Daniel Smith Watercolor Masking Fluid

The Daniel Smith Watercolor Masking Fluid is easy to use with the bottle applicator, the included 5, fine-point applicator tips or with an inexpensive brush. Masking Fluid makes an impervious barrier to protect your watercolor paper and preserve the white areas by blocking watercolor washes from flowing into areas you don’t want leaving crisp, clean edges.

Our Masking Fluid applies as an off-white color and dries to a transparent caramel color so that you can see it while working, and still be unobtrusive while working on your painting.

Easy to remove when Masking Fluid has dried with a rubber cement pick-up or even with your clean fingers. Be careful though, about leaving oils from your fingers when rubbing off the dried Masking Fluid, oils from your fingers can interfere with new applications of watercolor.

Once the Masking Fluid had been removed, either keep the white areas white or add fresh watercolor onto the preserved white area to retain maximum watercolor luminosity.

Tips for using DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Masking Fluid:

• Don’t shake the Masking Fluid, that will cause air bubbles that will get into the applicator tip and transfer the bubbles into your Masking Fluid line. DANIEL SMITH Masking Fluid does not need shaking because our latex mixture does not easily separate. If you feel you need to mix, then gently roll your bottle once or twice across your table.
• I like to keep my Masking Fluid upside down in a small glass when I am working with the Masking Fluid in between actually applying it. That way if there are any bubbles, they remain at the top (which is now the bottom since the bottle is upside down) and don’t get into the applicator needles.
• When applying, gently squeeze the bottle to start the flow of Masking Fluid out the applicator tip. Stop squeezing once you have a “bead” of Masking Fluid.
• Begin applying the Masking Fluid on to your watercolor paper and allow the capillary action to draw out the Masking Fluid as you move the applicator bottle across the paper. You may need to gently squeeze occasionally if the capillary flow is interrupted.
• Keep the bottle inverted so that the capillary action once started continues to flow. (another reason why it’s good to keep the bottle upside down in a glass when not actually applying)
• Be sure to thoroughly rinse out the applicator tip immediately after using to prevent clogging when it dries. A good tip for rinsing out the applicator tip once you have a 2nd bottle of Masking Fluid: Is to save the empty bottle, rinse it out and fill with clean water, then place the just used applicator tip on the bottle applicator and flush out the liquid Masking Fluid by squeezing the bottle.
• If some of the Masking Fluid does dry on the applicator, you can usually peel it off. If dried inside of the applicator, try loosening and removing with a fine needle, although most needles are not fine enough to insert into the untrimmed applicator tips.
• You can also use a paint brush instead of the 5 tips that come with the Masking Fluid. Do not use your good brushes because all brushes will eventually get clogged up with dried Masking Fluid. Be sure to immediately rinse brush well with water.
• Allow the Masking Fluid to dry thoroughly before painting with watercolor.
• Be sure your watercolor paint is dry before removing Masking Fluid.
• Replace storage snap top when finished with the Masking Fluid.