📷 Artist’s Table

This month I’m experimenting with painting color swatches and shapes as a warm-up before diving into a piece. It’s helping me loosen up and get past that “blank page” pressure.

I’m also sketching from nature walks — just quick, rough studies, nothing polished — and appreciating how it helps me slow down and really see.

🖌️ June's Mini-Tip on Watercolor Techniques

Don’t overwork your brushstrokes.

Let the first layer dry before adjusting, and embrace the little imperfections.

Watercolor loves to move — your job is to guide, not control it.

💭 Sketchbook Prompt for Creative Reflection

What would it look like to have a light, joyful painting practice this summer?

Describe it in a few words, then paint something that brings that feeling to life.

Closing Reflections on June's Joyful Simplicity

Embrace June's flow into summertime. This month, let go of expectations and simply enjoy the act of painting. As the days lengthen and summer vibes take over, remember that the beauty of watercolor lies in its freedom and fluidity. Keep showing up and painting what makes you happy — no pressure, just play! 

🔁 Want to Keep This Going?

As an artist who’s been on this creative journey since 2020, I know how overwhelming it can be to start painting. That’s why I’m here to make things simpler for you, offering straightforward tips, tricks, and prompts to help you grow :)

If you found inspiration in this post, you’ll love the free Watercolor Glossary for Beginners — a simple, clear guide to all those terms that used to confuse me when I started. Download your free glossary now and get started with watercolor terminology that’ll bring clarity and boost your confidence right away.

If you're feeling inspired by these prompts, please share your watercolor creations with me on Instagram — I'd love to see your artwork!

🔗 Recommended for You

• Five Easy Summery Watercolor Tutorials for Beginners

• Beginner's Glossary of Watercolor Techniques

• Guide to Watercolor Washes for Beginners

✍️ About the Author 

Written by Mary Moreno of Mary Moreno Studio, a self-taught watercolor artist since 2020 and creative blogger sharing beginner-friendly tutorials, tips, and resources to help new artists find joy and confidence through watercolor.

What’s your favorite watercolor prompt this month? Let me know in the Comments!