Salts Effect on Paint Pigments?

I taught my art students to sprinkle salt on still wet water color painting to make a cool texture. None of us cared how it worked. It was fun, and safe even for kindergarten.

The salt absorbs the paint around its immediate area.

The star burst effect of using salt results in the moisture being soaked up by the salt. I have used this effect on silk painting and water colour. If you use rock salt you get one effect, if you use normal table salt you get a finer effect you can also use epsom salts to create another type of effect.

I thank you for the responses. I am fully aware that this works - I have done it for many years - what I am looking for is the scientific explanation.

You can check out simple explanation here

brushstrokesbykc.blogspot.com/.../let-salt-season-your-painting.html or here www.pburch.net/.../salteffects.shtml

Salt will mix into water. The fine particles spread evenly throughout the water. As the water evaporates, the mixture dries and becomes solid again. Salt forms into crystals as it dries. The crystals are shaped like cubes with flat sides that reflect light causing the sparkle.

cytlat

May 18, 20170 found this helpful

Watercolor is pigment and optional binders suspended in water. The water is what moves the pigment around. When you sprinkle granules of salt onto the paper, it does two things: first the granule absorbs the water it touches, along with the pigment that is suspended in the water, which causes the light specks on the paper.