Stumble It!
The sky’s the limit with masking fluid and today I am going to introduce you to a way of creating patterns and background paper like you’ve never seen before (well, actually, you have, but they are usually digi! lol)
You Need:
Bottle of Artist Quality Masking Fluid (I used 100ml bottle from National Art Materials bought from Eckersley’s Art Supplies).
Cardstock
Scuzzy paintbrush
Tub of warm, soapy water.
Acrylic paint or watercolours
Your hand writing skills
Step One:
Place your cardstock on a flat surface and shake your bottle of masking fluid VERY well. It is made from liquid latex (rubber) so it needs to be well shaken.
Start by dipping your brush into the masking fluid and applying a GENEROUS amount to the cardstock in patterns/shapes/ text. I use text as I find it the most popular and the most effective.
Step Two:
Allow time for the masking fluid to dry (should take about an hour to be sure) and then wash your brush in warm, soapy water to get rid of the latex on the bristles.
As the masking fluid dries it becomes transparent (or a clear yellowish colour).
Step Three:
Once the masking fluid has dried, you need to apply a coat of paint over the top. I used a “Wet on Wet” technique, which means to wet the whole page with water and then apply the paint in thin washes so that it blends in each layer.
I also flicked a layer of white paint over the whole page
Step Four:
Allow the paint some drying time now – about an hour or so if the weather is warm.
When the paint is COMPLETELY dry, you can start peeling off the masking fluid. Because it is made from latex, it will peel off in rubbery strips, into little balls which you rub off with your (dry) fingers.
The finished product should look like this:
The base colour of the cardstock should be showing through where you have “masked” off the areas of text (or whatever else you have drawn).
Here’s my sample of a completed LO using the masking fluid on the base card:
Have fun and don’t remember to wash those paintbrushes!
Take care,
Sares xx
This is awsome Sarah, I’ve never even heard of this stuff, thanks for the tip!!Your LO is sooo unique!
Reneexx
OMG I am very new at viewing your site and amazed at what you have created here…I have never heard of this stuff before. I might have to do some hunting to find it, but what a kewl effect. Thank you for the inspiration
wow! this is exactly what i was looking for! would this technique work on canvas?
You never cease to amazing with your amazing skills and inspiring work… TFS
Oh and do you mean “don’t forget” or “REMEMBER to wash those paint brushes” ???
Hi Sarah,
I am the technique section editor for The Art Journal Journey ezine published by Artella (www.artellaland.com)
I would love to reprint your technique in our next issue. Could you please contact me by email?
Best Regards,
Cheryl Richards
is there a way in which i can colour masking fluid without changing the way in which it works just the paper in which i use means that i cannot see the masking fluid well enough to get a precice result. i hope you can help
kayleigh
do you know if there is a masking substance on the market that can be applied over the area to be protcted and can be overpainted and later be removed by a water wash?
Thanks for your question!
I have to admit I didn’t know if there was a product around that was water based but I had a look online and I found a few interesting links for you.
The first link is actually from an electronic supplies shop and it is a product made for soldering. However, I can see no reason why you couldn’t experiment with it and use it on artwork, as it is fully water based.
http://www.contronicdevices.com/Products/Water_Soluble_Mask/water_soluble_mask.html
The second link shows a few FAQ’s about masking fluid types and some of their uses and products. I have never used that particular brand before but it sounds quite good.
http://www.misterart.com/g7921111/Cruddas-Innovations-Masquepen-Masking-Fluid.htm?WT.mc_n=CJ&WT.mc_t=CPC&WT.mc_id=7921111&AID=10273655&PID=3071393&SID=popshops
For quality I thoroughly recommend Windsor and Newton, though. They have the thinnest but strongest latex I have ever found. Never rips your paper. Always dries evenly and so forth.
Happy creating!
Sares x