How can I prevent a dark wash from covering an area I want to leave light?
Sometimes you may have designed your composition so that you have a very dark background that will make the lighter subject of your painting stand out, or you have an area that you want to leave as a highlight. When you apply a dark wash to the watercolor paper, you can protect the areas so that you do not have to lift off the dark wash or wait until it is dry to scrape it off. You do this by using masks. There are two types of masks you can use depending on how large an area you want to protect.
- masking tape
You can use masking tape if you are painting something that has very straight lines, such as buildings or some furniture. - liquid mask
You can buy either pure white liquid mask, or one that has a slight yellow tint, and apply it with a brush. You then wait for it to dry completely, then you can apply your wash over the area. Use liquid mask for protecting small areas such as for highlights, or for odd shaped objects such as tree trunks and flowers. Once you have applied the wash you can remove the liquid mask by gently rubbing it with a finger or an eraser.
