Watercolor Art Digitization: Convert Traditional Paintings to Digital
Transforming traditional watercolor paintings through art digitization has revolutionized my creative process. As an artist passionate about both traditional and digital mediums, I’ve developed a comprehensive watercolor scanning workflow that preserves the organic beauty of traditional paintings while unlocking digital possibilities. In this guide, I’ll share my tested methods for digital art conversion that maintain the delicate textures and layers that make watercolors unique. Once digitized, your artwork can be shared on various Top Best Print on Demand Sites For Pattern Designers in 2024, opening up new opportunities for your creative business.
Table of Contents
Preparing Your Watercolor for Digitization
Before I get into how I’m converting my watercolors into digital art, the transformation process, you need to prepare your watercolor illustration for scanning. Proper preparation is key to getting good results. Start by making sure your artwork is completely dry so no bleeding or color change occurs during scanning. Remove any masking fluid residue and gently brush away eraser debris that may cast unwanted shadows. I recommend working with paintings that are slightly smaller than your scanner bed to capture the whole piece without distortion. If your watercolor has very bright or metallic elements you’ll want to take extra care in positioning to minimize glare. This step may seem simple but it’s the foundation for a successful digital conversion that preserves all the subtleties of your original work. Start with a high-quality watercolor on watercolor paper, consider the paper texture and actual paper quality. Without the texture of the paper or canvas showing through it looks flat. A way to get around this is by using a paper texture on top of your artwork! Another way is by using an “underpainting”. This can help show off the texture of the brush your using.
Pro Tips:
- Just remember starting with a high res file will give you more control over the photo/image quality and how big you can enlarge it (if that’s required).
- If you have pencil lines or fine details in your painting keep in mind these will show up in the final version.
- Choose a painting with saturated and defined colors and more contrast between edges and white paper to get a good translation.
- Also consider the size and resolution of your painting as it will affect the final art print.
Converting Your Watercolor to Digital
Converting your watercolor from paper to digital opens up endless possibilities for your artwork. By capturing every detail from the background textures to the fine brushstrokes you’ll keep the charm of the original while gaining the flexibility of digital manipulation. This will not only preserve your art but also allow you to make high quality art prints and digital watercolor variations. The key is to find the balance between honoring the traditional medium and enhancing it with digital tools.
Save as image with transparent background or PNG with white background. Convert your watercolor to digital format (JPEG or TIFF) for printing or sharing online.
Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast
Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation
Best Tools for Watercolor Scanning or Photography
When it comes to watercolor scanning, the right tools make all the difference. For smaller pieces, a flatbed scanner is ideal as it captures intricate details and consistent color tones. For larger paintings, a high-quality DSLR camera or smartphone with a high-resolution camera paired with proper lighting works well.10 Best Surface Pattern Design Tools for Beginners in 2025 (Honest Review & Price Comparison)
Invest in tools that allow for high-resolution scanning or imaging. This ensures that your artwork retains its charm and quality throughout the art digitization process. If a scanner isn’t available, apps like Adobe Scan or alternatives can be surprisingly effective.
After completing your watercolor scanning, bring your artwork into a program like Photoshop or Procreate to polish it. Adjust colors, clean up stray marks, and enhance brightness to make your artwork stand out during the digital art conversion process.
Be mindful not to over-edit—retain the organic textures and nuances of watercolor that make your art unique. Use tools like the healing brush or saturation adjustments to refine your digital artwork while staying true to your original piece.
Making Backgrounds Transparent for Versatile Digital Use
One of the most popular aspects of art digitization is creating artwork with transparent backgrounds, perfect for use in various digital projects like logos, stickers, or overlays.
In Photoshop, use the magic wand tool to carefully remove the background of your scanned or photographed artwork. This step ensures your artwork can easily blend into different mediums without losing the natural watercolor edges that make it so captivating.
Scaling Up: Vectorizing Watercolor Art for Large Projects
For projects that require scalability, like murals or large prints, vectorizing your artwork after watercolor scanning can be a game-changer. Adobe Illustrator allows you to combine raster textures with vector elements, preserving the integrity of your watercolor art while making it infinitely scalable.
While watercolor is traditionally raster-based, vectorizing portions of your artwork creates versatility for everything from small branding projects to massive installations. This is an essential step for advanced digital art conversion.
Scanning and Editing Your Watercolor in Adobe Photoshop
Creating a new document in Adobe Photoshop is the fun part where traditional paper meets digital art. You can mess around with the settings to get the best scan possible. Don’t forget to clean the scanning bed! I transfer the file and start editing. The magic happens when you draw and refine your scan layer by layer into a versatile piece. I always duplicate my original scan – this preserves the integrity of my original artwork while giving me freedom to experiment. I adjust levels and curves to enhance the texture of the watercolor paper while keeping it organic. These first steps are key to building a solid foundation that honors the traditional medium while opening up endless possibilities. Use a digital camera or scanner to capture your watercolor painting, consider the lighting and settings to get the best results. You can photograph artwork with a camera or phone but scanning is preferred for large products. Import your image into Adobe Photoshop and adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation to match the original painting. Use the Crop tool to isolate your artwork, leave some white space around it and rotate the image if needed. Mess around with different options during this process to get the best final image.
Editing and Refining
Now that your artwork is digital the real fun begins. Using specialized brush tools in your computer programs you can draw in extra elements that enhance your original watercolor piece by adding fine details. I hope you’ll play around with different techniques – from subtle texture overlays to bold digital additions. There’s even textured paper that’s so realistic. I mainly use Photoshop but other programs like Procreate, Illustrator or Clip Studio Paint have unique features that can bring new life to your traditional artwork and merge analog and digital art. Use brushes and blending modes to enhance and refine your digital image, add texture and depth to your watercolor painting. You can even create your own brushes and effects to give it your own twist.
Add a white background to your image or a transparent background to make it more versatile for a digital art print. Don’t forget you can use the Eraser Tool to remove imperfections and the Spot Healing Tool for quick fixes.
Preparing Your Digital Artwork for Print-On-Demand Platforms
Once your watercolor scanning is complete, you can prepare your files for print-on-demand services like Society6 or Redbubble. These platforms require high-resolution (300 DPI) files to ensure your artwork prints beautifully on physical products.
Convert your file to CMYK for printing to maintain color accuracy. Properly sized and formatted files are essential for turning your art digitization efforts into products that look professional and attract buyers.
Sharing and Promoting Your Digitized Watercolor Art Online
After completing the digital art conversion, share your work with the world! Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are ideal for showcasing your digitized watercolor art. Consider creating engaging content, such as before-and-after comparisons or short videos of your process. Top Best Print on Demand Sites For Pattern Designers in 2024
Use SEO-friendly captions and hashtags like #DigitalArtConversion, #WatercolorScanning, and #ArtDigitization to increase visibility. Sharing your journey not only helps you connect with an audience but also positions your work in front of potential buyers or collaborators.
This version incorporates the keywords naturally into the content, ensuring SEO optimization without feeling forced. It highlights the process while making it searchable and relevant for readers interested in digital art conversion and watercolor scanning. Ultimate Pattern Design Shop SEO Basics: 7 Proven Steps to Success
Art Prints from Your Digital Artwork
Being able to print my watercolor illustrations means people can buy art from an artist at an affordable price. It’s a win win. Once you have your digital image perfected you can enter the world of art prints and share your work. Through print-on-demand platforms you can offer your transformed watercolors in various formats without having to hold inventory. They will handle printing, shipping and customer service so you can focus on creating more art. The key is to choose quality printing services that will reproduce your digital watercolors accurately. Use your digital image to create art prints, either by printing yourself or through a print-on-demand service.
- Sell your art prints online through your own website or online marketplaces.
- Use your new image to create other products like greeting cards, mugs or phone cases.
- Use social media and online marketing to promote your art prints and reach more people.
Creative Opportunities
Converting your watercolor paintings to artwork opens up a world of creative and professional opportunities. It may seem overwhelming at first but the effort to master these techniques is worth it. Not only will you preserve your original paintings in digital form but you’ll also reach new audiences through online marketplaces and print-on-demand services. Remember each piece you digitize helps you refine your workflow and discover new ways to enhance your art. Whether you’re creating for yourself or planning to sell your work the skills you learned here will be the foundation of your artistic journey in both traditional and digital art. Start experimenting with your own watercolor pieces – you might be surprised by the creative doors that open when you merge these two worlds. Converting your watercolor paintings to digital art is fun and rewarding and will allow you to share your art with more people.
