Best Liquid Mask

[flash]

What is the best liquid mask on the market?

[1967rs]

All that I have tried work well(Bitty, Dively and Fasmask) I normally use Fasmask just because I can get it for a better price.

[flash]

Which liquid mask is easier to cut?

[1967rs]

I like Bitty and Fasmask for the cutting ability

[Erc]

What's better to use liquid mask or masking tape?

[k1llerrc]

liquid mask contours better, but if its not applied right it can be a pain to remove. I put 5 to 6 layers of brush on, or 3 to 4 of spray with a .50 gun.. I personally prefer Dively

[superrcracer]

Any tips from preventing bleeding when painting with liquid mask?

[k1llerrc]

Light layers of and proper prep and application of the liquid mask. Then use a new/sharp exacto with consistent light pressure.

[Erc]

I found this tips on the internet.

1. Plan Thoroughly
To get the most out of masking fluid, it should be considered very carefully at the planning stage of a painting. In most cases it is applied before any paint comes into contact with the paper.

The marks made and therefore consequently left by the masking fluid on its removal have to be carefully appraised. It might help to think of it not as masking fluid but as ‘white paint’. I am amazed at how often a painting can be ruined when the artist has obviously considered the placement of paint but has taken a less than considered approach to the application of the masking fluid. A badly planned and poorly applied area of masking fluid can have as damaging effect to a painting as a poorly painted passage and can leave the painting in ruins.

2. Dilute to Taste
Through experience, I have learnt that sometimes masking fluid can be too thick if used straight from the bottle. I often water it down to aid the flow of the masking fluid onto the paper, which is useful for creating finer lines or more finely spattered areas in the painting than are possible using thicker fluid.

Test the effectiveness of the masking fluid on some sample scraps of your intended watercolour paper. If the paper used is a soft paper, the masking fluid might pull at the paper when it is removed. It might be advantageous to dilute the masking fluid with water, as this would exert less of a pull on the paper.

masking fluid boat

3. Handle with Care
Never shake the bottle of masking fluid. This can cause the masking fluid to coagulate, resulting in a ‘stringy’ lump of masking fluid that, if used directly from the jar, can land in a blobby mess right where you don’t want it! With that in mind, I also decant the required quantity into an old jar, as I can see any lumps that might have formed exiting the bottle and remove them accordingly.

4.Choose Different Tools
I use a variety of tools to apply the masking fluid to the paper, dependent on the effects that I wish to achieve. It can be applied using a brush, dip pen, a colour shaper, toothbrush, stencil brush or rolled up paper. Allow masking fluid to build up on a ‘grotty brush’ and you will end up with a unique tool that offers the artist a number of exciting application possibilities, useful for adding sky holes to trees or highlights to stones or pebbles on seashores and riverbanks.

masking fluid

5. Soapy water is invaluable
When choosing a brush to apply the masking fluid, I will go for an old brush that has lost both spring and point; a nylon-haired brush will stay cleaner than one made from natural fibres. I will also have a jar of soapy water to hand, into which I dip my brush, removing any excess with kitchen roll before I dip it into the masking fluid. Coating the hairs of the brush with this weak detergent solution helps to prevent the masking fluid from clinging to them, making dispersal much easier. It also helps to prevent the masking fluid drying out too quickly and clogging the brush in mid application. When assessing the application of the masking fluid, don’t keep the brush resting on a saucer or on the table – pop it back into the soapy water solution to prevent it drying out.

6. Vary your Application
Masking fluid can be painted, drawn, spattered, dabbed or flicked on to your painting surface. Spend some time experimenting with some of the effects and marks that you can make with the different tools that you have at your disposal, and consider how they might be used in a painting. For example, a flicked application from a stencil brush can create a wonderfully random effect of light sparkling on water.

masking fluid boat

7. Don'tWork Wet
Make certain that the paper is thoroughly dry before applying the masking fluid, otherwise you run the risk of the masking fluid penetrating the top layer of the paper. This could result in the paper being torn when the masking fluid is removed.

Always leave the masking fluid to dry fully before over-painting too. To check this, carefully touch the masking fluid with your finger tip. If some comes away, then leave it for a few minutes and re check. Only when you touch the masking fluid without it being disturbed is it safe to proceed. I clean my masking fluid brushes in water, but I never use the same water to paint with, as the small amount of masking fluid in the water will damage and clog up the brush hairs.

8. Remove it Carefully
Some artists use a soft rubber to remove the masking fluid from the paper. I remove it by gently rubbing with my fingertips, but only when I have checked that the paint and paper are both completely dry. Touch the paper with the back of your fingers; if it is still cold to the touch then the work is too damp to safely remove the masking fluid.

masking fluid landscape painting

9. Soften the Edges
Masking fluid can leave hard-edged marks on your work. If the wash painted over a masked area is not a staining colour, then once the masking fluid is removed the edges of these marks can, if desired, be softened by gently lifting out with a damp brush.