Watercolor Texture: Find Beautiful New Backgrounds

Are you a digital designer or illustrator who still loves that handmade look? Watercolor textures are a great way to add a softer element to your digital designs. Read on to learn more about how to use this effect and where to find stunning watercolor backgrounds to use.

What is Watercolor Texture?

Skillshare user Jenn Whiting uses watercolor paper texture in logo design.

Watercolor paints create plenty of beautiful shapes, colors, and textures as they interact with the paper. Moreover, you can create even more unique watercolor textures using salt and rubbing alcohol. Using these watercolor paper textures as backgrounds or to fill elements in your design work adds an organic touch and a punch of vibrant color.

How Do You Make Watercolor Texture?

There are several different ways to make or add watercolor textures to your designs, depending on how hands-on you want to get.

Creating Texture in Photoshop or Illustrator

watercolor texture in illustrator — Some of the watercolor brushes available for Photoshop.

The easiest way to create the look of watercolor paper textures within Photoshop or Illustrator is to import watercolor brushes into the program. Sites like Behance and Creative Market offer brush packs created by talented artists for free or a small fee. Import them into your program, and then go to town painting on your digital canvas to make a watercolor background or texture!

How to Add Texture in Photoshop or Illustrator

pink watercolor in illustrator — Create a watercolor texture PNG from your hand-painted work.

Want even more of a human element to your watercolor paper texture? Hand paint your own watercolor textures, then scan and import them to Photoshop or Illustrator to use as watercolor backgrounds and more. If you’re not much of a painter, download watercolor texture PNGs and other images created by other artists from the sites below!