| Creating interest in your watercolor paintings is | | | | want to blow all the salt away! Once the paint is |
| easy with textures. Be it an old worn out brush, | | | | dry, brush all the salt off and continue painting the |
| table salt or your fingertip sometimes a paintings | | | | bucket. You can glaze over the texture area with |
| effectiveness largely depends on the textures | | | | more paint and add shadows and detail. |
| you have created. In a recent watercolor class I | | | | The next texture that I demonstrated using salt |
| demonstrated creating various textures in | | | | was for clay pots. It is not necessary to use salt |
| watercolor. For images of each demonstration | | | | everywhere, for variety put only on select areas |
| please visit my blog that is listed in my resource | | | | of the pots. After the paint is dry continue |
| box. | | | | modeling the clay pots with different colors and |
| A brick wall is easily achieved by varying the color | | | | values. Remember to let the paint dry thoroughly |
| of each brick as you apply paint and then using a | | | | before brushing off the salt. |
| light grey wash for the mortar between the | | | | Spatter is another popular technique for |
| bricks. An important step is putting a shadow | | | | watercolor painting. I often use an old toothbrush |
| under each brick. I used a shadow on the left and | | | | and run a xacto blade across the bristles so the |
| bottom of each brick for the light coming from | | | | paint spatters onto the paper. It is a good idea to |
| the upper right of the picture. I used cobalt blue | | | | mask areas that you do not want the texture |
| for the shadow color. Add detail with dry brush | | | | because the paint can spatter quite far. As |
| and smaller detail with a small round brush. | | | | always practice on scrap paper first to get the |
| Remember to save old worn out brushes for dry | | | | desired result. Try this technique on dry and moist |
| brush effects, they create unexpected results. | | | | paper for hard and soft texture. |
| Try scumbling, twirling and adjusting the pressure | | | | Smudging paint with your finger works for |
| on the paper with an old brush. One of the | | | | creating textures on trees and grasses. Blades of |
| members of the class stated " this is fun!" while | | | | grass can be scraped out of paint with your |
| painting her wall. I have always enjoyed painting | | | | fingernail or the angled point of some paint |
| brick too. | | | | brushes. I like to use rough paper when I want |
| The next texture was a metal watering can. The | | | | texture. I used a Arches watercolor paper that |
| texture was created with salt. While the paint is | | | | was 140 lb. in a rough texture. Try different |
| still wet add some table salt to the area that you | | | | paper and you will get interesting results. |
| want texture. Sprinkle a small amount of salt onto | | | | Practice these techniques on your next |
| the wet paint and wait for the paint to dry. As | | | | watercolor and your painting will be more |
| the paint dries the salt absorbs the color around | | | | interesting and effective. Consider new ways of |
| each grain and it can create some great texture. | | | | painting and your work will improve and you will |
| Do not use a blow dryer, let it air dry, you don't | | | | grow as an artist - guaranteed! |