Watercolor Hacks

One of watercolor's best features is its ability to be experimented with. For example, there are so many tricks and hacks you can do at home to make your watercolor painting unique. Something that would take hours with oil paint can be done in just minutes with watercolor pigment.  

By now you have most likely seen the viral content of "Salt Bae" sprinkling salt everywhere over his master pieces.  

And if you follow any watercolor artist on social media, you will likely see them sprinkle salt on their painting. This blog post will show you why and how you can do it yourself.  

Just a touch of salt when sprinkled over damp watercolor paint will cause the pigment to separate and spread out. For this reason, you can also use this technique if an area on your painting is too dark. 
This is also great for scenic effects like greenery or a Christmas scene with snow, galaxy themes, or even texture on an abstract piece.  
  
HOW TO:  

1. Make sure your watercolor paper and pigment are both damp.
2. Lightly dab the area with a paper towel to limit any puddles, as this will limit the salt's impact. 
3. Apply a pinch of salt over your painting--to be precise, consider using a tweezer to place intentionally. 
4. Set it and forget it; let the painting dry without moving the salt. 
5. Use a brush to swipe away salt crystals after the painting is dry. 

 And there you have it. What looks super complicated online is actually so simple and fun to do! 

Artwork credit: @snowsart