Easy Watercolor Tape Art for Beginners (No Drawing Required)

If you’ve ever wanted to paint with watercolors but felt stuck thinking “What should I paint?” — this one’s for you.

Today’s project is calm, simple, and wonderfully low-stress. No drawing skills needed. No perfect brush control required. Just tape, paint, and let the colors do their thing.

This is the kind of watercolor exercise you do when your brain wants quiet and your hands want play.

What You’ll Need

• Watercolor paper
• Any tape you have on hand:
• Washi tape
• Masking tape
• Painter’s tape
• Watercolor paints
• I’m using: Yellow, Green and Blue (use whatever colors you like.) 
• Brush and water
• Optional: hair dryer or heat gun (Helpful if the tape feels stubborn when it’s time to peel.)

I recommend using watercolor paper — but for this project, I’m actually not using it.

I believe in painting over perfection, not waiting for the “right” supplies. So I used thin, non-watercolor paper because that’s what I had on hand.

  A few things to note:

•  The paper did wrinkle a bit
•  It has a slight coating on it (which helps the water not soak into the paper fast )
• And honestly? It still worked, you just have to adjust how much water you use.

If you have watercolor paper, great. If you don’t, use what’s available and experiment with the amount of water and painting speed.

No fancy supplies. No “correct” brand. Use what’s already nearby.

Step 1: Tape Your Shapes

Lay your watercolor paper flat on your table and start taping off simple shapes.

I personally love triangles — they’re easy, satisfying, and somehow always look intentional. But squares, rectangles, or random angles work just as well.

Don’t overthink the layout. Let the tape land where it wants to land.

Step 2: Paint Inside the Tape

Now for the fun part.

Paint inside the taped-off shapes using bright, playful colors. Try:

• One color per shape
• Blending two colors together
• Letting colors bleed and surprise you

This is not about perfection. It’s about enjoying how the paint moves, spreads, and settles.

Step 3: Let It Dry (Seriously)

Once everything is painted, step away and let the paper dry completely.

Resist the urge to peel the tape early. 

Step 4: Peel the Tape

When the paper is fully dry, gently peel off the tape to reveal clean, crisp edges underneath.

If the tape feels stubborn or starts pulling the paper:

• Use a hair dryer or heat gun
• Warm the tape slightly
• Peel slowly at an angle

Your paper will thank you.

The Final Reveal

And just like that — you’re done.

You’ll be left with a bold, colorful piece of watercolor art that looks thoughtful and polished… without any stressful planning.

This is one of my favorite techniques for:

• Relaxing after a long day
• Getting back into painting after a break
• Warming up before a bigger watercolor project

No pressure. No expectations. Just paint.

Happy Painting 

If you try this project, let yourself enjoy the process more than the outcome.