Rainbow Salt Lines
Want a fun project for kids that’s a winner every time? Then, read on, to learn how to make rainbow salt lines.
What are rainbow salt lines?
Essentially, lines are drawn using liquid glue, salt is sprinkled on top of the wet glue, then wet paint is applied to the salt lines. The paint is absorbed into the salt and it’s mesmerizing to watch the paint travel along the salt line!
Materials for watercolor salt lines
You probably have all the materials you need to get started:
Paper that's at least as heavy as card stock
Table salt
Liquid glue (white school glue)
Watercolor paint (pallette, liquid or tube paint)
Paintbrush
Paper towels
Something to protect your table
You can start by sketching your design in pencil or draw freehand with the glue bottle. While the glue is still wet liberally sprinkle salt on top of the lines of glue. Before you go to the next step shake off the excess salt.
Next, making sure the paint colors are nice and wet, load your brush with the wet paint and touch it gently to the line of salt. The salt will absorb the paint and it will move along the salt line until it has absorbed all the paint it can.
Jean Michel Basquiat Radiant Child
If you want to see the process in video format, I demonstrated this during a Facebook live (video above). During the Facebook live lesson I introduced the artist Jean Michel Basquiat and made an expressive portrait using rainbow salt lines if you want to learn more about him there's a Caldecott Award winning book called Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe about Basquiat.
Radiant Child
By Javaka Steptoe
To learn more about creating effects using salt on wet watercolor paint go to our post Salt & Watercolor Paint. Show us what you made! Send us a picture of your artwork at info@popupartschool.com or tag us on Instagram or Facebook @popupartschool
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