Friday, November 2, 2007

What is the best masking fluid for watercolor work?

Ruth asks:
I'd like to know of all the masking fluids out there to use in watercolor, which one is the very best? Many thanks.

All of the masking fluids are pretty much the same. They are a liquid latex material. The biggest difference is that some of them have a colorant and others are white. Some of the colored ones are blue and others are yellow.

There is one product called Masque-Pen that comes in a smaller plastic bottle with a writing tip. I tend to use that one a lot becasue I can create lines without using a brush or I can put some out in a puddle and apply it to a larger area with a brush. At the end of the day, which one you choose is a matter of personal preference. I like the ones that have color because I can see where I put it. The white ones look just like the paper and it is hard to see where you have been. Unless you are going to be using masking fluid really often or on very large areas, I would buy the smallest container you can find. The fluid will congeal into a solid mass over time and then it is no good.

Hope this helps.

Judy Leasure,TDA

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