My foray into using masking fluid did not last very long, and here are two reasons why....

Reason #1 - I didn't start out buying masking fluid, but finally I thought I would try it. But soon I found out that if for some reason, you have to leave the painting for a bit of time, when you come back, it has adhered itself to the cotton paper. I had used W&N so it was not an off brand. I really liked what I was doing with this piece. It was a neat old building in its tumbled down state with the charm of a white flowery vine growing over its roof. As you can see in the top right, I had even done some practicing on how to paint a rusty tin roof and some barn siding. But my body decided to give my heart a little difficulty so I had to put this painting project aside for several months. When I came back to it, as you can see the blue dots and lines of masking fluid were hard and rubbery and nothing I tried was going to get it off. And you certainly cannot paint over them or incorporate blue rubber into the piece.

The Masking

Below is where I had gotten to when I had to leave it... you can see the hardened masking....

Reason #2

Some people seem to handle masking fluid beautifully, but to me it leaves, or at least it does in my hands, a quality of starkness that looks unnatural and is hard to blend into the rest of the painting, as in these tree branches I had masked out intending to give them a snowy effect, but as you can see....my winter sunset was a fail. Of course, the painting isn't a masterpiece, more like a practice piece, but there were some bits in it that I liked so it did irritate me that the "snowy" branches stick out like a sore thumb.

Anyone have tips on using masking fluid or a brand that doesn't give you trouble? Do you use it? why or why not?

Or any other thoughts on masking techniques or critique on the second little painting....

Thanks!