DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Masking Fluid 30ml

Product information "DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Masking Fluid 30ml" 

Our watercolor masking fluid is easy to apply using the bottle applicator, the included 5 fine tip applicator tips or with an inexpensive paint brush. Masking Fluid creates an impenetrable barrier to protect your watercolor paper and preserve the white areas by preventing watercolor paints from flowing into areas you don't want, leaving sharp, clean edges. 

Our masking fluid is cream in color and dries to a transparent caramel color so you can see it as you work and yet it is unobtrusive when working on your painting. 

Once the masking fluid has dried, it is easy to remove with a rubber cement pickup or even your clean fingers. However, be careful not to leave any oils from your fingers behind when rubbing the dried masking fluid. Oils from your fingers can interfere with reapplying watercolor paints. 

Once the masking fluid has been removed, either leave the white areas white or apply fresh watercolor over the white area you have retained to maintain maximum watercolor vibrancy. 

Tips for using DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Masking Fluid: 

Do not shake the masking fluid or you will create air bubbles that will enter the applicator tip and transfer the bubbles into your masking fluid line. DANIEL SMITH Masking Fluid does not need to be shaken as our latex mix does not separate easily. If you feel like something needs mixing, gently roll the bottle across the table once or twice. I like to keep my Masking Fluid upside down in a small jar when I am working with the Masking Fluid in between actual application. This way, any bubbles that may be present will stay at the top (which are now at the bottom since the bottle is upside down) and will not get into the applicator needles. When applying, gently squeeze the bottle to allow the masking fluid to flow out of the applicator tip. Stop squeezing once you get a "bead" of masking fluid. Begin applying masking fluid to your watercolor paper and allow capillary action to draw out the masking fluid as you move the applicator bottle across the paper. You may need to give the occasional light squeeze if capillary flow is interrupted. Keep the bottle upside down to allow capillary action to continue flowing once it has started. (another reason it's good to store the bottle upside down in a jar when not actually applying) Be sure to rinse the applicator tip thoroughly immediately after use to avoid clogging as it dries. A good tip for rinsing the applicator tip once you have a second bottle of masking fluid: keep the empty bottle, rinse it out and fill it with clean water, then put the applicator tip you just used on the bottle applicator and rinse out the liquid masking fluid by squeezing the bottle. If some masking fluid dries on the applicator, you can usually peel it off. If the inside of the applicator is dry, try using a fine needle to loosen and remove it, although most needles are not fine enough to be inserted into the uncut applicator tips. You can also use a paintbrush instead of the 5 tips that come with the masking fluid. Do not use your good paintbrushes, as all brushes will clog with dried masking fluid over time. Immediately rinse the brush thoroughly with water. Allow the masking fluid to dry thoroughly before painting with watercolors. Make sure your watercolor paint is dry before removing masking fluid. To remove masking fluid, use a Rubber Cement Pick-up rather than your fingers to avoid dirtying your watercolor paper or getting oil from your fingers on the watercolor paper. Replace the storage cap when you are finished with the masking fluid.