Splatter effect on the sky

In classic watercolour style you paint all the way up to the edge of your paper, and this creates a nice, neat, and tidy sketch. But if you want to create a sketch that’s more dynamic, then there are different ways of finishing your edges to make them feel looser.

Dynamic Sky Using Splatter Edges

When I first started sketching local scenes here in the Algarve, my buildings and skies were tidy and tight, but gradually I started adding more dynamic skies to inject a bit of life into the scene. Now when I paint my building and boat pictures, I add a dynamic sky to lose the edge rather than painting up to the edge of the paper.

Here’s an example of a boat I painted earlier this month where I used a splatter effect to soften the edge of the sky

Dynamic Sky Using Faded Edges

Another way of losing an edge is to get your watercolour to blur out by diluting the paint at the edge. This gives the impression of a sketch that’s fading away, and in this scenario it relegates the importance of the sky.

Backgrounds Using Faded Edges

You can use the same faded edges approach when adding a background colour to a sketch, like this example of a portrait. The focal point remains on the subject, and the background plays a secondary role which helps to add a feeling of depth.

By comparison, a hard edge like the one in this stall holder sketch, draws more attention to itself, and you also lose some of that feeling of looseness in the sketch.

Splatter edges and faded edges both show the role your paint can play in a sketch. Not only can it convey a sense of looseness, it can help to create a feeling of depth, and also bolster your sketch’s focal point.

Loosing Edges on your People Sketches

The ability to lose an edge isn’t just for backgrounds, you can also play around with losing edges on the subject or objects you sketch.

Here’s an example of a people sketch where I lost the edge on the figure on the left, but wasn’t as successful with the figure on the right.

By omitting the ink line on the figure on the left it creates a more organic edge. It also helps to create a seamless connection to the background staining. Whereas on the figure on the right, the ink line creates a hard boundary.

If you’re looking for ways to lose some of your edges to create a looser looking sketch, it helps to give the role of creating an edge to your paint, rather than relying on your ink lines, because paint is much more versatile.