Winter Scene with Masking Fluid

I am the Mark's Finest Papers' Featured Designer today, and I have written a tutorial for creating a winter scene using liquid masking fluid.  I hope you find it interesting.

Several years ago I discovered masking fluid and have used it on winter-themed cards to make falling snow.  I was asked to make a tutorial for this technique.   Aside from cardstock and paper cutter, supplies I used to create my card are:

Stamps (Mark’s Finest Papers – Peace on Earth)

Ink (Memento Bamboo Leaves, Tim Holtz Distress Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans

Sponge applicator

Masking fluid

Toothbrush

Copic markers C00, C1

Eclipse tape for masking

There are several different masking fluids on the market.   I googled “artist masking fluid” and found products by Winsor & Newton,  DaVinci,  and Grumbacher.   I bought mine (Grumbacher) at Michaels in the fine art department.

For my card I started off by stamping the trees with Memento Bamboo Leaves ink.  I tilted the card up so that you can see it more easily.

 Mask off the top and bottom of the card front as well as the tree with Eclipse tape.  If you don’t have this wonderful product, you can use Post-It notes for masking.  I stamped the tree image on a piece of tape, cut it out and put it over the stamped image on the card.

Dip the toothbrush into the masking fluid.

Then “flick” the brushes to scatter the fluid in the unmasked section of your card.

Continue flicking across the entire width of the card until you’re satisfied with the coverage.

Here is a photo of my card showing the masking fluid as it is drying.

 When the fluid is completely dry (10 – 15 minutes), you can begin to sponge in the sky.   I first sponged with Tim Holtz Distress Tumbled Glass.

 I continued until I was happy with the coverage.

 Then I sponged the Faded Jeans across the top.

When you’re happy with your sky, you can begin to rub off the masking fluid with your fingers.  I usually use a circular motion – no particular reason, it just seems to work well.

You can see how the “gelled” fluid gathers in strings and/or balls as you rub.

 Then I start to add some shadows beneath the trees with the C00 Copic marker.

By tearing a piece of Eclipse Tape, you can create snow drifts using a flicking motion with both the C00 and C1 markers.

After removing all the Eclipse tape, you can see how the “snowflakes” look in the night sky.  Here is a close-up.

Stamp the sentiment at the bottom.  Here is my finished card.