Easy Three Color Watercolor Baby Bella Mushroom Tutorial for Reluctant Artists

If you consider yourself a reluctant artist, this one is for you. With only three watercolor paints and two brushes, you can paint a sweet little cluster of baby bella mushrooms today.

Watch the Tutorial

Why This Watercolor Mushroom Painting Is Perfect for Beginners

Mushrooms are naturally soft and imperfect, which makes them one of the most forgiving subjects you can paint. There are no sharp edges to get exactly right and no symmetry to worry about. This tutorial uses the same limited three color watercolor palette from the lavender and sunflower tutorials, so if you have already tried either of those, you are ready to go. It is a simple, relaxing project, and a lovely reminder that ordinary things can be beautiful when we slow down enough to really see them.

Watercolor Supplies You Will Need

You do not need to buy anything new for this one. Use what you already have on hand.

Watercolor Paints (Three Colors Only)

• A warm yellow, such as New Gamboge
• A cool red, such as Quinacridone Rose
• A warm blue, such as French Ultramarine

Any red, yellow, or blue you feel comfortable with will work here.

Watercolor Brushes

• A round brush, size 3
• A round brush, size 10

Both brushes have a pointy tip, which makes it easy to move between small details and slightly bigger washes.

Watercolor Paper This tutorial uses a 5×7, 100% cotton watercolor block, glued around all four sides to help keep the paper from wrinkling as you paint. Whatever size you choose, 100% cotton paper is highly recommended, since it makes a noticeable difference in how your paint moves and dries.

Supplies (Amazon Links) (Some links are affiliate links: see note below)

• Watercolor Paints: Daniel Smith Professional Watercolors https://amzn.to/4lASfPl
• Paper: Arches Natural White 100% Cotton Cold Pressed https://amzn.to/3Phgqq7
• Brushes: Princeton Aqua Elite https://amzn.to/4cZi4Xn
• Brushes: Princeton Neptune https://amzn.to/4bgEd23 or
• Watercolor Paints: MeiLiang Pretty Excellent Watercolors https://amzn.to/4btAr4a
• Paper: Paul Rubens Natural White 100% Cotton Cold Pressed https://amzn.to/4sWyF2O
• Brushes: Windsor & Newton Cotman Round https://amzn.to/4lFRIvS
• The links above are Amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting my work and helping me continue to create free, encouraging art tutorials 🤍

Step by Step: How to Paint Watercolor Baby Bella Mushrooms

Step 1: Mix Your Mushroom Brown

Start by mixing New Gamboge with Quinacridone Rose until you get a nice coral color. Rinse your brush, then add French Ultramarine in the tiniest touches at a time. Blue is a strong pigment, so a little goes a long way. Keep adding small amounts until you land on a rich, brownish beige, this will be your main mushroom color.

Remember, this is an art form, not a science. If your brown looks a little different from someone else’s, that simply means it is yours.

Step 2: Paint the Mushroom Caps

Using your number 10 round brush, paint three mushroom caps by pushing your brush down and filling in a soft ellipse shape for each one, with the bottom edge slightly flatter. Work slowly and steadily, this step should feel relaxing rather than stressful. Add a little more paint to your brush as needed between mushrooms.

Step 3: Paint the Stems

Clean your brush and add a bit more water to your mushroom brown, thinning it from a coffee like consistency to more of a tea like consistency. Use this lighter mixture to paint simple lines underneath each cap for the stems. It is okay if the color pools slightly, you can always go back and even it out once the first layer has dried.

Let this entire first layer dry completely before moving on.

Step 4: Mix a Deeper Brown

While the first layer dries, mix a second, darker brown using the same method, New Gamboge and Quinacridone Rose first, then French Ultramarine added slowly in small touches. This time, be a little more generous with the blue so you end up with a deeper, more muted brown.

Step 5: Add Shape and Texture to the Caps

Using your number 3 round brush and the darker brown mixture, add small lines along the bottom edge of each cap to suggest the natural imperfections and gradations found on real mushrooms. Keep your lines a little higher up on the sides and lower in the middle to help each cap feel rounded. There is no need to match any reference exactly, this is your interpretation, and that is what makes it art rather than a photograph.

Step 6: Add a Hint of Dirt

Using the same darker brown, add a few small lines around the base of each mushroom to suggest they are resting in the dirt. You do not need to fill in the whole area, just a few gestural lines are enough to tell the story.

Step 7: Add Shadows to the Stems and Caps

With the same color, add a few small lines along the left and right sides of each stem to suggest shadow and shape, then add a soft shadow line just underneath each cap. Keep it simple, this soft, forgiving shape is exactly why mushrooms are such a great subject for beginners.

Step 8: Add Hand Lettering

Finish your painting by writing “baby bella” at the bottom of the page. Nothing fancy is needed, simple lettering keeps the whole piece feeling light and approachable.

Tips for Practicing This Watercolor Technique

• Let your first layer dry fully before adding the darker details, this keeps your shadows crisp instead of muddy
• Add blue to your brown mixtures a little at a time, since it is a strong pigment that can quickly overpower the other colors
• Remember that mushrooms are naturally soft and irregular, so there is no such thing as getting the shape wrong

Ready to Paint?

Baby bella mushrooms are a gentle reminder that ordinary things can be beautiful when we slow down enough to really see them. If this simple, forgiving approach felt encouraging, that is exactly the point. You do not need years of experience to create something lovely… you just need a little courage and a willingness to begin.

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