PAINT WITH GRANULATING EFFECT
The granulating effect occurs because the pigments used in granulating paints have different densities or particle sizes. As the paint dries, the heavier or larger particles settle in the tooth of the paper, while the lighter or smaller particles remain on the surface, resulting in a granular or speckled pattern.
The Effect of Granulation in Watercolours
There is always a lot of discussion around granulation in watercolour: all watercolour artists know that some colours have a greater tendency to naturally granulate than others. But not all of them know what causes granulation and how it can be used in paintings.
Granulation is the visibly clear appearance of pigment particles in an uneven texture on the paper. Sounds complicated? Simply put, the nature of this phenomenon lies in the name itself: according to the dictionary, granulation is the formation of grains of a substance. In the case of watercolours, this substance is a pigment, and certain pigments tend to granulate, i.e. to form small dots and/or groups of flakes that are visually noticeable on paper.
What causes Granulation in Watercolours? The Nature of the pigment is the most important factor in the formation of granulation in watercolour. There are groups of pigments that have a natural tendency to granulate because they are heavier.
These are:
Ultramarines
Cobalts (including Ceruleans)
Earth tones
Blacks
An example of Ultramarine watercolour granulating
Most earth pigments are now made with synthetic rather than natural pigments. Synthetic iron oxides, like Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber, granulate differently between brands with some granulating heavily and others hardly granulating at all. Many genuine mineral pigments produce dramatic granulating effects due to their larger pigment particle size.
Ultramarine blue, PB29, is usually a granulating pigment but some versions are very finely milled which reduces granulation. Many professional watercolour manufacturers offer both French Ultramarine and Ultramarine Blue. Of the two, French Ultramarine granulates more readily. Granulation of Ultramarine Pink varies greatly across brands.
Of the black pigments, Ivory Black and Mars Black usually granulate strong. Lamp Black generally does not produce any granulating effect.
To get Thebes result of the granulation it recommended to let the pigment work by themselves and do not disturb it, just add water and let it work. For example if you compare these two photos; On the left photo you can see clean wash of each paint (undisturbed, untiled, unsprayed, dried horizontally). On the right photo you can see how the paint behaves when mixed with each other when you actively spraying with water and rotating the paper.
- DS – Daniel Smith
- VG – Van Gogh
STONE SURFACE LIBRARY
In this video let’s create the “Stone Surface Library” of the paints with granulation effect.
Please prepare all granulation paints that you have.
The list of paints used in the video demonstration:
- HORADAM Schmincke
- Tundra Violet
- Tundra Orange
- WHITE NIGHTS
- Blue Shadows
- Grey- Rose Mist
- Hematite Mist
- Daniel Smith
- Shadow Violet
- Piemontite Genuine, PRIMATEK
- Hematite Genuine, PRIMATEK
- Van Gogh
- Grafite
