Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ever wonder why your watercolor looks a little splotchy… or why colors keep wandering into places you didn’t want? 🎨😅
You’re probably running into one of two super common beginner issues.
Backruns happen when there’s just a bit too much water on your brush, more than what's on the paper.
The excess water traveling down the bristles of your brush pushes the pigment out and leaves splotchy effects or even darker outlines around your shapes.
Then we have bleeds. This is when colors spread into a neighboring area that wasn’t fully dry yet. Soft edges are lovely… unless you were hoping for a clean, crisp one. 🌈
Both backruns and bleeds can be beautiful when you use them on purpose.
Clouds, distant trees, dreamy gradients or even magical backround textures… all of these come from the same effects, just used with intention. ✨
Once you start developing water and brush control, and notice whether the amount of water in your paint mixtures, brush and paper are what you need them to be for the effects you're after, everything clicks.
Hope this was helpful! 💕
#watercolorforbeginners #watercolortutorial
Ever wonder why your watercolor looks a little splotchy… or why colors keep wandering into places you didn’t want? 🎨😅
You’re probably running into one of two super common beginner issues.
Backruns happen when there’s just a bit too much water on your brush, more than what's on the paper.
The excess water traveling down the bristles of your brush pushes the pigment out and leaves splotchy effects or even darker outlines around your shapes.
Then we have bleeds. This is when colors spread into a neighboring area that wasn’t fully dry yet. Soft edges are lovely… unless you were hoping for a clean, crisp one. 🌈
Both backruns and bleeds can be beautiful when you use them on purpose.
Clouds, distant trees, dreamy gradients or even magical backround textures… all of these come from the same effects, just used with intention. ✨
Once you start developing water and brush control, and notice whether the amount of water in your paint mixtures, brush and paper are what you need them to be for the effects you're after, everything clicks.
Hope this was helpful! 💕
#watercolorforbeginners #watercolortutorial
