13 Summer Watercolor Paintings With Free Outline Templates for Beginners

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Table of Contents

1. Ice Cream Cone
2. Slice of Watermelon
3. Lemonade Glass
4. Straw Sun Hat
5. Sunglasses
6. Popsicle
7. Sunflower in a Jar
8. Beach Umbrella
9. Strawberry Basket
10. Pineapple Drink
11. Camping Tent
12. Bicycle With a Basket
13. Pool Float Ring
14. Frequently Asked Questions

These summer watercolor paintings give you thirteen easy subjects to paint without drawing a single line yourself. Each one comes as a pair: a finished painting to use as your guide, and a clean outline built from a few big simple shapes that you can trace straight onto your own paper.

Print the outline at the size you want, then transfer it to watercolor paper by taping both sheets to a sunny window or a light pad, or by sliding graphite transfer paper underneath and tracing the lines. Once the shapes are on your paper, prop the finished painting beside you and paint it your own way, loose and relaxed or slow and careful.

Ice Cream Cone

Paint the scoop first in a pale pink wash, then drop in a stronger rose pink while the paper is still damp so the two colours blend softly at the base. Let that dry fully before painting the cone in a warm golden tan, pressing a little harder along the bottom point for depth. Once everything is dry, add a thin criss-cross pattern across the cone with a fine brush or a brown pencil to finish it off.

Palette: Opera Pink,Permanent Rose,Yellow Ochre,Burnt Sienna

Slice of Watermelon

Start with a bright red wash across the whole flesh shape, leaving the rind area dry for now. While the red is still wet, touch a little deeper pink along the center for shape. Paint a thin strip of pale green between the flesh and the rind, then a darker green band along the outer curve, letting the two greens touch and blend slightly. Finish with small black oval seeds scattered across the red once it has dried completely, and this one pairs nicely with the citrus slices in these easy watercolor fruit paintings.

Palette: Cadmium Red,Permanent Rose,Sap Green,Hooker’s Green,Ivory Black

Lemonade Glass

Wash the glass with a very pale yellow, leaving small irregular white shapes for the ice cubes so they read as glass without any outline. Paint the lemon wheel on the rim in a slightly brighter yellow with a thin ring of darker yellow at the edge. Add the straw in two alternating colours in simple bands, and finish with a few short curved lines on the glass to suggest condensation.

Palette: Lemon Yellow,Cadmium Yellow,Cerulean Blue,White

Straw Sun Hat

Lay a pale golden wash across the whole hat first, then while it is still a little damp, drop a warmer tan into the shadowed underside of the brim so the colour pools naturally. Once dry, paint the ribbon band in one flat confident stroke of colour, leaving a thin sliver of white paper along its top edge for shine. Short curved pencil or fine brush lines across the brim suggest the woven straw without any fuss.

Palette: Yellow Ochre,Raw Sienna,Dusty Rose

Sunglasses

Paint both lenses in a dark warm grey or brown, leaving a small white or pale blue curved highlight untouched in each one so they look glassy rather than flat. Let the lenses dry before painting the frame in a bright contrasting colour, keeping the line steady and even around each lens. A thin darker line along the top edge of the frame gives it just enough weight to look finished.

Palette: Payne’s Grey,Burnt Umber,Cadmium Orange

Popsicle

Wet the whole popsicle shape first, then drop coral into the top half and a paler orange into the lower half, letting the two colours bleed softly into each other in the middle. While it is still damp, touch a few tiny drips below the base with a very light wash so they fade into the white paper. Paint the stick in a flat pale tan once the popsicle is completely dry.

Palette: Coral Red,Cadmium Orange,Raw Sienna

Try two different colour combinations on two prints of this one, like cherry red into pink, or lime green into yellow, to build a little set.

Sunflower in a Jar

Paint the petals first in a bright yellow, letting each one stay a separate loose shape rather than blending them together. Drop a warm orange into the base of a few petals while they are still damp for gentle variation. Paint the dark center in rich brown with tiny dots of darker brown once dry, then add the stem and jar, leaving the water area as a very pale blue wash over white paper. Keep the stem line steady when you transfer it, since it is the thinnest shape on the page.

Palette: Cadmium Yellow,Cadmium Orange,Burnt Umber,Sap Green,Cerulean Blue

Beach Umbrella

Paint the umbrella panels one at a time in alternating bright colours, keeping each panel a flat even wash so the stripes stay crisp and readable. Let each colour dry before painting the one beside it to avoid muddy edges where they meet. Add a thin pale tan wash along the bottom of the page for sand, and a simple grey pole and line for the handle to finish the scene.

Palette: Coral Red,Cerulean Blue,Cadmium Yellow,Raw Sienna

Strawberry Basket

Paint each strawberry in a bright red wash, leaving a few tiny white flecks for seeds before the paint dries completely. Add the green leafy tops in a quick confident stroke for each berry, then paint the basket in a warm tan, adding a few short curved lines once dry to suggest the woven pattern. Keep the basket washes loose, since a slightly uneven tan actually reads as texture. For more ways to paint the fruit itself, the watercolor strawberries ideas here are worth a look.

Palette: Cadmium Red,Sap Green,Raw Sienna,White

Pineapple Drink

Paint the glass itself in a golden yellow wash with a few short vertical lines of darker yellow to suggest the pineapple texture of the glass. Leave the drink inside slightly paler than the glass so the two read as separate layers. Paint the pineapple wedge on the rim in the same golden family with a thin green edge, then finish with the little paper umbrella in one or two bright flat colours.

Palette: Cadmium Yellow,Yellow Ochre,Sap Green,Coral Red

Camping Tent

Paint the tent body in one bright flat colour, then while it is still slightly damp, drop a darker tone of the same colour into the doorway triangle so it reads as a shaded opening. Let it dry, then add a thin darker line along the roof seam and the guy lines with a fine brush. A pale green wash along the bottom of the page for ground is all the background this one needs.

Palette: Cadmium Orange,Burnt Sienna,Sap Green

Bicycle With a Basket

Paint the frame first in a soft flat colour, keeping the lines of the wheels and handlebars steady and even since this is the most linear subject in the set. Once dry, paint the wicker basket in a warm tan with a few curved lines for texture, then tuck in two or three loose flower shapes in bright colours spilling over the rim. Keep the wheels as simple pale grey circles rather than adding spokes, which keeps the whole picture calm and easy to read.

Palette: Dusty Rose,Raw Sienna,Sap Green,Payne’s Grey

If the bicycle feels fiddly to trace, simplify the wheels to plain circles and skip any spoke lines entirely, the shape still reads clearly at a glance.

Pool Float Ring

Paint the ring in alternating bright stripes, letting each dry before the next so the colours stay clean and separate rather than bleeding together. Leave the center hole as a pale blue wash to suggest the pool water underneath, with a few short wavy white lines left untouched for movement. A thin white highlight line left unpainted along the top curve of the ring gives it a glossy inflated feel, and for more poolside and beach ideas in the same mood, see this collection of summer watercolor painting ideas.

Palette: Coral Red,Cadmium Yellow,Cerulean Blue,White

What to Do Next

Pick whichever subject matches the mood you want today, print its outline, transfer it to your watercolor paper and start painting with the finished version propped up beside you for reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size should I print these outlines at?

Print at standard letter or A4 size for most subjects, which fits a 9 by 12 inch watercolor pad comfortably. Enlarge on a photocopier or printer setting if you want a bigger focal painting for a wall.

What paper works best for these paintings?

Cold press watercolor paper of at least 140lb weight holds washes well without buckling badly. Hot press paper works too if you want smoother edges and less texture in the finished painting.

How do I transfer the outline onto watercolor paper?

Tape the printed outline behind your watercolor paper against a sunny window or light pad and trace the lines through with a pencil. Graphite transfer paper slipped between the two sheets works just as well without a light source.

Can I colour these with pencils or markers instead of paint?

Yes, every outline works just as well with coloured pencils or markers if you prefer not to paint. Layer pencils lightly and build up colour slowly, or use markers for flatter, bolder colour blocks.

What if I make a mistake while painting?

Let the area dry fully, then lift a little colour with a damp clean brush and blotting paper, or paint over it once dry with a slightly stronger wash. Small unevenness usually reads as texture rather than as a mistake.