“There is no doubt that tossing off paint with a sharp flick of the wrist gives the picture a sense of freedom and abandon … [but] just any splash or blot that is flung onto the picture will not do. It must be a fully integrated part of the painting; it must be expressive, or provide some kind of accent or change of pace, or activate an otherwise unremarkable passage. Most of all, it should have an inevitability and an esthetically satisfying look to it.”
Edward Betts, “Master Class in Watercolor”, p169
Betts goes on to say it takes considerable practice to achieve a degree of control through how much paint you use, how fluid it is, what brush, the gesture with your arm or hand, all to achieve something that looks effortless.
It requires practice to get develop a “recipe” that gives somewhat predictable results, though never entirely. Type of brush, how fluid the paint is, distance from the surface, how wet or dry the paint you’re splattering into is, how you move your hands and arms.
I’ve seen workshop participants splatter paint in every direction except on their painting. Fortunately their frustration is mixed with laughter at where the paint is going, and a bit of persistence produces results.
It’s one of my favourite techniques because it’s fun to flick paint about!
Tip: create a splatter chamber by putting your painting in a large cardboard box that’s on its side. It’ll help prevent splatters flying too far.