World Watercolor Month: Day 2 — Painting a Playful Puffer Fish
World Watercolor Month: Day 2 — Painting a Playful Puffer Fish
Welcome back to Day 2 of my World Watercolor Month journal!
This morning I stayed with my under-the-sea theme and decided to paint a cheerful little puffer fish. Just like yesterday's sea turtle, I wanted this to be a fun, low-stress painting—more about enjoying the process than creating something perfectly realistic.
I'm using the same Caran d'Ache gouache pan set that I painted with yesterday. I've really been enjoying the bright, lively colors, and they've inspired me to continue exploring sea life.
I also reached for the same two brushes I've been using: a size 16 Escoda brush for larger areas and an inexpensive size 6 detail brush that has become one of my favorites. It isn't a fancy brush, but it feels comfortable in my hand, and that's what matters most. One thing I've learned is that your favorite brush doesn't have to be the most expensive one it just has to be the one you enjoy using.
Like yesterday, I skipped the pencil sketch and painted directly onto the paper. I began by outlining the puffer fish with yellow gouache. Starting with the lightest color makes it much easier to build the painting gradually, especially when you're working without a preliminary drawing.
As I painted, I realized my little puffer fish ended up looking much bigger than I intended—and honestly, that made me smile. Moments like that remind me not to take sketchbook pages too seriously. They're meant for experimenting, learning, and having fun.
Today's Tips
If you're hoping to build a morning painting habit, here are two things that have helped me:
Keep your art supplies set up and ready to use. Removing the setup time makes it much easier to sit down and paint, even if you only have 20 or 30 minutes.
Use the brushes you love. They don't need to be expensive. If a brush feels comfortable in your hand and makes you want to paint, it's the right brush for you.
That was my quiet little painting session for today. Nothing complicated—just a bright puffer fish, a few favorite supplies, and another peaceful morning spent making art.
Thanks for joining me for Day 2. I'll be back tomorrow to see where the paint takes me next.
If you enjoyed reading today's post, I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and let me know what you're creating this month, or share one thing that helps you make time for art.
Little puffer fish in gouache.
