Why Your Watercolours Look Muddy (And How to Fix It with One Simple Habit)
Have you ever stepped back from a painting and thought:
- “This looked so fresh when I started… what happened?”
- “Why has everything merged into one flat area of colour?”
- “I keep ‘just adding a bit more’ and then it all goes wrong.”
You’re not alone! Welcome to the first in a series where we talk about the fundamentals of Watercolour and some of the pitfalls that all of us will have encountered at some point in our painting journey.
Most watercolour frustrations don’t come from lack of talent, or even from using the “wrong” materials. They almost always come back to one quiet culprit:
Not being fully in control of the water.
Once you understand how much water is on your brush, in your paint, and on your paper, things begin to change. Colours stay clearer, edges behave, and you feel more confident about when to stop.
There is a simple way to think of this:
The Cup-of-Tea Test: How Strong Is Your Paint?
Think of your watercolour mix like a cup of black tea.
- A very pale wash = a weak cup of black tea.
- A rich, darker wash = a strong cup of black tea.
Before you touch the paper, pause and ask:
“Am I painting with weak tea or strong tea?”
That one question means that you:
- Avoid accidental mud – you’re choosing the strength of your colour, not diluting it without realising.
- Control light and dark – your lights, mid-tones, and darks become deliberate, not guesswork.
Wet-on-Wet vs Wet-on-Dry: Timing Matters
Watercolour behaves very differently depending on whether the paper is wet or dry.
Wet-on-wet is when you apply paint onto damp or wet paper:
- Edges are soft and gentle
- Colours will flow and blend into one another
- Ideal for skies, backgrounds, distant trees, mist
Wet-on-dry is when you are painting onto dry paper:
- Edges are crisp and clear
- Colours stay where you put them
- Ideal for branches, windows, flower centres, fine details
Many “unexpected” effects happen simply because we think the paper is dry when it isn’t, or we expect soft blending on paper that has already dried. If in doubt – check the paper before applying more paint.
The fingertip test
Before adding more paint, lightly touch the paper with the back of your finger:
- Cool and slightly tacky? The paper is still damp – expect soft edges and some spreading.
- Room temperature and smooth? The paper is dry – you’ll get sharper, more defined marks.
This tiny habit can prevent a lot of unwanted blooms and blurred details.
The Three Places Water Lives: Brush, Paint, Paper
To feel more in control, think of water in three places:
- On the brush – is it dripping, damp, or almost dry?
- In the paint mix – weak, medium, or strong?
- On the paper – dry, damp, or shiny wet?
Problems usually appear when all three are very wet at the same time. That’s when you see:
- Cauliflowers (backruns)
- Streaks and blossoms
- Colours washing each other away
A helpful guideline
- Very wet paper + very wet brush + very watery paint
= lots of movement and unpredictability (sometimes lovely, often not what you intended). - Damp paper + moderately wet brush + medium-strength paint
= controlled soft edges and gentle blends. - Dry paper + well-loaded brush + stronger paint
= clear, confident marks and good definition.
You don’t need to overthink it. Just pause occasionally and ask:
“Which is wettest right now – my brush, my paint, or the paper?”
Adjust one of those, and you’ll notice the difference immediately.
Common Scenarios (And What to Do Instead)
Here are a few very common scenarios you may come across – and simple alternatives.
1. Going back into a wash too soon
You lay down a wash you’re happy with. As it dries, you spot a small area you’d like to “fix”. You go back in with the brush… and suddenly there’s a cauliflower bloom.
What to do instead:
Let the wash dry completely. Then, if it needs adjusting, glaze over it with another light, transparent wash. Watercolour rewards patience more than perfectionism.
2. Overworking the same area
Brushing back and forth over the same spot stirs all the pigments together. What began as fresh colour becomes dull and lifeless.
What to do instead:
Lay the wash, then leave it alone. Allow the pigments to settle. You can always return later with a lighter touch or an extra layer, once it’s dry.
3. Using too many colours in one area
Mixing several different pigments together in the same space often creates mud, no matter how good the paints are.
What to do instead:
Limit your palette within a painting. Two or three main colours, plus one or two supporting colours, is usually enough. Our custom watercolours are designed for clean mixing, but they still benefit from a thoughtful, limited palette.
Would You Like More Guidance While You Paint?
If this feels familiar – the muddy colours, the unexpected blooms, the frustration of “nearly right” washes – you’re exactly the sort of painter Terry and Fiona love to help.
In the Terry Harrison film library, you’ll find step-by-step lessons where Terry:
- Shows precisely how wet to keep the paper for skies and landscapes
- Explains when to stop and let a wash dry
- Demonstrates layering without losing freshness
Alongside that, Fiona Peart’s courses bring the same principles into more contemporary florals and botanicals, with a slightly looser, more expressive feel. For a full grounding in water and paint control Fiona’s beginners course is a must!
As you follow along, listen for how often Terry or Fiona mention “damp”, “dry”, or “waiting” – that’s water control in real time.
Happy Painting
Martin |