Explore Watercolor Design Trends and Templates

Watercolors have been around for hundreds of years. Perhaps one of the most versatile artistic mediums, their distinct look and dreamy feel has made them a favorite of many different artists and designers, spanning a wide range of styles and genres. And with July marking World Watercolor Month, now is the perfect time to brush up on your digital watercolor skills! 

There’s no denying that watercolor is a timeless technique – but in recent years, digital watercolor has also become one of the hottest trends in the design world.  Used everywhere from a reimagining of The Jungle Book cover to Nescafe Coffee packaging, and even the front cover of Grazia Magazine, digital watercolor is an incredibly valuable and flexible style to have up your sleeve.

Watercolor can be used as a bold background, for a splash of color, or even to transform photos into watercolor portraits. And – by working in a digital medium – you can achieve the look and aesthetic of traditional watercolor with the ease, control and precision that technology affords us. No easel required.

So, water you waiting for? Here are a few creative ways to incorporate watercolor into your designs…

Creating an eye-catching logo is perhaps one of the most important aspects of building a strong brand for you or your clients. Incorporating the watercolor trend as an accent – such as in the text or as part of a graphic – or even as a splash of color in the background can be the perfect way to give any logo a unique, handmade feel; a key logo trend for 2020.

If you’re ready to lo-go, draw some inspiration from this Casey Watercolor Logo Template by 83Oranges, this Hand Drawn Brush Logo by Atamotion or these 50 Premade Watercolor Logos by Webvilla.

Mix business and pleasure by integrating a touch of watercolor into your business cards! Watercolor is a perfect way to create a distinctive, statement background for your business card without crowding your design or distracting from your info. In saying that, watercolor can also work beautifully as a design feature, or to to accentuate your logo or contact details.

If you’re ready to get down to business, get started with these Watercolor Business Cards by  MehmetRehaTugcu.

Perfect for weddings, engagements and baby showers, adding a touch of watercolor can be a beautiful way to elevate your invitations. Consider using a watercolor effect for your invitation’s background, text or details for a romantic, personalised and elegant feel.

If you want to make your next event extra inviting, try out this Pink Watercolor Invitation by aarleykaiven or one of these 8 Wedding Invitations by Webvilla!

If you want to add a real wow factor to your next video, watercolor can be a great way to give it a more creative, organic feel. You can integrate watercolor into your video background, video transitions or video typography for a beautiful, artistic effect.

If you’re ready to put your watercolor skills into motion, check out these Ink Transitions by GerardGerard, this Watercolor Ink Typography by ROKKU or this Watercolor Motion Kit by ThomasKovar.

Pairing watercolor with the hand-drawn charm of illustration can make for beautiful composition and whimsical designs. Whether you prefer to fill in your illustrations with a precise painting style, add some color to accentuate certain features, or add splashes of watercolor to create an artistic background, illustrations and watercolor are a match made in heaven.

“Since childhood, I’ve loved painting with watercolor,” says Envato Elements Author, Kaleriia Tverdokhlib. “When I graduated from Fine Arts, I chose watercolor as my main medium. It’s my favorite material, as you can create anything with it – from traditional paintings to modern abstract illustrations.”

If you’re keen to try your hand at digital watercolor illustration, check out this Watercolor Sketch Photoshop Action by profactions, or draw some inspiration from this beautiful Watercolor Fox Illustration by swiejko ot these Watercolor Creatures by Veila.

Have you ever wished you could paint a beautiful watercolor portrait, without the years it takes to master the skill? Well, you’re in luck! Perhaps one of the most exciting applications of digital watercolor, is using it to transform photos into beautiful watercolor paintings. By applying watercolor Photoshop actions to your image, you can customize, color grade, and add texture to any digital photo to turn it into a watercolor masterpiece.

Become a professional portraitist at the click of a button with this Watercolor Photoshop Action, Mixed Media Photoshop Action and Watercolor Creation Kit by sevenstyles or this Watercolor Sketch Photoshop Action by dgas99.

The rise of digital art has seen a welcome abundance of creativity and artistry blossoming online, and watercolor has quickly become a big trend on social media – particularly Instagram. Whether you’re an artist using social media to post your work, or simply want to integrate the watercolor effect into your posts, there are plenty of social media templates to help you add a splash of watercolor into your feed.

If you’re keen to create engaging watercolor content, check out this Romantic Watercolor Instagram Post Template by WildOnes, this Watercolor Instagram Puzzle by uicreativenet or these Watercolor Instagram Templates by switzergirl.

Your website is often the first interaction with your brand for new clients or customers, so why not weave some watercolor into your web design? You can use it as a bright, bold background, a subtle pattern in your website graphics, or in small details and accents throughout. There’s really no right or wrong when it comes to watercolor and web design, so experiment to find what works best for your or your client’s brand.

Bring your website into full bloom with this Spring Watercolor & Floral Template Kit by dtbaker, featuring high quality watercolor floral graphics in pink, purple and green.

While you should never judge a book by its cover, it’s super important to ensure that your product packaging makes a lasting impression. So, if you want to wrap your product up in a pretty little package that stands out from the rest, using watercolor can be a great way to give your packaging a unique, one-of-a-kind feel. You can incorporate small touches of watercolor throughout your design, or go wild and splash it all over. Show your true colors!

If you want to get some ideas on how to incorporate watercolor into your packaging, check out Summer Colors Flowers, Tropical Patterns and Fairy Dust Flowers by Webvilla. 

A more artistic take on classic calligraphy and traditional cursive scripts, watercolor fonts allow you to add a creative, handwritten touch to your designs. Any designer knows that choosing the right font can be crucial in communicating a message beyond just words on a screen or page; by wrapping your words up in the right package, you can strengthen your brand and messaging to no end. Integrating watercolor fonts into your designs can be an eye-catching way to convey your creativity and emphasise your messaging.

To add a flourish of watercolor to your text, try this Anise Font by Webvilla, Aveline by aarleykaiven or this Pastelle SVG Fonts by letterhend.

Ready to get started? Test the waters with our Watercolor Collection over at Envato Elements, or jump right in and learn everything there is to know about digital watercolor with these handy watercolor tutorials over at Tuts+!

Love the artwork in this article? So do we! Feature image created using items from MarinaErmakova and Webvilla on Envato Elements.