Free Watercolor Lessons & Techniques
"Masking Technique Tips For Watercolors"
By Frank Broadhurst
www.frankbroadhurst.com
Quite often people will a*sk how I managed to paint a big loose wash around an object in a painting that has very complicated edges without letting the wash dry before I'm finished. When I tell them I masked the object with masking fluid before applying the wash they sometimes get a puzzled look on their face. To them, masking is done with masking tape. They have never heard of using masking fluid. But, first I'll talk about masking tape.
Masking tape is fine if what you are masking has a relatively simple contour of straight lines and not too acute angles internally. With scissors or an "X-Acto" knife it is fairly easy to cut simple shapes to fit the object being masked. Having applied the masking tape, you can now run a wash all around it without being painfully careful, knowing that if your brush stroke runs over the line it's not a disaster. Two things I have found about using tape. One is be sure you burnish the tape down firmly. If you don't the watercolor will seep under the tape and get pretty messy. The other thing I have found is that "drafting" tape works better than "masking" tape because it is formulated to be more easily removed. I repeat, burnish it well. Also, it's a good idea to let the paint dry before attempting to remove the tape.
The only other method I use to mask with is masking fluid. Masking fluid is basically a latex paint about the consistency of light cream and is soluble in water while still wet. It brushes on very easily and dries in about fifteen minutes to a waterproof coating. Should you be the impatient type and use a hair dryer to hasten the process, be sure to set the dryer on "cool". Heat will bind the masking fluid to the paper to the point of pulling up part of the paper when you try to remove it. There are two basic way to remove masking fluid. You can rub it with your fingers and it will sort of roll up as you rub. Or you can use a rubber cement pick-up. A rubber cement pick-up is a small square of semi-hard rubber, about ¼ of an inch thick and about 2 inches square. You buy these at art supply stores. Latex masking fluid sticks to it like crazy. All you have to do is touch the dried masking with the pick-up and lift. Once you try it, you will know instantly how it works.
The fact that you can do extremely delicate masking and control the exact line or area to be masked comes with a price. The price being the fact that you must continually clean your brush while using the masking fluid. After three or four dips into the masking .fluid the brush will start to clog up. Then you must stop and rinse the brush in water. If there is still dried masking fluid in the brush it needs to be dissolved with a solvent, followed by a soapy water rinse, followed by a clean water rinse. Be sure to remove all traces of soap from the brush lest you get soap in the masking fluid and then on to your painting. I have seen directions on the bottle of masking fluid that recommend the use of soap to make the masking fluid flow better. I do not recommend you do this. I did once and it was a mess. The soap destroyed the surface tension on the paper and every thing had a fuzzy edge.
Masking fluid comes in different colors. I have seen yellow, pink, white, and gray. I prefer the gray variety because you can see where you've masked. "Maskoid" and "Pebeo" are two brands I know of that market a gray fluid. While you are at the art store getting the masking fluid, get some "Maskoid Reducer" (solvent), some cheap brushes to use for masking, and a rubber cement pick-up.
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A native of North Carolina, Frank Broadhurst was schooled in art at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. This was followed by thirty years in the advertising business with a major national agency, and he retired to paint full time in 1981. He now resides in Atlanta, Georgia. His works appear in both private and corporate collections, and he's a past president and signature member of the Georgia Watercolor Society. Frank does commissioned pieces as well as teaching classes at the Spruill Art Center and a handful of private lessons. You never know when a friend will stop by for a few painting tips. |
