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Syd Edward

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Personally I dont like granulation especially in a sky . Instead of a clear blue sky you get little particles of paint settling into,the paper giving a spotty effect depending on the colours. Some artists are looking for granulation in their paintings and in the March issue of the LP ..David Bellamy is using a colour called Zoisite Genuine and this has caused granulation in the sky which , to,me, looks like a distant mass of starlings and not lovely by any means. What do others think about this effect I have described or indeed any use of granulation meant to enhance a sky,but giving an unnatural effect.Granulation cant be avoided with certain colours and mixes but I dont think it enhances and is best kept to a minimum where possible.....Syd
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Robert Jones, Napa

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I certainly don't like granulation introduced deliberately with a medium; I quite like it in certain circumstances, and if I want it will use ultramarine plus a touch of Light Red, which granulate very effectively (some call what Ultramarine does flocculation, but I've never really quite grasped the difference). I seem to remember than Cobalt Blue watercolour doesn't granulate (or flocculate) of its own devices, and neither do any of the colours made with pthalo blue: so if you want to avoid it, try pthalo blue, with maybe a tiny touch of cadmium red or scarlet for a greyer sky. I don't think cerulean granulates either - my uncertainty is caused by liking neither of those colours in a watercolour sky. As for these Daniel Smith watercolours, which I bet is where Zoisite Genuine comes from, I'm afraid I find them an expensive distraction. Possibly though I'm in my less playful mood today.....

Peter Davison

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I sometimes use Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna (they hate each other and allsorts happens depending on proportions) especially for stormy or threatening skies but never when I want clean clear skies. For the same reason I usually mix a little Cobalt with Ultramarine to restrict its' tendency to granulate. Horses for courses.
michael

Michael Edwards

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So many object to granulation used in skies and yet I see many skies painted in various unnatural techniques and colours which you would never see in see in real life and yet they receive loads of praise when posted here on POL - it's really a case of whatever takes your fancy. With my watercolour scenes I tend towards those colours which have a tendendency to granulate and I like it and welcome it where, as a result, it occurs naturally - however I would never exagerate it by the use of granulation fluid. BUT there is an exception - I do use granulation fluid in conjunction with acrylic ink in my abstract work and really enjoy the great effects which this can achieve.
michael

Michael Edwards

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Now that, Syd, is great advice.

Catherine De Ryck

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I wouldn't use the granulation properties of a colour to paint skies. But I find that granulation offer interesting effects while I need to depict rust or particular textures : rocks, ... Some say that they use distilled water to reduce the granulation of a colour. I have never tried this myself so I don't know if that is true.