As a part of a comprehensive program of paint research, a study was conducted of the behavior of painted coatings under the influence of water vapor, liquid water, and various salt solutions. The rate and degree of water absorption were determined by weighing the test specimens. The solutions in which the painted panel specimens were immersed ranged in osmotic pressures from that of distilled water to slightly above that of sea water. There is a clear indication that the affinity of a paint coating for water cannot always be predicted from the water solubility of the pigment it contains.