Wild at Art: 15 Watercolor Animal Projects

The world of watercolor painting ranges from abstract, flowing shapes to complex, realistic portraits. In these fifteen watercolor animal projects, you’ll learn how to create lifelike and outside-of-the-box animals from a proud snow leopard to a rainbow dog.

1. Watercolor Snow Leopard

A watercolor painting of a snow leopard sits on a wooden table next to six tubes of paint, three paint brushes, a paper towel and a cup of water. — Tame the wild beauty of a snow leopard with watercolors. Still from the Skillshare class Snow Leopard: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with Jane Davies.

Discover how to paint a snow leopard in just three simple layers of watercolor paint in this class with artist Jane Davies. You’ll follow Jane in real-time as she shows you how to paint without any brushstrokes by just placing your paint onto wet paper and watching your leopard come to life.

By adding subtle colors, bold marking and gentle texture, you’ll leave Snow Leopard: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with a final piece that has character and soul.

2. Paint Delicate Butterflies

A watercolor painting of two butterflies sits on a wooden table next to five tubes of paint, two paint brushes, a paper towel, an eraser and a cup of water. — Even the most amateur artist can paint these beautiful butterflies. Still from the Skillshare class Butterflies: A Beginner's Watercolour Class with Jane Davies.

If you’re at the beginning of your watercolor journey and want to learn how to watercolor paint, you’ll be a great fit for Butterflies: A Beginner's Watercolour Class with Jane Davies. Alongside watercolor artist Jane Davies, you’ll learn how to create beautiful, quick-flowing watercolor butterflies using introductory techniques like wet on wet painting and adding a simple second layer.

3. A Painted Pair of Penguins

A watercolor painting of two penguins sits on a wooden table next to four tubes of paint, two paint brushes and a cup of water. — These watercolor penguins are made without brushstrokes but just carefully placed dabs of watercolor. Still from Skillshare class Winter Penguins: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with Jane Davies

Perfect for a holiday greeting card or even a paper ornament, these winter penguins make an adorable and functional watercolor project. In Winter Penguins: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with Jane Davies, you’ll discover how to create these cute penguins walking through the snow by just placing paint onto your paper.

Plus, you’ll learn some more advanced free-flow watercolor techniques that will help add light, interest and texture to your final piece. This class uses wet on wet painting, which will help give your penguins a beautiful, loose and flowing look.

4. Ocean Watercolor: The Orca

A watercolor painting of an orca jumping out of a splash of water sits on a wooden table next to a palette of watercolor paint and a sponge. A hand holding a paintbrush adds a dot of blue to the canvas. — The artist uses a straw and wet dabs of watercolor to create the splashing water effect. Still from the Skillshare class Make a Splash: Paint an Expressive Orca with Playful Watercolor Techniques by Will Elliston.

Even if you’re new to watercolor, you can still paint this eye-catching orca with ease in Make a Splash: Paint an Expressive Orca with Playful Watercolor Techniques. The bursts of water might look complicated to recreate, but you’ll make them using a simple technique where you’ll move your paint around by blowing air through a straw. The random movement of the watercolor paint will add organic texture that mimics the ocean’s waves and water spray.

Throughout the class, you’ll also explore techniques like wet on wet blending, glazing and gradient painting. Plus, watercolor artist Will Elliston will teach you how to paint with strong contrasts to give your orca more drama and depth.

Teacher Tip: Use Air to Guide The Water
“We'll be using a straw to blow and shape the splash of the waves,” shares Will. “This technique helps create spontaneous organic textures that are perfect for water and adds a playful, creative element to the process.”

5. Vibrant Chameleon

A watercolor painting of a rainbow chameleon sitting on a branch is on a wooden table next to a palette of watercolor paint and a sponge. — You can experiment with bright, unexpected color palettes with this chameleon watercolor project. Still from the Skillshare class Watercolor for Fun: Paint Expressive Chameleons with Vibrant Colors by Will Elliston.

If bold and expressive are ways you describe yourself or your art style, you’ll love recreating this watercolor chameleon. Join watercolor artist Will Elliston in his class Watercolor for Fun: Paint Expressive Chameleons with Vibrant Colors and embrace bold color, soft transitions and loose, confident brushwork.

By painting this chameleon, you’ll be able to break free from realism, play with bright, unexpected color palettes and explore layered textures for an iridescent feel. You’ll also learn how to use transparent glazes, add splatters and texture and paint with freedom without getting stuck on tiny details or realism.

6. Watercolor Barn Owl

This watercolor owl has its head turned back over its shoulder so only half of its face is visible. The owl is a brown barn owl and its head is surrounded by a halo of blue watercolor. — Bring your own barn owl to life with just a few touches of brown, grey and blue. Still from the Skillshare class Barn Owl Watercolour - Practicing Wet in Wet by Nadine Dudek.

Bring this brown and grey barn owl to life with a wet-on-wet watercolor project. You’ll learn how to control your wet-on-wet strokes so that you can get both hard and soft edges. Watercolor artist Nadine Dudek will also teach you how to use single strokes to create realistic feathers.

In this Barn Owl Watercolour - Practicing Wet in Wet class, you’ll leave with a lifelike owl set against a contrasting bright blue background that you can hang in your home, turn into a greeting card or even use as inspiration for a forest-themed fabric pattern.

7. Mix Watercolor + Digital Art

A notebook sits on a grey table open to a watercolor image of a blue eyed cat surrounded by both watercolor and pressed flowers. The notebook is surrounded by a few stems of purple flowers, a watercolor palette and a pair of tweezers. — Combine the beauty of pressed flowers and watercolor flowers in this cat painting. Still from Skillshare class Cats and Flowers Sketchbook: Master Textures in Watercolor & Procreate by Anna Sokolova

If you like multimedia art projects, this watercolor cat project incorporates real pressed flowers to add a touch of realism and a pop of color to your portrait. Anna Sokolova’s class, Cats and Flowers Sketchbook: Master Textures in Watercolor & Procreate makes for great inspiration for watercolor ideas for a new art collection or a client project.

You’ll discover new techniques like watercolor layering, supergranulation, using liquid watercolors and playing with pressed flowers. If you choose to try this project in Procreate, you’ll also learn some digital painting skills like adding depth, using custom brushes and adding paper textures.

8. Watercolor Winter Chickadee

This watercolor painting features a winter chickadee sitting on a branch with red berries hanging from it. The branch is covered in snow, and a few specks of snow can be seen falling in the multi-colored background. — You can use this chickadee watercolor for the cover of your holiday greeting cards or as a heartfelt gift for a friend. Still from the Skillshare class Winter Chickadee in Watercolor: Paint a Cozy Snowy Scene by Krzysztof Kowalski.

Step into a winter wonderland with this cozy snow watercolor project featuring a chickadee on a branch adorned with bright red berries. Watercolor artist Krzysztof Kowalski created this class for beginners and intermediate artists alike so that anyone can follow along with this step-by-step guide to creating a magical, midwinter scene.

In Winter Chickadee in Watercolor: Paint a Cozy Snowy Scene, you’ll use a wet-on-wet technique to create a blurred winter background, masking fluid to preserve key details like snowflakes and feathers, and layer with a watercolor wash to add life and color to your chickadee.

9. Watercolor Pet Portraits

Multiple watercolor paintings sit on the same surface, overlapping one another. The first is a painting of a black lab, the second is a black, furry ca,t and the third is a black pitbull. There is also a painting of a cat's ear visible. — Paint realistic black animals using intermediate watercolor layering techniques. Still from the Skillshare class Watercolor Mastery: Paint Realistic Black Animals w/Wet on Wet and Lifting by Maria Raczynska

Painting life-like black animals isn’t just about using black watercolor. In Watercolor Mastery: Paint Realistic Black Animals w/Wet on Wet and Lifting, you’ll learn how to create your own shades of black, add undertones and lift colors while painting two black dogs and a cat.

Teacher Tip: Painting Black Animals
“The two most crucial techniques for painting realistic black animals in watercolor are wet on wet and layering with undertones,” shares Maria Raczynska. “To paint a realistic animal in watercolor, it's essential to avoid using a shade of black straight out of the tube. Instead, create your own shade of black by blending colors.” Plus, you’ll learn how to expertly read a reference image so that you can make watercolor portraits of your pet or a loved one’s pet.

10. Insect Paintings

A watercolor painting of a blue and yellow butterfly sits on a table. Beside the painting is a tablet open to an image of the same butterfly and a plastic paint palette. — Explore entomological illustration with this butterfly painting. Still from the Skillshare class Insect Painting: Realistic Butterfly with Watercolor by Anastasiia.

Entomological illustration isn’t just for expert watercolor artists. You can explore entomological art with this beginner-friendly class by painting your own Swallowtail Butterfly. Nature illustrator Anastasiia will show you how to recreate the many textures found on butterflies, including on their delicate wings and patterned bodies, using both wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry watercolor techniques.

If you’ve ever been curious about watercolor or entomological illustration and are looking to elevate your painting skills, Insect Painting: Realistic Butterfly with Watercolor will show you how to paint a vibrant and lifelike butterfly.

11. Realistic Dog Portrait

This watercolor painting features a cream and white dog from the shoulders up on a pink background. — Discover how to paint realistic fur with watercolor paint. Still from the Skillshare class How to Paint a Realistic Dog in Watercolor by Krzysztof Kowalski.

Painting fur can be one of the most complex parts of creating a realistic dog painting. In How to Paint a Realistic Dog in Watercolor with artist Krzysztof Kowalski, you’ll discover techniques for painting fur that mimic its texture and depth, as well as realistic eyes and a nose.

If you’re a dog lover or are looking for a heartfelt gift for a dog owner in your life, this class will guide you through the process of painting a dog in watercolor from start to finish.

12. A Buzz-Worthy Watercolor Bee

A watercolor painting of a bumblebee sits on a flat surface next to a paint palette. A hand holding a paintbrush adds strokes of yellow to the painting. — Push your watercolor skills to the next level with this small, detailed bumblebee project. Still from the Skillshare class Step by Step Guide to Paint Realistic Honeybee with Watercolors by Nia.

Geared toward intermediate watercolor painters, Step by Step Guide to Paint Realistic Honeybee with Watercolors, with watercolor artist Nia, will show you how to create a small and detailed painting of a honeybee. It’s essential to have a good understanding of brush control before you start this class, but you’ll leave with a ton of new techniques, like understanding paint consistencies and brush loads.

You’ll also learn how to mimic more complicated aspects of the bee, including its translucent wings and fluffy hair.

Teacher Tip: Creating Fluffy Hair Texture
“I flip my brush outwards and upwards to start creating hair textures using my small brush and as they get towards the edges, I actually soften the lines using a slightly damp brush,” says Nia. “This will just make the texture of the hair look a bit softer and a bit more fluffy instead of it looking sharp and pointy.”

13. A Colorful Puppy Portrait

A watercolor painting of a rainbow dog sits on a purple background. — Paint your own dog or a loved one’s dog for a personalized painting that can be cherished for years to come. Still from the Skillshare class Paint the Rainbow - How to Plan a Rainbow Watercolour Pet Portrait by Charlie Proulx.

If you love animals and a maximalist color palette, you’ll have fun in this rainbow watercolor pet portrait class. You might be creating a realistic-looking pet in this class, but you’ll step out of the box when building your own rainbow color palettes using three different artist-approved techniques.

Artist and teacher Charlie Proulx will also show you how to implement complex combinations and harmonize a wide range of colors in Paint the Rainbow - How to Plan a Rainbow Watercolour Pet Portrait. Charlie paints a rainbow dog, but you can bring any rainbow animal to life after taking this class.

14. Free-Flow Watercolor Dolphins

This watercolor painting features two dolphins swimming underwater. — If you love the beach or sea creatures, you’ll enjoy this dolphin watercolor project. Still from the Skillshare class Dolphins: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with Jane Davies.

Perfect for watercolor painters who want to explore a looser, more playful side of their work, this class will teach you how to paint dolphins using the wet-on-wet technique. In Dolphins: A Free-Flow Watercolour Masterclass with Jane Davies, you’ll let go of controlled brush strokes and simply place paint onto wet paper and let the watercolor work its magic.

You’ll also learn how to be bold with your paints, use gravity to create extra movement and visual interest and use some essential watercolor techniques to create underwater texture.

15. Watercolor Jellyfish

A watercolor painting of purple and blue jellyfish sits on a wooden table next to a palette of watercolor paint. A hand holding a paintbrush adds a stroke of blue to the canvas. — Paint a lifelike and graceful jellyfish using vibrant and bright colors. Still from the Skillshare class Luminous Watercolor: Paint a Stunning Jellyfish with Ease & Vibrancy by Will Elliston.

Created for watercolor painters of all levels, this class will teach you how to capture the translucent, graceful movement and luminous qualities of jellyfish using the power of paint. In Luminous Watercolor: Paint a Stunning Jellyfish with Ease & Vibrancy, you’ll bring this captivating sea creature to life using wet on wet techniques, color blending and soft transitions.

From its bell to its tentacles, you’ll leave this class with tips to simplify the jellyfish’s form, choose the right brushes and compose a balanced and dynamic color palette. Award-winning watercolor artist Will Elliston will also share templates and detailed color mixing charts so that your final portrait feels professional and balanced.

Bring Your Brushstrokes to Life

Watercolor offers endless ways to capture the character and spirit of animals. Each project is an opportunity not only to practice techniques like wet-on-wet or glazing but also to experiment with color, texture, and your own unique style.

Whether you’re painting lifelike fur, translucent wings, or bold abstract creatures, these watercolor animal projects give you the tools to explore both realism and imagination.

Ready to bring your next creature to life? Explore even more watercolor classes on Skillshare, and let your brushstrokes roam wild.

Written By

Calli Zarpas

Producer & Writer by occupation. Ceramicist & Newsletter Editor by avocation.