Tips & Techniques

The use of salt to add texture to metal

Transcribed from the program.

When doing paintings that contain metal or when I want to create richer, deeper backgrounds in floral paintings, I use salt to create a mottled texture when it is applied to wet watercolor.

I take a small amount of salt and throw it onto the wet paint. That does is separates the pigment of the color from the water.

It's the same chemical reaction rock salt has when thrown onto your driveway in the winter.

Be sure to leave yourself enough time. The paint needs to dry completely before the salt can be removed.

Later on, you can just brush the salt away and the texture will remain.

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