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Xadrea — Watercolor Tutorial Series: Masking
Published: 2012-04-21 02:47:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 30420; Favourites: 449; Downloads: 254
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Description
This is the first in a series of watercolor tutorials I'm doing!
if you have any more questions, feel free to ask! The next one will be on how to do a "light on dark" effect which is better known as "lifting."Related content
Comments: 64
I use a plastic squeeze bottle with a very small tip (you can get them at the craft store) to make thinner lines. You can drip thin lines too, but it's harder to control that way (I found that out the hard way XD) I normally use 140 lb paper, it could be that your paper weight is too thin, or you're not using high enough quality paper. I like strathmore and canson because they aren't too expensive, and they are very durable watercolor papers. Also make sure that even if you're making thin lines that you aren't putting down a heavy layer of the fluid, because that can be really hard to remove and tear the paper as well.
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That's true, recently I've been using illustration board (even though the kind I have is for dry medium, I like working on it). Most of my watercolor paper is pretty thin, even the strathmore and canson, I'm excited to pick up heavier paper now! Thank you so much!
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You're welcome! As a side note about illustration board, you might want to try out cardstock as well. I've noticed it seems to accept wet media decently with very little buckling (or at least it seems to dry flat)
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awesome, and I love the fact that you used a more economic alternative that at least I wasn't aware of! that's really wanting to help other artists!! but I just have one question, once you're finished, how do you remove the rubber cement?
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yup no problem, being broke is a state i'm nearly always in here XD and to remove the cement you can rub it off, peel it off, or use a stiff plastic eraser to buff it off (i would recommend the eraser because the constant rubbing can lead to some seriously sore fingers i found out 
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Sorry, didnt formulate the question right,I meant, you just peel it off? or use an eraser like with some masking fluids?
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Could you block off, for example, a whole figure with rubber cement on a painting and have it peel off without altering the pigments underneath?
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yes, i do it all the time. masking fluid and rubber cement won't do anything to the areas you mask
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Nice tip, I never knew you could use rubber cement, though I have no complaints with my masking fluid honestly, I have it for 2 years now, so it's not really that expensive if you consider the time it lasts, also it doesn't have a strong smell at all.
Anyway, I do have one question about the rubber cement, if you want to mask an area that it's already painted, at the time you remove it, does it lift the colors?
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no, the rubber cement will not lift off the pigment underneath 
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Ok, thanks for clearing that up. I have tried it with masking fluid and it did lift a bit of the pigment, I think I may have put too much masking fluid.
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no problem
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!! This is amazing! 
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hurray! i'm glad you found a good alternative! yes, the rubber cement is much much cheaper than frisket 
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Hehe how exciting!! x3 Thank you again!
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This one is AWESOME!!!
I've been reading the other ones too
but this is my favourite!!!
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well i'm glad you found a technique that's your favorite!
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Thanks a lot ! I'll be back at watercolour with this !
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wonderful! i'm glad you liked it!
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Know any secrets about any other mediums?
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yup! the next tutorial will be on glazes and i think you might like it
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you're welcome! i love your avatar btw XD
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you're welcome! thanks for commenting!
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I always wanted to try rubber cement + watercolor... but I don't really use watercolor.. so I never had the chance to experiment lol Thanks for satisfying my curiosity~!!
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you're welcome! watercolor is pretty easy to use actually, and you can use it just as an accent
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indeed~ i totally dig the textures from lifting!! ^^ thanks again~
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Rubber cement for masking still exists?! 
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Great tip I wasn't aware you could use rubber cement and the reminder about the teqniqe and effect is useful too!
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yea, it's a really great alternative!
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as the tutorial says, just peel it off
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Oh ok, I guess I missed it
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