Watercolor Painting Trick – Sprinkling sodium

Painting trick

Sprinkling a small amount of table salt on wet paint creates delicate, flower-like patterns. Each salt crystal pushes away the pigment, leaving a lighter area underneath. This effect can be used to create fields of flowers, snow, or tree leaves. It also adds interest to backgrounds or foregrounds with minimal activity.

Using salt is an experimental technique and a painting trick that doesn’t always yield the desired results, as it depends on the proper combination of pigment, moisture, paper, and drying conditions. The outcome can be unpredictable, but that adds to the excitement. By following these steps, you should be able to achieve an interesting effect with salt. Keep practicing and stay optimistic.

Experiment this painting trick with salt for texture:

1. Obtain a 5-x-7-inch piece of watercolor paper and moisten it with clean water.
2. Place the artwork on a flat surface and paint the area where you want to apply the salt. Using a variety of colors will help you determine which ones work best with salt.
3. Wait for the ideal moment when the paint is wet and glossy. If the paint is dry, this technique won’t be effective. If there are puddles on the paper, either pour them off or absorb the excess water with a paper towel.
4. Apply the salt sparingly. Take a small pinch of salt between your fingers and sprinkle a few grains, instead of using an entire shaker on your artwork.
5. Allow the painting to dry without disturbing the salt.
6. Brush away the salt after the paint has dried.

If you apply the salt too heavily or add it when the paint is excessively wet, it may adhere to the artwork and not brush off when dry. While the salt won’t harm the artwork, it can result in a more textured surface and a subtle crystalline sparkle.