I asked ChatGPT for a bit of “help” to keep me going when ideas are scarce…
(The course that inspired me: Naturen i närstudie at Gerlesborgsskolan, Bohuslän. All booked up though…)
Create a 30 days plan for practicing different watercolor techniques?
Each day should include a short session based on a basic/intermediate/advanced technique and an idea on what to paint to practice the specific technique. There is no need to from easy to harder, mix it all up.
And then I changed my mind, just a bit:
Can you tweak this 30 days plan to prepare for a water color course called “close up nature”? Same idea, 30 days, mixed up levels technique, small exercises.
This is what I got: 30 Days of Watercolor: Close-Up Nature Focus
I will ask ChatGPT to specify the exercises day by day… and follow the instructions. Mostly…
Day 1 – Wet-on-wet blending (Basic)
Technique: Soft transitions in wet washes
Paint: A dew-laden petal or soft flower bud
Day 2 – Dry brush texture (Intermediate)
Technique: Scratchy brush for fine texture
Paint: Lichen on bark or fine moss
Day 3 – Negative painting (Advanced)
Technique: Define form by painting around it
Paint: Overlapping leaves or veins in a fern
Day 4 – Flat wash control (Basic)
Technique: Flat, smooth pigment
Paint: A clean-edged leaf or shell
Day 5 – Glazing for depth (Intermediate)
Technique: Layer transparent tones
Paint: Beetle wing or a petal with shadow
Day 6 – Fine Line Practice (Basic to Intermediate)
Technique: Practice creating clean, flowing fine lines.
Paint: Stems, Tendrils, and Tiny Twigs
Day 7 – Cauliflower Effects (Intermediate)
Technique: Controlled Cauliflower Effects
Paint: Mossy Rock Study
Day 8 – Dewdrops & Gloss (Intermediate to Advanced)
Technique: Highlights with Lifting and Masking
Paint: Dewdrops on a surface
Day 9 – Dry Brush on Soft-Edged Backgrounds (Intermediate)
Technique: Fuzzy, Soft, and Fragile
Paint: Contrast between softness and texture
Day 10 –Blades in the Wind (Intermediate)
Technique: Negative Painting for Grasses
Paint: Tall grasses or reeds blowing in the wind
Day 11 – Color temperature play (Intermediate)
Technique: Use warm/cool contrast
Paint: A snail shell or curled autumn leaf
Day 12 – Line and wash (Basic)
Technique: Ink line + watercolor wash
Paint: Pinecone or tiny twig
Day 13 – Monochrome texture study (Basic)
Technique: Single-color, full-value range
Paint: Walnut or seed pod
Day 14 – Masking fluid (Advanced)
Technique: Save highlights with masking
Paint: Sparkles on a bug’s eye or dew on a leaf
Day 15 – Layered shadows (Intermediate)
Technique: Add dimension with glazing
Paint: Underleaf shadows or curled petal folds
Day 16 – Splatter + bloom control (Basic)
Technique: Add random texture with intent
Paint: Soil, bark, or weathered wood
Day 17 – Painting translucency (Advanced)
Technique: Soft edges and controlled light
Paint: Butterfly wing or jelly fungus
Day 18 – Color harmony study (Intermediate)
Technique: Analogous or complementary limited palette
Paint: Close-up of a flowering herb or berry cluster
Day 19 – Dry-on-dry linework (Intermediate)
Technique: Tiny details with very little water
Paint: Spider web or insect leg
Day 20 – Lost & found edges (Advanced)
Technique: Fade some edges, sharpen others
Paint: Leaf against light or wing in motion
Day 21 – Scratch & lift (Intermediate)
Technique: Use a tool or brush to scratch details
Paint: Tree bark texture or grass stems
Day 22 – Color mixing on paper (Basic)
Technique: Mix colors directly in a wet area
Paint: Juicy berry or wildflower center
Day 23 – Iridescence effects (Advanced)
Technique: Subtle shine with layering + gouache
Paint: Dragonfly wing or snail trail
Day 24 – Limited palette mini-study (Intermediate)
Technique: 3 pigments only
Paint: Acorn, mushroom, or feather
Day 25 – Observational sketching (Basic)
Technique: Paint from real life
Paint: Leaf, rock, or tiny found object
Day 26 – Backruns with intent (Intermediate)
Technique: Controlled water blooms
Paint: Mold/fungi textures or wet ground
Day 27 – Expressive texture (Basic)
Technique: Embrace loose, expressive strokes
Paint: Bark, cracked earth, or tangled roots
Day 28 – Glazing over texture (Intermediate)
Technique: Subtle tone shift after texture
Paint: Dead leaf or pine needle cluster
Day 9 – Salt effects (Basic)
Technique: Create texture using salt
Paint: Frost crystals or mossy rock
Day 30 – Combine 3 techniques (Any level)
Technique: Your pick from previous days
Paint: Make your own “nature study” square with multiple elements