When paint bursts into blooms and cauliflowers

Call them what you will...Watercolour paint will spread and do it's own thing if you are not careful.
Some call them 'blooms' others refer to them as 'cauliflowers'.

Okay, I've already done a blog post on this, but since it is a recurring issue with artists, especially those first learning, I felt it was worth another post here.

In this example painting of a Lighthouse, you'll notice that there is a darker area representing a window on the body of the building.  I did this Whilst the other paint was WET, and yet it didn't spread > bloom > cauliflower. 

This was possible because when I added the window, I used a thicker consistency of paint, thus the weight  of the paint being added was heavier than the paint it was going into, and hence it didn't spread.  

~ I hope this blog post is of help ~

When paint blooms

also called Run-backs, cauliflowers - method 2

Everyone has their own way of dealing with these annoying run-backs, but as I showed in my previous post they are easy to correct, so long as you are patient and really wait for the first layer of paint to completely dry.

I've another way of dealing with them and that's Cover them up.  Easy to do, but you have to make sure the paint you are adding, over the error, is more dense/heavier/thicker - less water with the paint in other words. 

then add some foreground rock

and it's finished...as easy as that.

Paint Splodges

PAINT SPLODGES...

Call them what you want, it's when the paint runs back on itself and eventually dries leaving what is known as   Run-backs - Blooms - Cauliflowers, all the same difference.  This is what I'm on about...

but don't panic.  

Some run-backs are good and I quite like to leave them if they are not

too obvious, it gives extra character (reason not an excuse).

However, it would be nice to know how to remove a run-back so

simply leave the painting to TOTALLY dry and I mean

REALLY DRY. 

When you're ready to tackle it, you will need a pot of clean water, not one like this which was on my desk

Use a synthetic brush (they cope better with this and saves you ruining your sables)

and have kitchen towel on hand too.

Wet the brush, but dab out the excess water then

rub over the 'run-back' area and quickly dab with the kitchen towel to dry the paper of

moisture and you have a painting minus run-back

Sorted!