Granulation vs Blossoming vs Separating Colors in Watercolor — What’s the Difference?
Watercolor artists love using terms like granulation, blooms, backruns, and color separation like we’re discussing advanced nuclear physics instead of throwing colored water onto paper and hoping for the best.
But these effects are actually very different things — even though many artists confuse them constantly online.
And yes… every time someone calls a blossom “granulation,” a watercolor artist quietly loses the will to continue painting trees.
So let’s clear this up.
What Is Granulation in Watercolor?
Granulation is a characteristic of the pigment itself.
Some watercolor pigments contain heavier or irregular particles that settle into the texture (“tooth”) of the paper as the wash dries. Instead of drying smooth and flat, the paint creates a textured, speckled appearance.
Think of it like sediment settling at the bottom of a muddy river.
Granulating paints create natural texture automatically — one of the reasons watercolor can look so organic and impossible to fully control. Which is also why watercolor is wonderful and psychologically damaging at the same time.
Granulating watercolor paints tend to:
- Settle into the paper texture
- Create grainy or mineral-like patterns
- Look textured and atmospheric
- Work especially well on rough or cold press paper
- Become more obvious in larger wet washes
Some famous granulating colors include:
- Ultramarine Blue
- Cobalt Violet
- Daniel Smith Moonglow (click to see review of this color)
- Daniel Smith Sodalite Genuine (click to see review of this color)
- Schmincke Super Granulating colors like Tundra Violet and Glacier Green
These paints almost feel alive on the paper. Sometimes in a good way. Sometimes like they are actively trying to sabotage your painting.
What Is a Blossom (Backrun or Bloom)?
A blossom is completely different.
Blossoming happens because of water movement, not pigment texture.
When extra water hits a wash that is beginning to dry, the fresh water pushes pigment outward and creates cauliflower-like edges or branching patterns.
This is the classic watercolor “happy accident” that becomes significantly less happy when it appears directly in the middle of someone’s forehead in a portrait painting.
Blossoms occur because watercolor always follows moisture.
Always.
You are not in charge. The water is in charge.
Blossoms are usually caused by:
- Dropping water into a damp wash
- Adding wetter paint into a partially drying area
- Uneven drying conditions
- Excess water in the brush
- Going back into an area “just one more time” (the famous last words of watercolor)
Some colors blossom more dramatically than others — especially highly staining paints or colors with aggressive movement on wet paper.
Certain Holbein colors are absolute chaos agents for blossoms. Looking at you, Bright Violet.
All the background “details” were created with intentional blossoms. Really. You only have a few minutes to get it right, and it is easy to over do it.
What Are Separating Colors?
Separating colors are where watercolor starts feeling like sorcery.
These paints contain multiple pigments that physically separate from each other as they dry. Instead of staying blended into one uniform color, the pigments drift apart and reveal different undertones across the wash.
You put down one color.
Three colors appear.
Completely reasonable behavior.
Separating colors often produce:
- Multiple visible hues in a single wash
- Unexpected texture
- Color variation without extra mixing
- Atmospheric transitions
- Complex organic effects
Popular separating colors include:
- Daniel Smith Undersea Green
- Daniel Smith Shadow Violet
- Daniel Smith Cascade Green
- Daniel Smith Moonglow
- Many Schmincke Super Granulating colors
These paints are especially beautiful in skies, rocks, water, old buildings, and landscapes where slightly unpredictable texture actually improves the painting.
They are less useful when you need flat, controlled, graphic-style washes.
In other words: fantastic for moody European alleyways.
Less ideal if you paint cartoon logos for a living.
Here is an example of a frog painting where I used lots of blooms and blossoms to create movement. These colors also granulate (and separate)
The Big Difference
Here’s the simplified version:
Granulation
Pigment texture settling into the paper.
Blossoming
Water movement pushing pigment around.
Separating Colors
Multiple pigments splitting apart from each other.
These effects can happen separately — or all at once if watercolor decides today is your character-building day.
For example:
- A paint can granulate without separating
- A paint can separate without blooming
- A blossom can happen with completely non-granulating paint
- Some super granulating colors BOTH granulate and separate dramatically
That’s why artists confuse these effects constantly online.
Paper Matters More Than People Think
Paper has a huge effect on all three behaviors.
Rough Paper
Amplifies granulation and texture dramatically.
Cold Press
The sweet spot for most watercolor effects.
Hot Press
Reduces granulation visibility and creates smoother washes.
Cheap paper also tends to create ugly blossoms and muddy separation because the surface sizing is inconsistent.
This is one of the reasons experienced watercolor artists become irrationally emotional about paper quality.
Good paper makes you feel talented.
Bad paper makes you question every life decision that led you to holding a paintbrush.
Why These Effects Make Watercolor Special
Honestly, these unpredictable effects are one of the biggest reasons watercolor still feels magical compared to many other mediums.
Oil and acrylic allow more control.
Watercolor collaborates with chaos.
Granulation creates texture you could never invent manually.
Separating colors create mixtures more interesting than anything you could mix on a palette.
Blossoms create energy and movement — occasionally exactly where you wanted them.
Occasionally directly in the focal point.
That’s watercolor.
And strangely… that unpredictability is exactly why many of us become obsessed with it.
Final Thoughts
Understanding the difference between granulation, blossoms, and separating colors helps you stop fighting watercolor and start using these effects intentionally.
Or at least slightly more intentionally.
Because no matter how experienced you become, watercolor still occasionally decides to humble you in public.
That part never fully goes away.
But honestly, if watercolor behaved perfectly all the time, it would probably be boring.
Want to see these effects actually moving across wet paper? I demonstrate granulation, blossoms and pigment separation in the video below.
Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345