Three Common Watercolor Painting Problems

Blooms, Streaks, Mud

If you've been painting for any length of time at all, you've probably run into all of these at one point or another. They are :

• Blooms

• Streaks

• Mud

This article covers all three of them and the underlying problem that causes them and how you can avoid them. If your best efforts still result in one or more, there are possible fixes that are covered as well.

Of the three, blooms are recognized as a frequent problem because they are usually very obvious. Streaks and mud occur almost as often but aren’t as easily recognized.

All three are caused by when the medium - WATER - is not managed well. 

Water Control

Water control is a critical factor in watercolor painting. Much of the frustration of learning this medium stems from lack of water control.

Water control is enhanced when one understands one principle of water dynamics : fluid water wants to be in a state of equilibrium - the surface is flat and horizontal, no matter the change of depth below the surface. If water is not in a state of equilibrium, it will move to establish it - flowing from areas of higher volume to areas of lower volume.

The definition of equilibrium may seem obtuse. Just remember it this way : more water will flow toward less water.

It’s also important to know that your supplies and materials have a lot to do with your ability to control the water. Brushes and paper are two essentials for painting in watercolor. Both are absorbent when dry or nearly so. These two ideas - water equilibrium and absorption - come into play and interact when painting in watercolor.

Also remember that transparent watercolor is formulated to reach its best potential when the pigment can flow and disperse completely easily in fluid washes.

Ultimately, it all boils down to knowing how wet the paper or wash is and how wet the water and paint in the brush is. Remember that wetter flows to drier and both paper and brushes have some factor of absorbency, especially when dry. So, for example :

• A wet brush will easily release water onto dry paper - (safe!)

• A wet brush will release water into a wet wash - (safe)

• A wet brush will easily release water into a partially dry wash - (recipe for blooming)

• A dry brush will absorb/pick up color and water from a wet wash - (recipe for streaks)

• A dry brush will release paint and the small amount of water it retains onto a dry passage - (recipe for mud)

This tutorial goes over all three problems, how they are created and how they can - sometimes - be fixed.