On behalf of Winsor and Newton Paul Robinson delivers us a fine presentation on how to use two different types on art masking fluid, the standard art masking fluid and the colorless version.

Art masking fluid is a liquid for of masking tape and it traditionally has a slightly yellow hue to it due to yellow pigment being applied to it through it’s manufacturing process, with no surprise and as the name suggests, the colorless art masking fluid has no pigment whatsoever added to it during it’s process.

He begins by placing a small piece of watercolor paper on the table and explains how he will apply both the standard and colorless art masking fluid in a rough composition, allow them to dry and apply his wash. If all goes to plan the masking fluid will be rubbed away once dried with either an eraser or you finger to allow the natural brightness of the paper to shine through the watercolor wash.

Masking fluid can be applied via a brush, stick or nearly any other form of implement but if you do use a brush a quick tip is to submerge the bristles in a soap solution beforehand to protect the brush and increase its longevity. It is also important to shake the bottle of masking fluid beforehand because if the bottle has been sitting for some time then inevitably the liquid will become less active. Using his brush he applies the masking fluid to the areas of his paper he does not want the watercolor to show and then allows it to dry. It is vitally important that the masking fluid is allowed to dry completely before the watercolor wash is applied otherwise the paint will actually dilute the masking fluid resulting in seepage through to the areas of paper you wanted masked or extremely difficult to remove masking fluid as it’s consistency was spoiled and compromised via the wash.

Whilst screwing the lid back on to your Winsor and Newton art masking fluid make sure that there is no fluid on the bottle threads as they have a tendency to dry once the cap is replaced making it extremely difficult to open the lid the next time around. When you allow the masking fluid to dry it is very important to remember that if left for days its will actually act more like a glue and be horrible to remove so be sure to just allow up to a few hours maximum depending on how much you have applied.

At the end of this art tutorial he reaches for the eraser and quite simply rubs off the masking fluid to reveal the nice crisp white of the watercolor paper. This is a very well presented video on the uses of a medium by Winsor and Newton and would be beneficial for anyone serious about using watercolors. Hope you enjoy it.