Showcase of Watercolor Effects in Web Design

Web design is an eclectic industry with a wide range of creative professionals with all sorts of backgrounds. Some of them are very artistic backgrounds. This is evident by the number of design elements that fill the web and that are in use which are rooted in other arts. Elements that are meant to replicate those artistic mediums and transfer them into the digital realm.

Today we are looking at a showcase of web designs that have all included some watercolor effects with inspiring effectiveness. Below we have taken some screencaps and included some of the ways these fantastic designers have brought this ‘mixed media’ feel to their designs and the web audiences interacting with them.

Watercolor Effects in Web Design

Fabien Barral’s site uses a slight stained watercolor texture in the background is subtly employed to add a bit of richness to the header. The arrows also carry a light bit of watercolor texturing, allowing them to stand out a bit more. With the site layout being so clean and sharp, the watercolor effects add a nice bit of balance here.

Football Made in Africa uses bold, in your face watercolor effects all throughout the design with stunning results. Watercolors are not often the first thing that comes to mind when going for the grunge design approach, but as we see here, it can be done with a hard edge that works fabulously to that end.

Small White Bear blends watercolor textures and cute illustrated iconography and imagery to help bring a serious issue to the forefront with a design that tugs gently at the heartstrings. The subtle watercolor effects adding dashes of color and depth to the site.

Jacksonville Artwalk uses a mass of layered watercolor effects to create a colorfully muddied focal point to allow their massive header to display against the large image behind it. With the nature of the site being what it is, this perfectly compliments and accents the group’s mission and purpose.

The Happy Time Cafe has a beautifully designed interface that uses a multi-color watercolor wash behind the elements in the header and footer (and more). Each element also has the look and feel of a watercolor painting. Working well with the canvas texturing beneath it, the site has the feel of an actual painting versus a digital rendering of a painting.

Olszanska is one of the first sites that we have come to where the watercolor effects are used more for highlights than as texture or background. With these subtle inclusions, the site takes on a bit more grunge to mix with the other elements working in that tone through the design. Nicely accented.

Klinkov’s site design takes on a much more minimalistic approach than most of the ones we have featured thus far, but the watercolor painted effects help to give the whitespace it encroaches upon a nice bit of texture and personality. Given that the site is home to a painter, this is no mistake.

Erguvan Platin does so many things right with this effective and engaging design, that simply highlighting the brilliant use of watercolor textures deployed in the background seems a bit of a short sell. But the stunning way they are used, is just one of the many reasons this site is worth a look.

That brings us to the end of this showcase. What were some of your favorites featured? What other sites that use watercolor effects have caught your attention around the web? Leave us your thoughts below.