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!