Mask Wipe

Working through old paintings that I started but never finished, I ran across a painting of palm trees that I used masking fluid. Masking fluid, aka frisket, is latex in liquid form used to preserve the white areas of the paper while allowing you to paint next to it. In theory you paint the white spots with masking liquid, then apply your colored paint, when the paint dries you can remove the masking by rubbing it off to expose the white paper. To rub off masking, which like a thick rubber cement, you can use; an eraser, frisket removal tool, or even your fingers. A bit of a pain to deal with and I seldom use masking. However, once in a long while, you just have that painting that would work well with it. So my very detailed drawing and painting of the palm trees seemed to fit the bill.

As I'm painting away at these palm trees, I kept thinking how nice my sparkling preserved whites will be. Until I tried to remove the masking... to no avail. Apparently it continues to slowly cure and harden over a long period of time. Unfortunately for me, this painting had been sitting around for more than a year. Guess I found out there's a limit to how long you can leave masking on watercolor paper before it bonds permanently. The worst thing you can do is to put a hair blower to it because that only makes it bond even firmer...and that I did not do.

My only alternative was to try to remove the masking was to use a razor knife. I was surprised that even that didn't work so well. The elasticity in the masking was gone. It was like cutting hardened plastic. A big lesson learned here. Ideally you don't leave the masking on for longer than a week. Then it works like it should. I remember that for the next time if I ever use masking again.

Meanwhile, I finished the palm trees by use acrylic ink with a dip pen to paint over the masking. Live and learn... the hidden danger unmasked for you.