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May 27th, 2026

Masking Fluid Magic

Ambassador Lisa Spangler paints thumbnail sketches of cacti in the desert and shares tips for masking details on her page.

By Lisa Spangler

A collection of watercolor paintings and sketches arranged on a rocky surface. The artwork features vibrant depictions of flowers, landscapes, cacti, and abstract patterns. Nearby, a paint palette, a small container of paint, and a paintbrush are also visible, along with a red pencil case filled with drawing tools.
A collection of desert-themed thumbnail paintings that Lisa made using masking fluid.

Masking fluid is magic in a bottle—or pen, as the case may be! It acts as a resist to preserve the white of the paper, so you can watercolor to your heart’s content without having to fuss about painting around areas you want to leave white. It’s also really fun to peel it off to do the big reveal after your paint has completely dried!

It’s hard to believe I’ve had my Duotone Desert A5 Art Toolkit for three years, and it’s still going strong! I’ve taken it on numerous trips to the desert, and today, I’m sharing some of my favorite landscapes and botanicals from the Chihuahuan, Great Basin, and Sonoran Deserts.

A winding road leads through a desert landscape with vibrant red rock formations and layered cliffs under a blue sky with white clouds.
Driving through Capitol Reef National Park.

Tips for Using Masking Fluid

Here are some tips if you’re new to this magical medium.

Tip #1: Always do a small swatch test to see how it works on your paper, since masking fluid doesn’t peel off as well as you might think. Knowing how masking fluid interacts with your paper and using it correctly ensures that the project finishes beautifully, protecting the hard work you put into it! I’ve found that it works great on 100% cotton paper. For this post, I tore some Arches cold press paper down to about 2x3" and had the best time playing! I started off with some simple mark-making and then moved on to tiny landscapes and flowers.

Four partially completed watercolor paintings on paper are taped to a brown backing. The artworks feature delicate floral and abstract designs in varying shades of blue and green. The background is a natural setting, possibly a park, with a rustic wooden bench.
Taped papers with drying masking fluid in the sun.
A close-up of a red art toolkit containing a bottle of drawing gum, a green paintbrush, and a pair of scissors, arranged neatly on a textured surface.
Pebeo Drawing Gum lifts with a Liquid Frisket Remover.
A textured paper with colorful abstract patterns featuring turquoise lines, circles, wavy shapes, and horizontal stripes in red and blue. The background is a vibrant red.
Layering watercolor over abstract marks with masking fluid.
A hand holds a small watercolor painting featuring horizontal stripes in various colors, including blue, yellow, orange, and earthy tones, against a backdrop of rocky terrain and cliffs.
Once the paint is dry, remove the masking fluid gently!

Tip #2: If you’re using masking fluid from a bottle, you can apply it with a brush, dip pen, or mapping pen—or you can even try using a stick! If you opt to use a brush, get an inexpensive brush from the craft store so that you don’t ruin a good brush.

Tip #3: Put a little dish soap on a plate, then coat your brush with dish soap, dip the brush in the bottle of masking fluid, and use it on your project. At the first sign of the masking fluid starting to set on your brush, rinse it out and reapply dish soap. I prefer to use a mapping pen or a dip pen when using masking fluid from a bottle, since you can peel the masking fluid from it when it’s dry—so satisfying!

A person holds a framed collection of four watercolor paintings, each depicting serene landscapes and floral themes. The background shows a forest setting with tall trees and a clear blue sky.
After removing masking fluid, your background washes are clean and crisp, and white outlines where the fluid was are now ready for for details (or to leave as bright silhouettes)!

Tip #4: You can remove the masking fluid with your finger or a rubber pickup, like a Liquid Frisket Remover—both work great—just take it slow and steady.

When to Use Masking Fluid

Tiny areas are ideal for using masking fluid. Think flower stamens, the glint in an eye, and stars in the night sky.

Sunset illuminates the unique rock formations and hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park, highlighting the varied shades of red, orange, and pink in the landscape. Pine trees dot the valleys amidst the rugged terrain.
A watercolor painting depicts a night sky with stars and a constellation above a rocky landscape. The backdrop features a rugged mountain or cliff under a deep blue sky.
A person holding a small watercolor painting of vibrant red flowers against a soft blue background. The painting is set in a natural landscape of rocky terrain and sparse vegetation.
A winding dirt road leads through towering red rock formations and rugged cliffs under a partly cloudy sky. Sparse vegetation dots the landscape, highlighting the natural beauty of the desert terrain.

Bigger areas can be a little harder to work with, since masking fluid dries quickly. In my experiments with the saguaro cacti, I found that the masking fluid dried before I could cover the whole cactus, but I was still able to use it with a bit of extra patience. See how it works for you!

Yellow flowers with a textured bloom grow amidst rocky soil, surrounded by green leaves.
A colorful illustration of cacti is clipped among blooming white flowers, with a soft, colorful background depicting a pink mountain.

Some of My Favorite Supplies

I have my Duotone Desert A5 Art Toolkit geared up for sketching in the desert. Read on for a list of what I like to carry in my toolkit!

A red zippered art case lying on a textured brown surface, featuring a variety of pens and watercolor paints alongside small, colorful paint swatches.
A Duotone Desert A5 Art Toolkit filled with supplies, and featuring a palette of special hues for sketching in the desert.

  • Paper: Hahnemühle Toned Watercolor Book: The beige color goes so well with the desert and makes those cactus spines sparkle; pieces of Arches 140lb cold press watercolor paper: I tore them to roughly A5 size. I like having Arches paper since it has a longer drying time, which is much appreciated in an arid climate.

  • Pens and Ink: A Platinum Desk Pen and Kuretake Brush Pen, both filled with Dark Red De Atramentis Document Ink; Kakimori brass nib and pen holder; Kaweco Piston Filler Fountain Pen filled with Platinum Carbon Black Ink.

  • Pencils: Koh-i-Noor Magic Pencil — super fun for warming your hand up for sketching, and I love the colors Kneaded eraser and clutch pencil.

  • Niji Flat and round water brushes.

  • Tiny Allex Slim Scissors that Maria gifted to me when we met up in Austin!

  • A Triad Template, co-designed by Art Toolkit and me!

  • Pocket Mister: I mainly use this to clean my palette and wet paper before painting. I don’t usually mist my paints because I’ve found that misting them at high temperatures can make the paints gooey, and then they’re impossible to work with!

  • Some Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling zines from the Wild Wonder Foundation that I give out to people when they stop to ask about my sketches.

  • A shop towel for cleaning my brush.

  • A pocket knife for scratching wet paint to add texture.

A color wheel with various shades surrounds a small watercolor palette containing several vibrant paint squares on a textured stone surface. A note with handwritten text is beside the color wheel.
Exploring color with a Triad Template and Yellow Ochre, Cerulean Blue, and Venetian Red.

The Pebeo Drawing Gum is a great addition to any sketch kit, or consider trying the Molotow Masking Fluid Pen which slips perfectly into a vertical pocket of your Pocket or A5 Art Toolkit!

A collection of watercolor paintings depicting desert scenes, including cacti, a night sky with stars, and a pink flower, arranged on a textured stone surface. A bottle of paint and a green paintbrush are placed next to the artwork.
An assortment of desert thumbnail sketches, using masking fluid.

Hope this post gave you some ideas and made you excited to try the magic of masking fluid for yourself!

Lisa Spangler
Website | Social Media | Ambassador Page
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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