The Enchanting Effects of Salt in Watercolors: Let’s dive into this

Have you ever seen paint swirl on paper in a way that looks mesmerizing? That is what happens when you use a common ingredient placed in kitchens, salt, on wet watercolors.

Salt is not only a common ingredient, but rather a hidden boon of art, as it helps in making stunning textures that would take a painter hours to accomplish using a brush.

The Benefits of Using Salt with Watercolors

Salt will always perform to your expectation because of the way in which it works on paint. The water is still wet with a watercolor, salt will work on it by soaking sin the salt crystals.

Advertisement

During the drying phase, paint will be lifted and crystals will be formed. All in all, salt is a painter’s friend as it will create simple, but elegant looking textures.

Even with simple methods for application, the outcomes are astonishing. Salt works as a tad of drawing a distinct shape, where a person will not be able to repeat exactly the way.

Supplies Needed

You only need a few supplies to get started with the salt techniques.

• Table salt (finer salt is easier to work with for the beginners)
• Sea salt or Kosher salt (used for more prominent and aggressive textures)
• Watercolor paper (quality paper, 140lb and above is essential)
• Watercolors (any and every brand is acceptable)
• Brushes (flat brushes for the larger areas)
• Paper towels (for any cleanup needs)
• Small container for salt

This technique’s beauty is how simple it is – both the art materials and the kitchen supplies needed are most likely already at home.

Salt Technique Process – Step-By-Step

Preparations

Let’s get your workspace gathered. Pre-cut and set up your watercolor paper so that it is flat.

Have salt set in a small container placed close to the paper – this technique needs to be done in a specific order, so your supplies need to be in a specific order.

Ensure your watercolors are mixed to a medium thickness. If your watercolors are too runny, the salt will not work its magic.

On the other hand, overly thick pigments will not get moved around salt as needed.

Application Process

Step 1: Apply Your Base Wash.

Paint a windows worth of color on your watercolor paper and ensure the color quality is high so it glistens, not pooling too much at the same time.

Keep your paint to salt ratio steady so your work there will yield the most benefits.

Step 2: Salt Synchronized with Wetness

This is where the real fun begins. Right after you finish applying paint, sprinkle salt on it. Remember, the paint needs to be quite fresh for the best results.

Step 3: Now Observe

Refrain from touching or interact with anything. The best thing you can do is let the salt do the work.

The paint will begin to shift and form patterns that spiral around each piece of salt.

Step 4: Gentle Salt Brushing

After your piece is fully dry, you can brush off the salt, but only with a dry brush or your fingers, and only after a good while of your piece being dry.

Innovative Uses and Concepts for Projects

The Wonders of Landscape

The salt technique is particularly useful in painting landscapes. It can be used for:

• Cloudy skies – Naturally sculpted cumulus appearances

• Rocky Textures – for sheer cliffs and stone walls

• Water surfaces – Glimmering effects for oceans and lakes

• Snowy Scenes – instant snow flake effects

• Tree bark – Authentic wood grain patterns

Abstract Art

Realistic observations are not the only focus. Salt produces beautiful works for:

• Background textures in Mixed media works

• Space and Galaxy with baffling patterns

• Organic shapes imitating flowy structures

• Color experiment studies with focus on texture.

Different Salt Types

Salt Type	Grain Size	Best Used For	Expected Results
Table Salt	Fine	Delicate textures, small details	Subtle, scattered patterns
Sea Salt	Medium	General texture work, landscapes	Balanced, organic shapes
Kosher Salt	Large	Bold effects, abstract work	Dramatic, prominent textures
Rock Salt	Extra Large	Statement pieces, large paintings	Bold, chunky patterns

Solve these issues first.

Applying salt techniques can be difficult for beginners. Common issues include:

Here’s how to steer clear of them:

Paint Too Dry: When your paint is dull, applying salt won’t be useful. Make sure to apply salt immediately after your wash.

Too Much Salt: You’ve heard of balance and moderation, and this is a good example. Adding too much salt will alter your painting and could result in a spotted rather than textured appearance.

Wrong Paper: Apply unevenly with salt due to the thin paper warping under moisture. Invest in more heavy weight watercolor paper, as this will yield better results.

Removing Salt Too Early: Make sure to wait. Allow your work to dry completely, as preemptive removing will result in smudging of your patterns.

Advanced Tips for Better Results

These strategies set you apart even as a novice:

Combine Different Salts: For a single application, you can achieve texture by combining coarse and fine salt.

Control the Effects: Place masking tape to set barriers where the effects of salt will be.

Layer the Technique: Apply textures and effects in layers to your dry base for more enhanced sequences.

Color Interactions: Certain shades and pigments can yield more interesting results with salt. Earth tones and blue colors turn out to be the most vivid.

Beyond Basic Salt: Creative Variations

Here’s a few that goes the extra mile:

Sugar Instead of Salt

Applied in the same manner, sugar yields more gentle and subtle outcomes as it melts and drips slower, unlike salt.

Alcohol and Salt Combination

To achieve more dynamic effects, apply rubbing alcohol to the salt-treated areas. This technique works because salt absorbs water differently than alcohol.

Selective Application

Putting individual salt crystals exactly where you want them makes adding texture to your work much easier. Using tweezers gives you more control.

FAQs