My Favorite Watercolor Subjects and Style

As a writer, I often heard the advice: "Write what you know." What they really mean is to be familiar enough with the subject you’re writing about to make it believable. I’ve learned the same holds true in art. As a watercolor artist, I find myself returning again and again to subjects that feel like home; subjects that I know not just in my head, but in my bones.

Falling for Florals

Florals are among my most-loved subjects. There’s something about the delicate lines, the unpredictable flow of color, and the way petals seem both fragile and strong that calls me back time and again. My very first attempts at watercolor flowers were clumsy.

I created muddy puddles where blossoms should have been. But even then, I could see the potential. Every new flower became a little discovery, and that sense of discovery keeps me painting them still.

Discovering Line and Wash

That’s probably why I was instantly drawn to line and wash, a style where you use both ink (or colored pencil, or pastels, or even markers and pens) and watercolor come together. It’s both loose and structured, abstract and recognizable.

I stumbled onto it by accident, and once I realized what it was, I was completely smitten. To me, line and wash feels like capturing the essence of a subject without needing to control every detail. It’s the freedom of watercolor anchored by the certainty of a line.

The Criticism That Stuck

Not every artist sees it the way I do. Early on, I heard a 'professional' artist dismissively say that anyone who needed to outline their work was an amateur. That stung. It made me second-guess my instincts and wonder if my love for line and wash was holding me back. For a while, I forced myself to paint without lines, thinking maybe that was what real artists did.

The result? My paintings didn’t feel like mine anymore. They felt unfinished, lacking the spark that made me excited to paint in the first place. Maybe that was the point the artist was trying to make: that my work was unfinished. I don’t know. What I do know is that avoiding the lines left me feeling like I had more to do.

The Big Question

So I had to ask myself: Am I stunting my growth by leaning into line and wash? Would I be ‘better’ if I relied on nothing but water and pigment? The honest answer is probably. Maybe I did skip over lessons I could have learned if I had pushed harder. But after sitting with that thought for a while, I’ve realized something important: I don’t care.

Surely there’s room in art for someone who thrives on this style. And if it brings me joy, who’s to say it’s not the right way? Maybe, just maybe, it’s exactly right for the artist I am meant to be in this moment.

Subjects That Feel Like Home

Beyond style, the subjects I paint say just as much about me as the way I paint them. And even those things are reason enough for critics to try to take away my joy. But here’s the thing: Growing up as a military kid, I moved often and rarely felt rooted in one place. It wasn’t until I came to the Gulf Coast as an adult that I finally felt a deep sense of belonging. This place was—and is— my home. And so, my art reflects that.

Sailboats drifting on the bay. Herons wading at the shoreline. Camellias and magnolias in full bloom. Crabs and pelicans, and even the occasional alligator sunning in the swampy marshes that pass for land around here. Each subject carries a piece of the Gulf Coast, and painting them is my way of celebrating this place I now call home.

When I put them on paper, I’m not just painting objects. I’m painting gratitude for a place where I finally feel like I belong.

Style Meets Identity

Line and wash isn’t just a technique to me. It’s a reflection of who I am. A little messy, a little defined. Open to change, but anchored to what matters. It’s a blend of freedom and structure, just like life itself.

And that’s why I’ve stopped worrying about whether it makes me less of an artist than finishing a painting in only watercolor. Because when I look at my work, I see a part of myself reflected back, and isn’t that the whole point of art?

Encouragement for Other Artists

If you’re reading this as an artist, especially a beginner, you might be struggling with similar doubts. Maybe you’ve been told you’re doing it wrong, or that your favorite style isn’t serious, or even that if you don’t have formal training, you’ll never be an artist. Here’s what I’ve learned: don’t let those voices drown out your own.

Lean into what excites you. Paint the subjects you can’t stop thinking about. Experiment with styles that feel natural, even if they aren’t traditional. Growth will happen regardless, but joy only comes when you’re painting in a way that feels true to you.

Practical Tips: Choosing Subjects That Speak to You

If you’re not sure what to paint, here are a few ideas I’ve found helpful:

1. Start with your surroundings. What’s outside your window? What grows in your neighborhood? What’s sitting right in front of you that you look at every single day? Local subjects often carry emotional weight.

2. Notice what you collect. We collect the things that are important to us. From the photos on your phone to doodles in your notebook, and even the objects we collect, patterns will emerge in what you already gravitate toward. You just have to look for them.

3. Start small. I mean physically small. Creating postcards, ACEO cards (Art Card, Edition, Original), or sketchbook pages lets you test new subjects without pressure. Smaller is truly easier, and it’s a good place to start experimenting.

4. Stick with what feels good. If you can’t stop painting flowers, paint flowers. If all you want to create are drawings of bugs, then draw the damned bugs. Repetition is not a weakness; it’s how style develops and how your art soothes your soul.

Bringing It Together

So why do I paint what I paint? Because it feels like home. My favorite subjects—the florals, the Gulf Coast creatures, the coastal landscapes—reflect what I love. My favorite style—line and wash—reflects who I am.

A little messy. A little defined. Constantly changing.

And in the end, I think that’s more than okay. I think that’s exactly the point.