Beautiful Messes on Purpose
Technique level: Basic
Duration: ~30 minutes

Paper:
Kreatima aquarelle 25% cotton (maybe)*.
Colors, all A.Gallo:
– Green Gold
– Sap green
– Ultramarine
– Indigo (NB1)
*Should be a 100% cotton, this
paper dries very un-evenly…
Objective:
Experiment with splattering and controlled blooms to create random, organic textures – perfect for earthy, irregular surfaces like soil clumps, bark, or weathered wood. The trick? Knowing when to let go and when to rein it in.
Materials:
- Watercolor paper (cold press or rough texture ideal)
- Round brush + stiff brush or toothbrush for splatter
- Natural, earthy pigments (e.g., Burnt Umber, Sepia, Raw Sienna, Payne’s Grey, Green Gold)
- Optional: spray bottle, sponge, or salt for extra play
- Towel or scrap paper for catching stray splatter
Steps:
- Loose Sketch or Shape Mask (Optional):
Lightly mark the shape of a bark strip, patch of soil, or a cracked bit of wood grain – just a frame, or even a masked-out rectangle if you want to focus purely on texture. - Base Wash:
Lay down a loose, light-toned wash to define the general surface. Let it partially dry – aim for a semi-damp paper state (this is bloom territory). - Controlled Blooms:
- While the paper is still damp in spots, drop in more concentrated pigment – don’t brush it, just let it spread.
- Try using two colors (e.g., Raw Sienna + Burnt Umber) and drop them close together to let them mingle and bloom organically.
- Tilt your paper if needed to steer the flow, or leave it flat for more symmetrical blooms.
- Splatter Time:
- Load a stiff brush or toothbrush with dark pigment (e.g., Sepia + Payne’s Grey mix) and tap or flick it over the area.
- For more directional texture (like cracks in wood), use your finger to pull bristles back and release in one direction.
- Mask off surrounding areas with paper if you want to keep the chaos contained.
- Add Detail (Optional):
Once dry, you can add fine lines or knots in bark with a small brush, or layer a glaze over the texture to push parts back into shadow.
Focus:
- The goal here is natural irregularity – textures that don’t look painted, but discovered.
- Practice restraint – stop before it looks too “busy.”
- Blooms should suggest moisture or softness, splatter should suggest grit or bark roughness.
Bonus Prompt:
Try doing a patch of texture with and without a base wash. See how the splatter and blooms behave differently on wet vs. dry paper.