In the final article of her series on painting with watercolour, Kelly McKernan demystifies the process in preserving your paper with masking materials.
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O ne of the most vexing and intimidating elements to working with watercolour involves preserving the white of the paper while painting with the amorphous media.
Watercolour purists will insist that using white watercolour or white ink no longer makes your painting exclusively watercolour. My opinion is that this is silly. What matters in the end is a solid image; however, masking materials exist for those who wish to work traditionally with watercolour. I don’t believe masking materials should ever be a crutch, but they can be a time-saver.
As you develop your skills, you’ll also become more efficient with your process. I’m frequently asked if I use masking fluid on the Art Nouveauesque hair in my paintings. It’s very rare that I do, because it takes more time to apply the masking fluid than it does to just carefully paint around the hair. However, if I’m doing a wash over a large area and I don’t want the flow interrupted when avoiding an area, so I’ll just mask that off.
Truth be told, I really don’t enjoy masking in my watercolour paintings since it can often be frustrating and have a steep learning curve. Many of the masking fluid techniques that I use have been discovered through trial and error. I ended up further developing my painting skills in lieu of depending on masking materials unless they’d save me considerable time. But it might be different for you, so let’s have a look at these masking materials and methods! Kelly creates original paintings for galleries, travels for conventions and mentors students via her Patreon site. See her art at www.kellymckernan.com.
1 An introduction to masking materials
Masking to preserve an area in watercolour is just science. These materials repel water and protect whatever’s underneath them, whether it’s white paper or an area already painted. The tricky part is learning which materials are appropriate for the job and how to use them.
2 Each tool has a purpose – get to know them!
Of course, a lot of experimentation will need to occur in order to get a comfortable handle on masking materials. Many of your first attempts may not go well, so be sure to practise before applying your masking knowledge to a final painting for the first time.
3 Best practices with masking fluid
When making a decision about what you’d like to preserve in your painting, you’ll also need to identify when to apply it. If using masking fluid will save you time in your painting, the next step is to work out when to use it. Writing down steps can help! Let’s look at an example of a complicated layering sequence…
4 Layering with masking fluid
We know that masking fluid is usually used to preserve the white of the paper, but it can also be applied to areas you’ve already painted. This preserves the colour and texture underneath while you put a wash over it, and is a great technique for creating depth or a layering of colour.
5 Patience is key
Working with masking materials requires patience, but since you’re working with watercolour anyway, you’re familiar with waiting for things to dry. Rushing the process of working with masking fluid can result in torn paper, misplaced blobs and permanent adhesion. However, when things go as planned, removing your masking materials is like opening up a present!
I used masking tape when creating the trees that make up the background of my painting Claire de Lune.
Brush cleaning soap. I’ll use this to coat a brush in a protective layer before using it with masking fluid. Brushes can be easily destroyed by masking fluid if not cared for properly, so I typically use brushes that are already in rough shape for this job. Grumbacher Miskit Liquid Frisket is my preferred brand of masking fluid. I’ll never forget opening a jar in high school and the appalling odour that came forth! Over the years, I’ve tried a handful of brands and kept returning to this one because it’s the most reliable and easy to work with. Stir, don’t shake! Air bubbles will affect the consistency of your application. This is a size 2 Round brush that’s already a bit beat up. Coating the bristles with brush cleaner will help to protect it from being further damaged by the masking fluid. A toothbrush is handy for splattering tiny dots of masking fluid (and other media, including watercolour, rubbing alcohol and water). I recommend also distributing brush soap into your toothbrush to help preserve it. 3M Blue Painter’s Tape is my goto for masking tape. I have it in several sizes, and use it for many things in addition to masking. Grafix Original Incredible Nib is a tool with a pointed end and a chiselled end. This is my preferred tool for distributing masking fluid because it clogs up less, although thin lines are difficult to achieve with it. This rubber cement Pik-Up eraser is ideal for removing masking fluid. It gets gunky pretty fast, so I cut it up into smaller pieces for extra edges.
Masking tape is regularly used for preserving edges of a painting, but it can also be used for masking large areas of a piece by layering in strips, then cutting to a precise shape with a blade. This is not a preferred method for me, but when precise, sharp edges are necessary, the masking tape is my go-to. To help avoid tearing when removing the tape, heat it with a hair dryer as you peel away. I’ve found that masking tape works best on hot press paper. The pointed end of the Original Incredible Nib is excellent for consistently sized dots or making long strokes, since it holds the masking fluid slightly better than a brush. This shape is created with a size 2 Round brush with brush soap and masking fluid. Precise lines are a lot easier to achieve, but the consistency of masking fluid can make it challenging to produce smooth lines. This splattering is created with a toothbrush and masking fluid. It’s fairly unpredictable, but can be used for produce really neat effects.
To keep consistency with a limited palette, I’m using only a few colours: Opera pink, Indigo and Lemon yellow. This is on Arches hot press 140lb watercolour paper. I know that when I apply the masking fluid with the toothbrush for a splatter effect, it will get on the face, but the dried masking fluid won’t harm the painting underneath. I want to preserve some of the white paper as stars, so I’ve splattered just a little with the toothbrush and added a few more spots with my Original Incredible Nib tool in selected areas of the image. Don’t attempt to speed up the drying time of the masking fluid with a hair dryer or any heat, because this will make the latex bond to your paper.
For this example, I’m beginning with a simple drawing. I want the hair to have a galaxy effect. Because I know that the hair will be darker than the skin tone, I’ve decided to paint the skin first.
Don’t add masking fluid to paper that’s anything but bone dry. This makes it a long process of waiting for everything to dry, but adding masking fluid to damp or wet paper will cause it to disperse into the fibres and then become all-but impossible to remove. Once the first layer of colour is dry, I add a second layer of masking fluid splatters with the toothbrush. In between these layers, I rinse the masking fluid out of the toothbrush and wipe it dry.
To produce the splatter effect, brush your thumb against the bristles away from the paper. If you do the opposite, it’ll just get in your face – not a good look. I’ve now added the first layer of colour – a dusty pink – over the outline of the hair after the first layer of masking fluid spots have dried. I’m not being terribly precise with the hair because I plan to paint around it later.
Remember, the most important thing in the end is that your painting is a good image. It doesn’t matter how “pure” your watercolour technique is if the painting can be improved with the use of mixed media. Adding additional white dots with ink or iridescent acrylic paint would make this painting better. Keep experimenting! Experiment with your application for different effects. Sticks, a palette knife, sponges and other tools can be used to apply masking fluid to a painting. You could even use an atomiser!
After allowing each layer to dry naturally, carefully removing the masking fluid with my rubber cement Pik-Up eraser is incredibly satisfying! Don’t use your fingers, because any oils on them can discolour or damage your painting. If the masking fluid isn’t coming up easily, you can apply more on top, allow it to dry, and then try lifting again. For masking fluid that’s dried on to a brush, lighter fluid will remove it. In this example, I’ve added three layers of colour, creating four preserved colour variants of splatters – including the white paper underneath.