Much to my surprise, I find myself drawn to the images I construct with latex rubber masking fluid. Even though I swore I would not use this technique again (Last Rubber Image), I can’t seem to help myself. They are a lot of fun to make.

Blue to yellow

The images below are rather small in format, so the range of my drippiness is limited.  I do manipulate the drips a little, with a tooth pick, but I don’t alter their original placement. But I was really trying to improve my graded washes. Below is my study in Blue and Yellow.

Study in Blue to Yellow
4″x10″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

I also like to try painting the places that were masked out, with contrasting colors, so they stand out.

Smalt to permanent alizarine

The painting below is on landscape formatted paper, meant to be displayed in a portrait orientation. I used a color called ‘smalt’, a vintage pigment re-issued by Winsor Newton recently. I only have one small tube of it, but I wanted to see how this reddish-blue merged to the permanent alizarine crimson, a muted shade of red.

Study in Smalt to Alizarine
10″x4″ Cold Pressed 140# Watercolor Block

One problem with small format drips

I’m going to have to use a larger format. Drips in the formats used above always come out looking like sea creatures.