All About Masking Paintings Properly!…

Many people seem fascinated by the name alone and wonder what all this is about! Masking is a very good way of protecting your work while you are painting other sections of your painting. You can get interesting looks pretty easily which you would not have thought possible.

As an example, say you have a background to do on a painting that has very detailed work on it. This could well give you a headache. The thought being, it is going to take forever and a day to paint round all the detailing first. It would too, you would have to use a very fine brush and even then it would be difficult to get the paint even and not all patchy.

I would strongly recommend before you begin your background, that you go ahead and mask out your subject. This makes life so much easier! Then paint your background easily, don’t worry about going on top of the masking. You will have achieved a nice flat background. Nice clear outlines will show when the mask is removed and the underneath will still remain white.

As a medium it can be used with watercolours and is ideal for landscapes. This would certainly be an asset when blocking out trees and their branches, say in an Autumn scene. All you would need is a brush with a fine point to apply it. The shapes produced by masking can be very different, subtle, textured, or clear and sharp.

So, to get started, what do I need to get together for this? Masking tape, some watercolours, a 2B pencil, some watercolour paper, an old, round brush, plus another round brush and of course the masking fluid.

Let’s start with masking tape, a good strong adhesive, which is sold in the shops in different widths. It is tough and will firmly stick to canvas or paper, yet it can also be removed without too much trouble.

So, say you are wanting straight lines, the tape would need to be pressed down very strongly, as you wouldn’t want your paint creeping underneath it and the paint used would have to be a thick colour. When you tape it, it can produce a very hard edge, but you could always tear or cut it to gain a softer edge. Allow the paint to dry before attempting to remove the tape, if at all possible.

This might not be too advisable to do, when working with oil paints. It could be remedied, perhaps by carefully raising one end of the tape, but hold the tape so that it is going away from you and not towards you.

Masking fluid can be applied in various ways. Sometimes with a cocktail stick, a pen or a brush. When it dries, it is a fine film and rubbery in texture, however this is easily removed. This is fantastic for blocking out certain areas and picking out various details. However, you can also use it to keep certain areas from a wash.

Why not try it out, first, on a piece of paper? The results could be quite surprising, but let your paint dry before you paint over the mask. When you have ascertained that this is dry, try removing the mask just with a clean finger or a soft type of rubber. All you will have remaining is the plain white beneath.

I suppose that sometimes it could make a mess of your paper surface. I did suggest using an old brush for the masking fluid, as I find that this can ruin any paintbrush. Bear in mind, the bristles will go rubbery, so be sure to wash the brush thoroughly. One good factor is, you can use this medium with any paints, but you need a smooth paper. If you use a rough paper, the fluid will sink into the cracks of your surface and you may not be able to remove it.