World Watercolor Month is celebrated around the globe during July. Art has always been a medium of expressing our most intimate thoughts and emotions. Mediums like paintings, crafting, sculpting have been around for centuries to give voice to human emotions. Watercolor painting is one of the most ancient forms of art and its popularity will not wane for a long time to come. The month is celebrated by amateurs, artists, and educators to support the art form and raise awareness and funds for arts education. It is also a big social media event!
History of World Watercolor Month
Charlie O’Shields, the creator of Doodlewash® and host of the Sketching Stuff podcast, founded World Watercolor Month in 2016. He created a blog and social artist movement dedicated to promoting and bringing together the vast community of watercolor artists around the world. He started with a few art challenges, only to realize that even though the medium was widely loved, there weren’t any specific observances dedicated to it. An application to request the same was submitted and registrars agreed with the cause, and that’s how World Watercolor Month came to be.
Watercolor painting has a history going back many centuries with the earliest examples being paintings found on prehistoric cave walls. It is interesting to note how ancient creative expression is and its important role in human society. Since time immemorial, art has been responsible for bringing us together, inspiring us, and giving us hope during our toughest times. Needless to say, art has also played an important part in education. As a subject art acts as an equalizer that promotes universality to areas and topics that are often impacted by socioeconomic barriers. Yet, art education and art classes also bear the heaviest brunts during budget cuts of educational institutions? Doodlewash and World Watercolor Month hopes to raise funds and awareness for art education and classes, needy artists, and bring the magic of art to those who might not be able to pursue it otherwise.
World Watercolor Month timeline
Meng Tian invents the paintbrush in China.
China uses cloth sheets to make the first paper.
JMW Turner paints his famous creation, “Great Yarmouth Harbour, Norfolk.”
One of the world’s most famous watercolor artists is born.
World Watercolor Month FAQs
What is Doodlewash?
Doodlewash is a watercolor painting and sketching blog, community, and shopping portal.
Who invented watercolor?
Small, hard cakes of soluble watercolor were invented by William Reeves in 1780.
Which famous artists used watercolor?
John James Audubon, Georgia O’Keeffe, Elizabeth Murray are some of the famous artists who used watercolor.
World Watercolor Month Activities
Participate in the daily challenge.
Doodlewash assigns a theme to paint for every day of World Watercolor Month. You can attempt the challenge and share your screen with your online friends.
Get started on a month-long project.
If you don’t want to participate in the daily challenge, you can work on a single project throughout the month. Unveil your masterpiece on the last day of the month!
Donate art supplies.
You can also celebrate World Watercolor Month by donating art supplies to schools and education centers that are low on funds. This can also be a great CSR project.
5 Facts About Famous Artists That Will Blow Your Mind
Paintbrushes are replaced by cigarettes.
Jackson Pollock often used cigarettes to paint.
Braque created history at the Louvre.
Georges Braque was the first living person to be displayed at the Louvre.
Ballet fascinated Degas.
Edgar Degas has about 1500 paintings featuring dancers.
Warhol made time capsules.
Warhol would seal eccentric items in a box at the end of every month.
Rubens was knighted twice.
Paul Rubens was knighted by Philip IV, King of Spain, and Charles I, King of England.
Why We Love World Watercolor Month
It celebrates a popular art form.
Watercolor painting is one of the ancient and most popular art forms. World Watercolor Month celebrates this beloved medium.
It raises awareness.
World Watercolor Month also raises awareness about the importance of art education and how we can support schools and students who want to learn the art form. You can also donate to schools to make a difference.
Encourages creativity.
Watercolor Month challenges encourage us to put on our thinking caps and get creative. It can also help inculcate a new hobby or rekindle your love for it!
World Watercolor Month dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | July 1 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | July 1 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | July 1 | Thursday |
| 2028 | July 1 | Saturday |
| 2029 | July 1 | Sunday |
