Rainbow: Salt Crystal Painting
Introduction: Rainbow: Salt Crystal Painting
Hello everyone,
This instructable is about salt crystal painting. It is a fun and interesting STEM activity that you can do with your child.
For this instructable I used a rainbow theme to make this painting as it was easy to draw.
The Science Behind The Salt Painting Science Experiment:
The salt absorbs or soaks up the water through a chemical action. Salt is hygroscopic which means that it can absorb both liquid water and water vapor in the air. This Salt Painting Science Experiment is a fun way to combine art and science together.
Supplies
Watercolors (Liquid watercolors are great for this activity. If you don’t have any, you can make your own by watering down food coloring.)
Paper ( thick paper or cardstock)(Any sturdy art surface will do. I've done this with card stock, poster board, cardboard, watercolor paper, paper plates, and foam core.)
Water
Table salt
Paint brush or eye dropper or pipette (whatever is easily available)
Pencil
Compass
Glue
Step 1: Drawing
To paint, we have to draw first. I made the drawing of a rainbow, which is very easy to draw, put your pencil in compass and draw concentric semi- circles.
Step 2: Sprinkle Salt
Squeeze glue onto the lines you drew of the rainbow. Start by the topmost one Violet ( I wrote the names of the colors but you don't have to do this) and then one by one climb down to Red.
Carefully sprinkle salt onto cardstock until the glue is thoroughly covered. 994
Do this before the glue has dried so that the salt sticks to it well. Tip to let excess salt fall away. A baking dish or tray will help to contain the salt.
Step 3: Add Color
You can either wait for the glue to dry, or move directly on to coloring your creation.
Dip your paint brush into liquid watercolor paint then gently touch to the salt-covered glue lines. Watch the paint “magically” travel in both directions!
Try to drop the water only onto the salt crystals themselves, and not onto the actual cardstock. You can mix colors to see what new shades they make.
If you like, you can use a dropper or pipette instead of a paint brush to add your watercolor paint. You'd find that this can add a bit too much paint at a time, but I know that many people like this method. Set the salt crystal drawing to the side for several hours to dry completely before displaying. The drying process may even take a day or two.
Experiment with different designs and colors to see how your salt crystal paintings change. You can even try different different backdrops like cardboard and tin foil to see how those effect your paintings.
You can use this glue + salt + watercolor technique to write names/words, nature scenes, squiggles and scribbles, faces, and more! 1013