I Did The Challenge Too! (Patreon)

Published:

2026-09-08 12:05:47

Imported:

2026-10

Content

I couldn’t very well give you all a weekend challenge and then sit back with my feet up, could I? 😂 So I pulled out my paints and joined you!

The challenge was simple: choose just THREE colors and use them to create an autumn painting. Mixing is encouraged, experimenting is encouraged, and there are absolutely no bonus points for making it look like you spent 47 hours on it. 😉

I’ll admit, I had a little trouble finding something in my garden that actually looked like autumn. Here in the South, Mother Nature apparently didn’t get the memo that it’s September! 🥵🍁

But I did find some crape myrtle leaves that had started changing color. Now, I’m pretty sure their little display of fall color is less about crisp autumn days and more about the fact that we’ve been so incredibly dry. 😂 But hey… I’ll take my autumn inspiration wherever I can find it!

So I brought those leaves into the studio and used them as my subject for the challenge. In this video, you’ll get to see how I approached the three-color limitation, how I mixed my colors to create more variety, and how I worked with what I had—even when the garden wasn’t exactly cooperating.

I hope this gives you a little inspiration and shows you that there really is no “right” way to do this challenge. Your three colors might create something completely different from mine, and that’s exactly what makes this kind of exercise so much fun.

And remember, the goal isn’t to create a masterpiece. The goal is to play, experiment, notice, mix, and paint. ❤️

Files

Painting Autumn Leaves with ONLY 3 Colors! 🍂 | Limited Palette Watercolor Challenge

Can you paint a beautiful autumn painting using only THREE colors? 🍂🎨 For this video, I’m following along with the mini challenge I gave my Patrons over the weekend: paint an autumn-inspired painting using only three colors! Since the temperatures here in the South are still feeling much more like summer than fall, I decided to bring a little autumn into the studio with some beautiful leaves I found right in my garden. I’ll use just three colors to capture the changing colors, shapes, and details of these autumn leaves—and I’ll be mixing those colors to create even more variety. A limited palette is such a fun way to practice painting because it encourages you to really understand color mixing, value, harmony, and how much you can create from just a few paints. It also takes away some of the pressure of choosing from a huge collection of colors. You don't need a lot of colors to create a beautiful painting. Sometimes, three is all you need! 🍁 If you'd like to try the challenge yourself, grab three colors from your palette and paint something that says AUTUMN to you. Mixing is encouraged! 🍂 Want to join my art community and participate in challenges like this one? Come join me on Patreon for art prompts, tutorials, printable resources, challenges, and plenty of encouragement for your creative practice. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave me a comment telling me which three colors you would choose for your own autumn painting! MUSIC: Epidemic Sound