Winsor & Newton Art Masking Fluid is a pigmented liquid composed of rubber latex and pigment, for masking areas of work needing protection from paint. When you want the freedom to apply broad colour washes across your painting surface, but do not want the colour wash to cover key details within a composition then Masking Fluid can help.

Unlike Permanent Masking Medium, which is intermixable with watercolours, Art Masking Fluid is applied directly on the paper. It can be applied to white paper or previously coloured areas, and it will act as skin over those areas you want to protect from the colour wash. Once you have finished applying the colour wash you can simply remove the Art Masking Fluid by rubbing it off or using a Rubber Cement Eraser.

Here are some helpful tips to get the best results:

1. Shake the bottle before use.
2. Do not use the fluid on wet/damp paper.
3. Use gelatin surface sized paper, this helps to prevent the fluid from adhering too strongly to the paper.
4. Use old brushes or dip pens to avoid damaging valuable brushes.
5. Wash brushes in soapy water immediately after use.
6. Ensure fluid is dry before applying a colour wash.
7. Do not leave the fluid on paper for long periods.
8. If spilt by accident, wash the item immediately in soapy water. Once dry, the latex can only be removed by picking at it or rubbing it with an eraser. Unfortunately, there are no solvents available that will remove the masking fluid.

View our Speedball Best-Test Pik-Up Rubber Cement eraser – ideal to remove masking fluid.

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