AquaTips - Masking Fluid

This is the first installment of an ongoing feature. It is called AquaTips. Members of the club are encouraged to submit tips and techniques they discovered or use to create and enjoy watercolors. Just send a note to the club with "Tip" in the subject line and we will put it into our AquaTips collection. Come together watercolorists, and share the treasure that is our knowledge!

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submitted by p-e-a-k
If you find that your masking fluid has turned thick and/or lumpy, it might simply be too old, but it could also be the result of wrong handling. I'm no expert either and I can't tell you what to do about masking fluid that has turned thick and lumpy... except to throw it out and buy a new bottle, but here are a couple of pointers on how to avoid these problems in the future.

Tip # 1
Do not apply masking fluid straight from the bottle unless all you want are really just one or two quick dots here and there. Every minute that bottle is open favors the drying-out/ becoming-lumpy process.

It is much better to pour the amount of mask you need into a little container - glass, glazed ceramic or porcelain are best (I use a tiny sake cup for this) - then quickly wipe off any drips from the mouth of the bottle with a tissue and close it immediately.
Do not leave that bottle open for any length of time!

Tip # 2
Never pour left-overs back into the bottle - for the same reasons.
Hope this will help to keep your next bottle of masking fluid going until it's all used up!

Bonus tip
If you find that you do have some left-over mask in your sake cup (or egg cup or whatever you use), don't throw it away. Let it dry completely, remove it and collect it until you have a little ball of the stuff. You can use this to remove mask from your paintings - works a treat, I assure you.

Happy painting!