This entry was originally posted on Thursday, February 16, 2012
Artist Masking Fluid
is a great way to preserve your whites in watercolor.
I have taught many courses using masking fluid over the years and
Winsor & Newton is consistently the best and the easiest brand to find.
Here are some things to remember about masking fluid.
Make sure it is NOT the permanent masking fluid.
Do not shake your masking fluid. It will create bubbles which pop when it is applied and creates pinholes for the paint to get into. It also clumps up faster. Stir it with a straw or stick instead of shaking.
Keep it in a cool, dark place between uses. One suggestion is to put it in a dark sock.
If your masking fluid is older than a year, get a new bottle.
Do not leave your painting in a hot, sunlight place while it has masking fluid on it. It will bake into your paper and never come off. If you need to leave it for longer than a couple of days, put it in a plastic bag and keep the painting in a cool place.
*Update: I still use Winsor & Newton masking fluid. When I moved back to the States, and with the help of Amazon, I discovered that this masking fluid also comes in 250 ml bottles. Now I do buy those larger bottles.
When I created the book, Watercolor 365, I did do illustrations of my supplies. I have decided to use those illustrations instead of the original photos in some of these posts.
