pear skin*

“Pear skin” refers to a Japanese term for a pattern of dots.

In this case, it’s a blend known as “dissolve.”

And a Gaussian blur to make the nice soft edges.

From a photo of a tree in Central Park behind the Metropolitan Museum.

*”nashiji—A Japanese lacquer technique that produces a reddish, speckled surface, also called “pear-skin,” by the sprinkling of especially fine, flat metal flakes over the half-dry lacquer base.” From Lacquerware of East Asia.