Stop Chasing New Subjects: How Watercolour Repetition Creates Better Artists
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A watercolour painter needs to keep trying new subjects in order to improve, right? Because a good artist is a versatile one. And not a bored one.
Is that really the case? 🤔
I don't think so. There's actually a way to improve your watercolour skills and feel more confident that's much gentler than constantly chasing novelty.
Let me show you how to use repetition to your advantage and become a happy, confident painter.
The Problem with Constant Subject-Switching
Painting the same watercolour subject over and over again can have the same sort of vibe as a chore - the sort of thing one ought to do. Stick with something until you can do it 'properly' or 'right'. Thing is, those are subjective terms so it's hard to know if or when you have actually achieved this goal. And it feels like it's going to be so boring after a while, could be boring enough to take the fun out of watercolor painting.
Most watercolour artists believe they need to constantly experiment with new subjects to prove they're growing. We've been conditioned to think that painting the same thing twice means we're not challenging ourselves. But what if this mindset is actually holding us back?
My Abandoned Watercolor Journal Story
This little project I am working on is a themed journal that I must have decided to make an awfully long time ago because I really have little to no recollection of making it. There is a whole playlist about all of this so you may already know what I'm talking about if you've been following along with this little series on my YouTube channel.
Anyway, I really don't know why I gave up on this project. It may have been that I wanted to paint something else and forgot about it, but there are other possible explanations that I think are more likely, like our old friend perfectionism that I talked about in an earlier video.
This abandoned project got me thinking about how many watercolour artists abandon subjects before they've truly explored them. We get excited about a new flower, paint it once or twice, then move on because we think we "should" be trying something different.
Why Watercolour Repetition Actually Works
Because one of the things I have learned over the years is that repetition doesn't have to be boring. In fact, constraints actually can make us more creative. Choosing a subject to stick with is an easy way of giving yourself a constraint that reduces the friction we often feel with actually putting brush to paper. It's one less decision to make.
And even if you paint the exact same flower day after day, they are very unlikely to be identical, especially if you're using watercolour which offers its own unique contribution to the process every time you paint. And you find yourself making simple little changes like using a different color, or a slight change in composition. Tiny little tweaks can make a big difference.
The Learning Curve Advantage
It's much easier to learn by tiny tweak than making every new painting a grand undertaking where everything is new.
When you repeat your subject, you benefit from the learning curve.
When we start something new it is hard. We have no skill or experience, we are forging entirely new territory.
But if we keep going we start to build on what we learned the time before. Learning incrementally like this is a much gentler way to go about things.
The alternative, jumping to something entirely new with each watercolour painting, is a bit like consigning yourself to an agony of firsts.
Think of things like first days at a new job, first dates... they are tough! No need to put yourself through that every time you sit down to paint.
The Science Behind Watercolour Subject Mastery
If you stick to a watercolour subject like flowers for example, you are working on solving a specific set of problems.
How to avoid muddying the vibrant pinks,
how to show the softness of the petals,
how to make the stems look natural rather than stiff.
Every watercolour painting gives you another little piece of the puzzle, another brick in the wall.
Little by little we find our own favorite way of doing these things. You start to develop a bit of muscle memory and along with it some confidence in your watercolour technique.
This is where the real magic happens. Instead of constantly starting from scratch, you're building expertise layer by layer. Each painting becomes an opportunity to refine your approach, test a new technique, or solve a problem that stumped you last time.
Finding Your Balance: My Watercolour Series Method
Can you stick to painting the same thing forever? Of course. You are in charge. If that makes you happy you go right ahead. 🙌
But I find that I do like to try and find a little balance between the comfort of the familiar and the challenge of novelty. We are all different so the time frames that work for me may not suit you.
To each their own.
I love working in a series. I can't imagine painting any other way.
It's up to you how long a series is. For me it is 10 paintings. Or if you have a themed sketchbook like the one I am making in the video above, it could be for the whole of the sketchbook.
(I must say I do have a large number of sketchbooks because of this theme idea, so one of the ideas that I am trying to embrace is that it's okay to change the theme of the sketchbook part way through. Better than abandoning the project/sketchbook entirely, surely!)
The 10-Painting Rule
So my rule of thumb is 10 paintings makes a series. I like to create a new series every month and that is what I do with the lovely members of my Happy Painters Hub.
Psst… want to find out more about the Happy Painters Hub?
Click this link 👉 to learn all about it!
I find a month is a good amount of time for me to get to know my subject, play with ideas about it in a sketchbook and create a cohesive set of paintings of the subject. Very satisfying.
And then when the month is over it is time for a fresh challenge, in the form of a new subject.
Of course, there are skills that are going to be common to all subjects that you carry forward with you, like brush and paint control, values, composition. But applying these to a particular subject has its own little flavour - its own challenge.
You just need to give yourself enough time to explore that particular subject. I think you will know intuitively when you are ready to try something different. That's quite different from forcing yourself to do something new because you think you have to.
You don't have to abandon your subject to keep learning.
How to Start Your Own Watercolour Series Practice
Ready to try this approach for yourself? Here's how to get started:
Choose Your Subject Wisely: Pick something that genuinely interests you. It could be roses, birds, landscapes, or even simple geometric shapes. The key is choosing something you won't mind revisiting multiple times.
(And if choosing a subject is tough, I understand completely - its not just you. Its one of the many reasons I created the Happy Painters Hub - let me take care that part for you.)
Set a Realistic Goal: Start with 5-7 paintings if 10 feels overwhelming. The number matters less than the commitment to exploring the subject thoroughly.
Embrace Small Changes: Each painting doesn't need to be dramatically different. Try changing the colour palette, the lighting, the composition, or focus on different aspects of your subject.
Track Your Progress: Keep your paintings together so you can see your improvement over time. This visual proof of progress is incredibly motivating.
Trust the Process: There will be paintings in your series that you don't love. That's normal and part of the learning process.
The Freedom in Watercolour Repetition
So next time you're tempted to abandon a subject because you think you should be trying something new, remember - there's incredible freedom and growth waiting in that repetition.
Sometimes the most creative thing you can do is paint the same flower one more time.
We often celebrate those who can paint anything and everything.
But there's equal beauty and skill in the artist who knows their chosen subjects intimately, who has developed a deep understanding of how watercolour behaves with roses, or trees, or whatever calls to them.
By the way, I have painted more than 82 separate watercolour series so far. If you are enjoying the idea of working in a series you might want to know a little bit more about mine. I have a separate post in which I shared the 3 most valuable things I learned from this practice.
But for now, consider this:
Your next breakthrough might not come from painting something completely new.
It might just come from painting something familiar, in a slightly new way.
Are you on your own painting journey?
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