I heard this helpful tip through the grapevine a while back and love it. For those of you who are watercolor artists, here is an easy technique for watercolor washes that can produce interesting results.
A big part of what is attractive about a watercolor painting is out of the artists’ control. Paint laden water dries as it pleases; pending temperature, humidity and the amount of water put on the piece. There are many different types of papers (hot press, cold press, 200lb. 60lb.) that also effect the way the paint dries, but for the most part it’s up to the “watercolor drying gods”.
Here are 2 techniques that I’ve discovered work quite well to manipulate the drying procedure.
1) Kosher Salt. After painting a nice wash on a painting-to-be, grab a hand full of kosher salt (I like kosher because the salt granules are bigger and they make more of an interesting pattern, but any salt will have close to the same effect) and throw it liberally on the area of the painting that just had the wash applied. The salt will suck the color up and normally will dry in a sporadic fashion that gives the painting a texture that you rarely see in watercolor paintings. Let it dry completely, then brush off the excess salt with a dry, clean brush. All done.
2) Spray Bottle. To most watercolor artists a spray bottle holds as much weight as a paint brush (a necessity). After applying a dark wash, spray the edges of the wash but not the wash itself. Only spray a few times and only in a few areas. This technique looks best if it appears to not be deliberate. Here’s an example.
