Subsurface scattering with watercolors

While reading and experimenting with characteristics of watercolors, I realized it could be a good medium to demonstrate the effect of subsurface scattering in painted pictures. The transparent layer of watercolor will allow the scattering of light on the paper, which will be finally reflected back. However, this scattering will be at a 'macro' level as the roughness of paper will be much larger than what would be expected for the figure represented on the paper. Maybe we could use some medium to put in a 'finer' roughness on paper and then apply the transparent colors.

This may not be a new idea. I bet many artists must be doing something similar. This thought is just to marry the concepts in traditional art and 3d computer graphics.