A Little Autumn Treasure: An Easy Squirrel Watercolor Tutorial for Beginners

This week's easy squirrel watercolor tutorial, "A Little Autumn Treasure," started with my California mornings. I'd get up and watch the squirrels tear through our green backyard, my husband's garden, chasing each other up the giant pepper tree so fast they'd blur. My husband grumbled about them chewing on the wires. I just loved watching them play.

They were always gathering, always preparing, and never once looked worried about it. They just did what squirrels do, trusting there would be enough.

I miss that yard. Our Idaho garden is just starting out, and the squirrels haven't found us yet. But the lesson came with me, and it's the heart of this week's painting: abundance lives in the little things we barely notice.

And here is the squirrel I painted:

A Squirrel Who Knows Something We Forget

I painted the simplest version of it. Not every detail, not every tuft of fur. Just the feeling: a round acorn, a busy little squirrel, a fluffy tail, hugging its treasure close.

Squirrels don't second-guess their gathering. They find an acorn, they tuck it away, and they move on to the next one. No worrying whether it's the right acorn. I wish I could be more like that at the kitchen table.

But here's what the squirrel reminded me: the gathering is the point. Not the perfect pile. Just the small, faithful act of picking up something good and keeping it close.

And because no painting leaves my table without one, there's a few tiny hearts tucked in beside the squirrel. Hearts are part of my signature:)

Mixing Our Acorn and Amber Colors

This project also gave me another chance to play with our Fall Collection palette. This week's colors are called Acorn and Amber: Sunlit Gold, Rust Orchard, Fallen Bark, Evergreen Hush and Dusty Bloom.

The squirrel was perfect for it.

I washed the acorn in warm Sunlit Gold and Fallen Bark, mixed a soft brown for the squirrel's fur, and let Evergreen Hush and Dusty Bloom bring the leaves and the little hearts to life.

One of my favorite things about working with a limited palette is discovering how many colors you can make without reaching for another tube of paint.

A Fun Trick: Mix-Your-Own Squirrel Brown

There's also a very simple trick in this week's tutorial that you can use in all kinds of paintings.

No red-brown on your palette? You can mix your own. Swirl Fallen Bark and any orange together, and you'll get a warm squirrel-brown that's perfect for furry friends.

Play with the amounts. More orange or even a touch of yellow keeps it light and golden. More dark brown makes it deeper and richer. That's the fun part, and no two mixes will look exactly alike, which is exactly as it should be. You can mix up several shades and use them all!

Paint This Little Squirrel With Me

For this week's project, we'll paint a sweet little squirrel together from beginning to end.

We'll start with an easy outline, wash in loose watercolor layers using our Acorn and Amber colors, add the squirrel, the acorn and the leaves, and finish with a fine-tip black pen. That's always my favorite moment, when the wobbly wash suddenly looks like it meant to do that all along.

And yes, there's a few tiny hearts in there too. ❤️

WATCH THE LITTLE SQUIRREL WATERCOLOR TUTORIAL ON YOUTUBE:

No watercolor experience is necessary. You can trace the outline if you'd rather not draw the squirrel yourself, and you certainly don't need to use the exact same paints I do.

The idea isn't to make yours look exactly like mine.

It's to paint something that makes you smile.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is a squirrel hard to paint in watercolor?
No! A squirrel is one of the friendliest subjects for a beginner. It's mostly simple shapes: a round body, a big fluffy tail and triangle ears. In this easy squirrel watercolor tutorial, we keep everything loose and whimsical, so wobbly lines just add charm.

What watercolor colors do I need for this squirrel?
I used my five-color Fall Collection palette: Hansa Yellow Light, Transparent Red Oxide, Raw Umber, Sap Green and Quinacridone Rose. You don't need these exact paints. Similar yellow, rusty orange, brown, green and pink-red watercolors will work.

Do I need to know how to draw to paint this squirrel?
No. This project is designed for beginners, and you can use a simple traced outline if drawing feels intimidating. The goal is to enjoy painting the shapes and colors, not to draw a perfectly proportioned squirrel.

How do you paint the squirrel's fluffy tail?
Loosely! Wash in a light layer of your mixed brown, then add a few darker strokes while it's still damp so the color blooms. A fluffy tail is very forgiving. The wilder it looks, the better.

What if I don't have reddish-brown paint?
Mix your own. Swirl Fallen Bark/deep brown and any orange together on your palette until you get a warm brown you like. It's one of my favorite tricks.

What if my squirrel looks wonky?
Good. Wonky becomes whimsical around here. A lopsided ear or an extra-fluffy tail just gives your squirrel more personality.

This Week's Heart Practice

Today I gather my own small treasures.

I like this week's Heart Practice because it's something you can carry with you all week, paintbrush or not.

In gratitude, you can say a little thank-you for the small treasures you've gathered this week. The warm drink. The falling leaves. The quiet ten minutes with a paintbrush in your hand.

Then, take a deep breath and smile at your painting.

Sometimes the smallest things, a busy squirrel, a few brushstrokes on paper, remind us of the biggest truth: you belong here.

With heart and color,
💛 Donna