Painting colorful watercolor circles is one of those simple, soothing watercolor paintings that sparks creativity and looks beautiful. Its my favorite easy watercolor exercise to try out new paint colors, or if my mind is overwhelmed and I simply need a calming activity. There are no hard rules and the technique is very forgiving 🙂
Supplies You’ll Need
Before we paint, gather:
- Watercolor paper or a mixed-media sketchbook. I’m using my Strathmore Mixed Media sketchbook here
- Watercolor paints: I’m using Dual Brush Pens
- A paintbrush or water brush
- Water cup + paper towels
- Pencil (optional grid lines)
- Masking tape to border your page (optional — prevents paint from touching other pages). This is the best masking tape for painting.
This project is very forgiving, so whether you have high-end paints or kids’ watercolors, this will work beautifully!
Method 1: Grid Watercolor Circles
Want a structured yet colorful look? Draw a light pencil grid and paint one circle in each square. When colors kiss between squares, you’ll get beautiful bleeds and unexpected blends!
How to do it:
- Lightly draw a grid with pencil and ruler.
- Paint one circle at the center of each square.
- Use different colors and let adjacent ones bleed together.
- Erase the pencil once dry.
TIP: Dampen previous circles with just water before painting next to them to create smooth gradients.
Method 2: Tiny Wonky Watercolor Circles
These little imperfect circles are the easiest and most relaxing! Just paint haphazardly across the page no rules, no perfect shapes and let the colors dance together.
How to paint them:
- Load your brush with color.
- Dot or swirl small irregular circles across the paper.
- Fill the space until the page feels playful and colorful.
TIP: Fill in tiny white gaps between circles with a wash of water to soften blank spaces and blend colors.
Method 3: Overlapping Watercolor Circles
This method is a magic moment, colors merge and create new shades where they overlap!
How to paint overlapping circles:
- Paint your first circle and while it dries paint another few circles across the page
- Choose a new color and paint the next circle so it overlaps the first ones
- Repeat with more colors and shapes!
TIP: Let each circle fully dry to keep the shapes distinct when layering.
Tips and Tricks:
- Paper Matters: Use thicker watercolor or mixed-media paper so it doesn’t warp.
- Color Bleeds: Embrace color bleeds! They make the grid version magical.
- Slow & Playful: This isn’t about perfection — it’s about joyful play.
Conclusion:
Painting colorful watercolor circles is one of my go to creative “play breaks”, whether I’m teaching art, working in my sketchbook, or just unwinding. It’s easy, forgiving, and beautiful in every style.
Which watercolor circles method are you trying first, Wonky, Grid, or Overlapping? Let me know in the comments or tag me @smithakatti #SmilingColors so I can see your work!
