How to Paint Watercolor Gemstones 3 Ways: Beginner-Friendly Tutorial

Want to bring some sparkle into your watercolor paintings? As Galacticat loves to show, painting gemstones is a fun and magical way to add color, shine, and creativity to your artwork.

In this tutorial, Galacticat will share three favorite methods for painting watercolor gemstones using just a brush, a bit of imagination, and your choice of inspiration—whether it’s a real gem, a reference photo, or an idea that comes straight from your mind.

You don’t need perfection—just a willingness to explore, play, and enjoy the process.

Getting Started: Materials & Sketching Their Gemstones

Before they dive into painting, they set the stage. These basics will make everything easier later on.

Essential Tools for the Job

Here’s what they always grab before painting gemstones:

• Watercolor paper
• A pencil
• A ruler 
• Water 
• A paper towel
• Paint palette and paints
• Brushes of various sizes
• A white gel pen or white gouache (they prefer gouache for this tutorial)

Sketching the Shapes

Start by sketching their gemstones lightly with a pencil. If they’re new to painting gemstones, looking at real gemstone references online or in books is a good idea.

This will help them understand the shapes and facets of gemstones. They can go with a geometric shape like a diamond or a more organic, rough-cut gemstone.

• Sketch 1: Try a simple geometric gemstone shape, like a diamond.
• Sketch 2: Next, go for a rough-cut gemstone with irregular facets.
• Sketch 3: Use a real gemstone as their reference for an added challenge.

Once their sketch is done, they use a kneadable eraser to clean up any extra lines.

Don’t worry if their lines are imperfect—gemstones often have slight imperfections, which gives them character.

Technique 1: Painting a Pink and Purple Gemstone with Reflective Surfaces

Let’s jump right into the first gemstone! They start with a simple sketch and choose a pink and purple combo.

This combo always feels magical—soft, dreamy, and still vibrant enough to pop.

Building the Base Layer

To get the pink right, they tweak it a bit. They add a hint of red to their purple-magenta mix. That gives it a warmer, peachy tone.

Then, they dip into their yellow for some soft highlights and reflections.

They begin painting the gemstone by focusing on the flattest surface. With a loaded brush, they create a smooth gradient from that peachy pink to the purple.

They work their way up about three-quarters of the gemstone. When they hit that point, they switch to yellow, starting from the opposite end to create a subtle reflection.

They ensure the two colors don’t mix too much in the middle—otherwise, it could get muddy.

Paint the base layer

It doesn’t need to be a perfect blend. This is just their base layer.

But remember, watercolor is all about layering, and they’ve got to let each layer dry before they move on. They use a hairdryer to speed things up, but letting it air dry works, too.

Painting Each Surface Differently

Next, they work on the other surfaces. For one of them, they create a yellow-to-peach gradient. They like to switch up the colors on each face of the gemstone.

Every surface catches the light a little differently. They’re no gemstone expert, but their goal isn’t perfection—it’s about creating something that feels believable.

Sometimes, the reflections don’t follow a clear rule, so they trust their instincts. One face gets a rich purple tone to show that it’s turned away from the light.

They start with three of the surfaces that aren’t touching. Then, they dry them again before working on the others. That way, they don’t get any bleeding or unwanted blending.

Creating Interest with Brush Stroke Direction

One thing that helps the gemstone look real is switching up the brush stroke directions. On the front face, they paint in a diagonal direction.

Then, on the surface next to it, they paint diagonally in the opposite direction. It adds a nice contrast and makes the light reflections feel more natural.

This step might sound small, but it brings everything to life.

Filling in All the Faces

They keep going with the gradient technique, surface by surface. They pay close attention to how the light might bounce off each area.

And again, they switch up their brush strokes for interest. Each face is treated like a mini painting, with unique light and shadow.

Don’t stress if their edges aren’t super clean at this point. Theirs aren’t either—they’re a bit of a chaotic painter! The good news is that they’ll clean them up later with a nice outline.

Adding Dimension with Layered Lines

Once everything is dry, it’s time to add some depth. They return to their original mixed colors—they just have to refresh them because they dried out.

Then, they add lines following the same diagonal directions they painted.

They don’t want harsh lines, so they use a light hand and keep them soft and blended. Each line has a bit of gradient.

It feels more natural as if the light is moving through the gem.

They match the colors of the lines to the background layer underneath. So, they used the same color on the surface, starting with peachy pink.

On the purple side, they add lines in that tone. Then, they add a few lines in a yellowish shade but with a touch of pink. It’s all about subtle variation.

Repeating the Technique on Other Surfaces

Then, they repeat that same method on the other gemstone surfaces. They pay attention to the original brush stroke directions.

Some surfaces have darker base colors, so they feel free to use darker lines. Others have lighter bases, so they keep the lines very minimal.

One of the upper-left faces barely gets any lines at all. It’s already light, and they don’t want to overdo it.

Enhancing Depth by Darkening Edges

After everything dries, they deepen some of the gradients. They only go about halfway up the brush strokes, though—not all the way.

That trick adds a lot more dimension without making things look too heavy.

There’s no need to be super precise here. They trust their gut. They’re not aiming for perfection—they follow what feels right.

Outlining the Gemstone for Sharpness

Now comes the outlining step. This part is magic—it hides rough edges and defines the shape.

They grab a small brush and dip it into a darker paint. If they need to, they mix up a new batch to get the right shade. They don’t outline the entire gemstone with the same thickness.

Instead, they focus on the thicker parts at the tops of the surfaces, keeping the center lines lighter.

That contrast makes the whole thing look more three-dimensional. At the gemstone’s corners (the vertices), they add even more thickness to create tiny reflective surfaces.

They add sparkle and give the illusion of sharp edges.

Final Touches with Gouache and Gel Pen

Now, it’s time to add those dreamy reflections. They use gouache—Winsor & Newton Designer’s Gouache, to be exact.

But to be honest, they prefer Holbein gouache. It tends to stay whiter and doesn’t shift to a bluish-gray when it dries.

With gouache, they paint diagonal lines and soft gradients on each surface. They follow the same directions as their original brush strokes.

They place them opposite where they imagine the light hitting the gemstone. It helps the highlights stand out more.

Because their gouache is a bit transparent, they must layer it up. They don’t mind. They keep going until it feels right. They add tiny dots and lines to show sparkle and light bouncing around.

To finish it off, they use a white gel pen. This is their favorite part—it’s like adding stars to a galaxy. They place little dots, starbursts, and tiny highlights around the gem.

They even emphasize those small surfaces they created with thicker outline points earlier. And just like that, their gemstone is alive with light.

Technique 2: A Rough-Cut Blue Galaxy Gemstone

This second technique is for those who want something more textured and loose. It’s all about creating a gemstone with rough-cut vibes and a bit of a galaxy feel.

Mix Colors and Start the Gradient

For this gemstone, they mix two shades of blue to give it more variation and depth. It’s essential to use different shades to give the gemstone more dimension.

They begin by applying the wet-on-wet technique, which is similar to the approach they used for the galaxy effect.

To create this gradient, they focus on making the bottom of the gemstone lighter and the top darker.

They don’t blend the colors perfectly; they want to allow the colors to mix roughly, which adds to the rough-cut look.

They keep it light and airy at the bottom while letting the darker blue settle at the top.

This technique helps create a more random, uneven gradient that looks natural and dynamic.

Once they apply the gradient, they leave it to dry before moving on to the next section.

Drying is crucial because it allows the colors to set without bleeding into each other too much. They can use a hairdryer to speed up this process, but they can air-dry the painting if they prefer.

Adding Variations and Depth

Next, they go over each surface with more variations of blue, dropping them in randomly. The goal is to create a rough texture, so they don’t worry too much about precision.

Adding a mix of darker and lighter blues gives the gemstone a more chaotic, rough-cut look, just like the stone they’d find in nature.

When doing this, they remember to keep the lightness at the bottom and darkness at the top. The idea is to let each layer dry before adding more.

This ensures that the colors don’t get muddy, and they get that beautiful blend of colors without mixing too much.

Creating the Outline and Adding Dimensions

Once the paint has dried completely, they go in with their outline. This is where they add extra definition to the edges and corners of the gemstone.

They focus on outlining the vertices (the points of the gemstone), making them slightly thicker to create more interest and depth. This gives the gemstone a sharper, more realistic look.

To do this, they use a darker blue paint, adding rough lines around the edges of the gemstone surfaces.

The key here is to make the edges darker while leaving the middle areas lighter. This creates the illusion of light reflecting off the surface, which adds a sense of dimension.

For the vertices, they paint them in a diamond shape to give them a flat, reflective surface. This will serve as a base for the reflections they’ll add later.

The outline helps the gemstone appear more structured while keeping that rough-cut look intact.

Adding Texture and Interest

Now comes the fun part—adding texture! At this stage, they go in with some dark blue paint and apply it roughly to certain areas to increase the depth.

The idea is to make the gemstone feel more dynamic and interesting, almost like it has a galaxy effect. They don’t mind if the paint gets messy, as it adds character to the gemstone.

They use a paper towel to blot the wet paint for added texture. The paper towel lifts some of the paint, leaving a textured surface behind.

This technique mimics the natural texture of a rough gemstone.

They could also use salt to achieve a similar effect. Just sprinkle salt onto the wet paint, creating a mottled texture as the salt absorbs some of the water and pigment.

Be sure to let it dry naturally if they use salt, as heat from a hairdryer can make the salt dissolve and lose its texture.

Adding the Reflections

They use gouache paint in white or light blue for the reflections.

This part is not about smoothness—it’s all about keeping the reflections rough and irregular to match the gemstone’s rugged surface.

They drop the white paint along the edges, keeping the reflections rough and imperfect.

The goal is to capture the light bouncing off the gemstone, so it doesn’t need to be clean or precise.

Add the reflections

The reflections don’t have to be uniform—let them be imperfect! A rough, unblended look enhances the rough-cut gemstone effect.

They also review the vertices again with some highlights to make those points stand out more. These little touches will give their gemstone a realistic reflective quality.

Final Touches with the Gel Pen

They bring in their white gel pen to add a little extra sparkle. This is their secret weapon to add those tiny highlights and reflective dots.

They sprinkle these highlights on areas where the light would hit the hardest, giving the gemstone a little extra shine.

They especially like adding these around the vertices and edges for emphasis.

This final step makes the gemstone feel alive as if the light bounces off it in different directions.

Technique 3: Creating a Gemstone with Zebra-Like Stripes and Reflections

In the final technique, they took inspiration directly from a real gemstone they had on hand. This is a fun way to blend observation with creativity.

Mixing the Colors and Applying the Wet-on-Wet Base

They mix two orange-yellow shades and a little red to give the gemstone a warm, vibrant look.

They start by applying a wash of clean water onto the gemstone’s surface.

This will help with the wet-on-wet technique, where they drop the mixed colors into the wet surface to allow them to flow and blend.

Once the water is on the surface, they drop the orange and yellow colors, letting them move freely.

Don’t worry about being too neat or precise here—it’s all about letting the colors spread and mix, which gives it that organic feel.

You’ll notice the colors spread out and flow into each other, creating a beautiful, natural gradient effect.

This step gives the gemstone its base color and sets the stage for the next layers.

Building Shadows and Adding Depth

Once the first layer has dried completely, it’s time to go in with a second layer. This time, they’re focusing on adding shadows to give the gemstone more dimension.

They start by applying a wash of color a little bit away from the edges of the gemstone, leaving a small gap. Then, they blend it out into the middle of the gemstone, creating a soft gradient.

Add the second layer

They drop in a bit of aqua blue to add some extra depth.

This gives the illusion that the gemstone is somewhat see-through, like it’s in front of something blue, perhaps reflecting the sky.

This additional layer adds realism and makes the gemstone feel more three-dimensional.

Again, it doesn’t need to be perfect or neat. It’s more about creating an effect that feels natural and dynamic.

Creating Patterns and Texture

Now it’s time to get creative! They go in with one of their orange colors and create some zebra-like stripes across the gemstone.

These stripes are just washes of color, not solid, saturated lines. They want them to remain light and translucent, which keeps the gradient effect intact while adding texture and interest.

They can create any pattern they like—dots, stripes, or swirls—whatever feels right.

This step mimics the natural patterns in gemstones, like impurities or variations within the stone. It adds a bit of randomness, making the gemstone feel more authentic.

They don’t focus on saturation here; instead, they aim for a delicate wash of color, letting the background show through.

Soft Outlining and Adding Reflections

Next, they go in with a very light outline around the edges.

Unlike the darker outlines from the previous gemstones, this one is softer and blends more into the middle of the gemstone.

The goal is to create a subtle outline that helps define the shape without making it look too harsh.

Once the outline is in place, they start adding the reflections.

They focus on where the “corners” would be, although the gemstone is rounded. They look for high points and low points to add shadows and reflections.

They leave small gaps in the reflection, similar to how light reflects on real gemstones. This adds a sense of realism and depth to the piece.

The reflections don’t have to follow any strict pattern—just let them flow naturally, focusing on creating visual interest.

They also add a bit of gouache to the center of the gemstone. This creates a curved effect, giving the impression that the light hits the gemstone from different angles.

Again, there’s no exact science for where they place the reflections; they go where their heart leads them!

Final Details and Adding Extra Sparkle

Finally, they add some darker color along the edges where they feel the shadow could be a bit more pronounced.

This extra layer adds depth and makes the gemstone appear even more three-dimensional.

After that, they finish with a few little stars and extra highlights using their gel pen.

These tiny light touches bring the gemstone to life, making it look shiny and reflective, just like a real gem would in the light.

This step is about adding those small finishing details that make the gemstone feel polished and complete.

Final Thoughts

There are three ways to paint gemstones with watercolor. They hope you feel inspired to try these techniques.

Whether they’re painting a faceted gemstone, a rough-cut stone, or a real gemstone-inspired piece, these steps will help them create beautiful and realistic gemstones.

Don’t forget to experiment with different colors and textures to make their gemstones unique.