Watercolour Experiments: Hand of Fatima in Masking Fluid

With today’s post, I’m starting a sporadic series of Watercolour Experiments (under Sketchbook) as I venture into this mysterious medium. As an artist who loves and appreciates the intensity of “opaqueness,” watercolour intimidates me, because it’s transparent. I prefer opaque mediums like gouache and oil paints. But I am more adamant than ever about breaking into watercolour.

In today’s Watercolour Experiments artwork, I am using my new Molotow Masking Liquid Pen (2 mm) for the very first time. I bought this masking pen after realising I was way too impatient to apply other brands of masking fluid using a silicon spatula or an old brush. I wanted something practical, precise, quick, and easy to apply, and this pen happens to be the answer!

In case you’re wondering, I’m also using a student-grade Royal Talens Van Gogh watercolour pocket box, which usually comes in 12 half-pans; this one came with three additional free colours.

I finished this piece this morning. I have been staring at my new masking pen ever since my husband got it for me from a local art supplies store a few days ago.

I watched a great amount of videos on YouTube to learn about the ins and outs of this making fluid pen. But in all honesty I didn’t know what to expect.

After pumping the pen for a few times to get the masking fluid going, I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth this pen glided across my cold pressed, 100% cotton watercolour artist paper.

Having used masking fluid from a bottle and struggling with my lines as they didn’t come out as precise as I wanted them to be, this pen gave me the control and fluidity I was looking for.

I free-handed the lettering inside the Hand of Fatima motif using the masking fluid pen. I went for a phrase that is sort of a personal mantra: “Change the way you live.” Once the fluid was dry to the touch, I added my wet-on-wet watercolours, as well as the ink details using a permanent ink fine liner. I rubbed off the masking fluid seeing how the watercolour was dry, and took a picture of the outcome.

P.S. This isn’t a sponsored post, and the links to the art supply brands are not affiliate links.

Watercolour Experiments by illustrator and artist Yaansoon