Beginner Watercolor Tutorial: Whimsical Pink Cottage Painting

How to turn a simple sketch into a dreamy pink watercolor cottage? In this tutorial, Rebecca from The Art Spirits shares a full watercolor process for painting a whimsical pink cottage.

Her clear instructions make this project perfect for beginners. Follow her process, pick up your brushes, and paint along to create your own whimsical pink cottage today.

Materials and Color Palette

Rebecca prepares her tools and colors carefully before painting. She uses:

• Watercolor paper
• Round brushes: No. 0 detail brush and a mini rigger
• A mixing palette and clean water

She keeps her setup simple and beginner-friendly, showing that good technique matters more than expensive tools.

Her main colors are:

• Quinacridone Pink
• Quinacridone Gold
• Jane's Grey
• Undersea Green
• Serpentine Genuine

Step 1: Painting the Base Layer of the Cottage

Rebecca sketches her painting first. Then, she works gently and patiently with light washes.

Rebecca mixes Quinacridone Pink with a touch of Quinacridone Gold. It warms the tone, making it softer and more natural.

She adds plenty of water to keep the mixture light. Her goal is to create a super pale, airy pink for the cottage walls.

She wets the entire area of the house before applying color. This allows the paint to move freely.

She carefully avoids the foliage areas on both sides of the cottage, leaving them white for later. Then, she drops in the soft pink wash.

When the paper starts to dry, Rebecca adds more water so the paint doesn't stain too dark.

If a spot looks too strong, she lifts it using a clean brush or tissue. She repeats this until the pink looks very pale and even.

She even paints the chimney the same soft pink to keep harmony in the composition.

Step 2: Painting the Roof

Rebecca moves to the roof area next. She uses simple grey washes to build up texture and contrast.

She mixes Jane's Grey with water for a very light tone. Then, she paints over the entire roof. Keeping the wash wet helps her blend darker tones smoothly later.

Once the first layer sets slightly, she drops in stronger mixtures on one side. Some strokes come straight from the pan for rich pigment.

She avoids making the roof one flat color — instead, she adds variation for character.

Step 3: Detailing the Windows and Doorway

The cottage starts to come alive with windows and doors. Rebecca's style stays loose and playful.

With a No. 0 detail brush, she paints three windows across and four down. They don't have to be perfect—this is a whimsical cottage, after all. Slightly uneven windows make it even more charming.

She switches back to a watery mix of Jane's Grey for the doorway and steps. The right side of the house stays lighter, where sunlight hits.

Rebecca lifts paint from that area to create a natural highlight. Then she paints a dark line under the roof to define the edge and add contrast.

Step 4: Adding Roof Tile Texture

With the base layers dry, it's time to add some texture to the roof. Rebecca uses a fine brush and strong Jane's Grey to draw loose horizontal lines across the roof. She leaves small gaps between them to suggest uneven tiles.

Next, she adds short vertical strokes between the lines. The roof doesn't look overly detailed—just enough to hint at texture without overworking it.

She takes her mini rigger brush to paint the tiny roof above the doorway. This little feature adds personality to the cottage and balances the design.

Step 5: Painting the Trees Beside the Cottage

Rebecca now focuses on the greenery, which frames the pink house beautifully.

She first wets the tree areas with clean water. Then, she drops in diluted Undersea Green. The top areas remain light to show how the sunlight touches the trees.

She strengthens the color toward the bottom of each tree. Using bolder greens, she paints shadow shapes in curved strokes, forming a “C” shape for gentle dimension. The deeper tones create depth around the house.

For the trees farther back, she uses faint, watery green. The pale wash helps those shapes fade softly, making them look distant and delicate.

Step 6: Painting Foliage Around the House

The foliage adds movement and warmth. Rebecca explains how she mixes her favorite greens and yellows to make the scene pop.

She combines three main tones:

• Quinacridone Gold for a warm, golden yellow
• Serpentine Genuine for a light, grassy green
• Undersea Green for a deep, shadowy tone

Using a super-fine liner brush, she paints twisting branch shapes around the house. Each branch bends slightly, making the composition feel alive. She alternates the three colors while painting to add variety.

Then she adds loose leaf shapes over the branches—some overlapping the house for a natural, layered look.

One section doesn't turn out how she wants. Rebecca simply covers it with white gouache. Once it dries, she paints new foliage over it. The result looks fresher and better balanced.

Step 7: Refining the Chimney and Edges

Now it's time to refine small areas for contrast and light.

Rebecca paints the top of the chimney with Quinacridone Gold. On the side, she adds a faint pink wash. The color combination ties it back to the rest of the house.

She blends darker areas gently and lightens where needed. This step softens any harsh lines and makes the structure look more cohesive.

Step 8: Adding Shadows and Dimension

Rebecca explains that shadows bring life to watercolor. They show form, direction, and light.

She mixes a soft dark pink by combining the original pink with Jane's Grey. This custom mix gives the shadows warmth and harmony with the wall color.

She paints a thin shadow under the roof and along the edges of the walls. Then she lifts the color where it feels too strong. Across the windows, she adds small strips of shadow to define the white frames.

For the door, she uses a light grey wash and adds diagonal strokes to show light direction. She blends the edges with clean water so the shadows stay soft.

Under the step, she paints a darker strip to make it appear slightly raised.

Rebecca dips her brush in white gouache and adds tiny highlights. A few touches along the roof edge, the door, and the sunlit side of the house make everything glow.

Step 9: Adding Ground and Final Details

The painting is nearly finished. Now, Rebecca grounds the cottage with a simple garden scene.

She mixes Serpentine Genuine for the grass and leaves gaps for stepping stones. The stones are painted in a soft Jane's Grey. Then she blends water around the edges so the grass transitions smoothly into the ground.

With a small brush, Rebecca paints fine grass blades in darker tones. She deepens the shadows under the trees and at the base of the house to anchor it in place. A bit of darker green under the foliage ties everything together.

For the final touches, she uses white gouache again. She brightens areas on the door and roof where sunlight hits. A few white dabs along the roof edge and pink wall mimic soft reflections.

She even roughens one straight line that feels too rigid, blending darker grey to fix it. When she finishes, the cottage glows softly under imagined light.

Final Thoughts

Simple steps can lead to beautiful watercolor art, right? Rebecca's tutorial on painting a pink cottage makes each stage enjoyable and easy to follow.

Anyone can try this project. Ready to start painting? Let this tutorial spark your creativity today!