When you flick paint from a brush onto a painting, it is spattering. This is done to create texture in your painting, and if done in moderation, it can add additional entertainment as well as give an impressionistic effect. It doesn’t take long for a new artist to discover this technique.

The size of the brush will determine the size and shape of the spatter. The smaller and stiffer the brush, the smaller the spatter. When stroking an old toothbrush with the thumbnail against the bristles, a fine spatter will result. When flickering a large round sable, a less controlled spatter will result.

To create white dots so a dark wash can paint over them, many artists will spatter first with masking fluid.

A good technique to give watercolor a little “oomph” is to use spatter with selected color flicked onto the painting when the paper is wet all over. This will diffuse and lightly mix the colors while it is easy to manipulate; for example, red spattered with a large round in selected spots of a wet blue sky will meld together to give a transparent hint of red when dry.