Painting with watercolor is a delicate and lovely art form, but it can be annoying when blooms appear out of nowhere on your paper. These blooms, which are also called blossoms or backruns, happen when there is too much water and the color spreads out of control, leaving behind streaks or patches that you don’t want. Thankfully, there are several ways to fix watercolor blooms and save your work.
How to Figure Out Why Watercolor Blooms Happen
It’s important to know what causes blooms in the first place before trying to fix them. Finding the cause of the problem can help keep it from happening again.
Too Much Water Use
If you paint with too much water, blooms can happen. The paper can’t take in any more color when it’s already too saturated, so the color spreads out randomly.
Not Very Good Paper
Poor quality paper doesn’t soak enough to keep the flow of water and color in check. This can make growing problems worse, especially when using wet-on-wet methods.
Not Mixing Pigments Right
Blooms can be caused by colors that are not diluted properly. The paint could leave streaks or spots on the paper if it is too concentrated or not spread out evenly.
How to Stop Watercolor Blooms
Fixing blooms is important, but stopping them from happening in the first place is better. Here are some things you can do ahead of time to avoid growing problems:
Changing the ratio of water to paint
To control the flow of color, keep the water-to-paint ratio even. Try out different amounts until you find the right consistency for the way you want to paint.
Using Top-Notch Paper
Spend money on good watercolor paper that can soak up the paint. Strong paper will hold up better in wet washes and keep blooms from forming.
Correct Diluting of Pigments
Before you put your colors on the paper, make sure you dilute them properly. Mixing consistently makes sure that the colors are spread out evenly and lowers the risk of blooming.
How to Fix Watercolor Blooms
Even if precautions are taken, painting blooms may still happen. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to fix them:
Method of Blotting
Use a clean, dry paper towel or sponge to quickly blot the area to soak up any extra water and color. Don’t hit the paper too hard; be soft.
How to Lift Things
Carefully wipe off the extra color from the bloomed area with a clean, damp brush or paper towel. Put pressure on the paper as needed, but don’t scrub it to keep it from getting damaged.
How to Use a Dry Brush
Soften the edges of the bloom with a dry brush to make the shift smoother and get rid of any sharp lines. This method works well for making small changes or blooms.
What Not to Do: Common Mistakes
If you want to fix watercolor blooms, don’t make these usual mistakes:
If you work the paper too hard, it can spread or get damaged even more.
Using too much force when lifting or pressing, which could cause the paper to tear or pill.
Not letting the paper dry all the way before trying to fix it, which can make growing problems worse.
In conclusion
Watercolor blooms can be a difficult problem for artists, but they are easy to fix or even avoid if you know the right tricks. Artists can better control their watercolor drawings and get beautiful results if they know what causes blooms and take steps to stop them before they happen.
FAQs stand for “Frequently Asked Questions.”
What can I do to tell if my paper is making my watercolors bloom?
For example, if the color isn’t absorbing well, it might pool or spread out unevenly.
Can I fix watercolor blooms by adding more paint on top of them?
It is possible to hide small blooms by adding more layers, but this doesn’t always work and can cause the paper to become too soft.
Are some colors more likely to make blooms happen?
It is possible that some colors, especially those that stain well, are more likely to bloom. It is important to try out different pigments and make changes to your method as needed.
Fixing painting flowers will change the way my paper feels.
Fixing blooms may slightly change the quality of the paper, depending on the method used. But if you take the right steps, any changes you make should be small and easy to hide in the picture as a whole.
How can I keep blooms from happening when I use wet-on-wet methods?
If you want to reduce blooming, you could use thicker paper or give the paper a light wash before adding more paint.