Day 16 – Splatter + Bloom Control

Day 16 – Splatter + Bloom Control

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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