The salt watercolor technique: A must-try for beginners

There are different watercolor techniques out there ranging from wet on wet to stippling. The method I will be emphasizing on today, is the Salt Watercolor one. It's used by many artist as way to add texture to the painting, here is a step by step process on how to create this amazing texture.

Materials:

-Paper

-Brush

-Sponge (optional)

-Watercolors

-Salt (any kind)

Step 1: Sketch your design lightly using a pencil, make sure the lines are visible enough so you can see, but not dark enough to appear after you are finished. You can ignore this step if you wish to just add the watercolor freehanded.

Step 2: Wet the paper, I used a sponge but using a wet paintbrush is also acceptable. Make sure to get all the corners, but if the paper is too big then you don't have to wet it all at once. Be aware of paper warping, I recommend using watercolor papers because of it's thickness since they don't warp too much. 

Step 3: Add in your color, make sure your brush is wet to get the right consistency of the paint.

Step 4: Add salt, you don't need to add a lot, just a sprinkle will be sufficient. In order for the texture to appear, make sure the area is quite wet. While adding the salt it's best to keep in mind that the area where the salt is added is going to be lighter.

Step 5: Once it's completely dry, you can gently start brushing off the salt. You can use your finger if you like, but a dry brush will also do. And there you have it, your artwork is finished.

If you are wondering what paintings you can try then you can look at 'watercolor painting ideas using the salt method' in my blog.

So grab your materials and get started. It's a fun technique to try out and you can experiment with different designs. So are you ready for a fun watercolor experience?