|  W&N MASKING FLUID
Using Masking Fluid:
If you're painting in watercolor (without the additions of gouache or acrylic,) the brightest lights are the white of the paper itself! Artists, therefore, like to "use" these "whites" of the paper in their finished work. To preserve these areas, you've got to plan ahead.
Masking Fluid, (or Liquid frisket as some call it,) is used in watercolor to retain white areas on your paper. It is used mostly in situations where you want to paint a dark area without having to paint around a particular spot you want to keep white.
Masking Fluid comes in several colors. White, cream, gray and orange are some of the colors used by different manufacturers. The particular color doesn't matter but you want to see the areas that you have masked off. Masking Fluid has the consistency and feel of rubber cement when applied and can be peeled off your paper once the paper is DRY. DO NOT try to take masking off damp paper. A rubber cement pick-up or soft eraser will lift masking off your paper. You can even rub it with your CLEAN fingertips to remove it from the paper. Remove all masking fluid from your paper as soon as possible. Don't leave it on the paper for an extended period.
APPLYING MASKING FLUIDS: You paint masking fluid on with a brush just like paint. Most artists use masking on small areas within a painting so a small brush is needed.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Never use one of your good painting brushes to apply masking fluid! It will ruin them! Only use a worn out brush or better still, buy some inexpensive art/craft brushes and use them for applying mask. Then immediately clean the brush with soapy water. It is very difficult to get out of your brush so never use good brushes.
Shake well your bottle of masking before using.
Here is one artist's recommendation: Get a small container and add a drop of dish soap and some water. Dip your brush in the soapy mixture then blot dry, THEN dip the brush into your masking fluid and apply to your painting.
Something you should know: The painted edges surrounding where you remove masking fluid tends to be "hard" (sharp, well defined) after removing the fluid. Make sure this is the kind of edge you want in your painting.
Word of advice: Don't over use masking fluid. It does help create certain effects in watercolor but just go slow with it! As one artist says: "If you can manage yourself to paint around an area to retain the desired white paper area, then do it! Use masking only where necessary. It will make for a better painting.
Winsor & Newton ART MASKING FLUID protects areas of a painting you want to remain unchanged. This pale yellow fluid works well on traditional watercolor papers, illustration board and bristols, (but can lift the surface of softer papers.)
If you need to keep a small detail white in a broad wash that would be spoilt by painting round the detail, a good technique is to use masking fluid to protect the place you need to keep white (or at least paler than the areas around it). Wait for the masking fluid to dry. Then you can wash over the top of the whole thing without worrying.
When the paint is completely dry, peel off the rubbery masking fluid and the paper will be pure white underneath. This works well for seagulls in a stormy sky, sailing boats on the water, flowers in a hedgerow, tendrils on vines (use a steel-nibbed pen), veins on leaves and a host of other features. (However, there are many artists who regard masking fluid as 'cheating' and never use it!) See below for other tips. Good luck!
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