I have always loved experimenting with watercolor, and one technique that has always made me happy is using a splatter technique in my paintings. It’s almost completely uncontrollable, and that gives a sense of mystery to my painting process. Today I’ll be showing you how I paint a starry background with splattering.
Supplies
Before I begin, here is a list of the supplies I used in this video:
Preparation
First, I traced a circle out of paper. I highly recommend using a heavy stock or even some watercolor scrap paper for this. I used computer paper, which I later regretted, so just be aware of that.
Next, I painted the edges of my moon with liquid frisket. Make sure to use a cheap junk brush when painting with frisket — this stuff WILL ruin your brushes. Once your frisket is dry, it should appear clear. Water down two blue colors — I used Turquoise Blue and True Blue from Ph Martin. Using some masking tape, I covered my moon with the circle we cut earlier, and now I’m ready to paint.
Splatter Technique #1: Beating Brushes
With this technique, I prefer to use a large mop round brush and a large-handled brush (it can be any brush, it just needs a large handle to beat on).
Using a large round mop brush, I collected a large amount of watered-down paint from my palette. Then, with a larger handled brush, I beat my round brush against it, splattering the paint onto my paper.
Splatter Technique #2: Blowing Paint
In this painting, I really wanted to give the effect of thick splattering paint streaks. To create this effect, I would blow on wet puddles lightly in the direction I wanted them to move.
Splatter Technique #3: Spraying Toothbrush
Next, dip an old toothbrush in the desired paint and, with your thumb, flick the paint onto the paper. I worked closer to the circle to try to get full coverage. I first used blue, then switched to a chartreuse green (or a light yellow-green) to add some color variation.
Finishing Touches
Once I removed the tape, I noticed a strong circle, which I proceeded to blend out in a circular motion with watered-down blue paint. I slowly moved from the center out, blending some of the splatter to create faint rings. Don’t overdo this technique, or you will lose your splatter effect.
Next, mixing black with the Norway Blue to create a deeper midnight blue, I repeated the previous splattering techniques. The only difference was that this time I used my circle cutout as a guard closer to the moon. Any blue paint that “accidentally” splatters on your moon can be smoothed out with water to create a cool illuminating effect — a prime example of how a mistake actually became a positive. Let this dry.
Adding the Stars
Finally, we are going to add stars. Make sure your old toothbrush is completely free of blue paint. Then, with acrylic white paint, splatter tiny stars over your dark surface. Using the splatter paint as a guide, add tiny dots for stars with a small liner paint brush.
Once again, let it dry, and then show it off to your friends.