Q: I used masking tape to mask out the border of my
watercolor painting but it abraded the surface when I tried to remove
it. What did I do wrong? Should I have used frisket?
A: Two things may have contributed to your problem with the
masking tape sticking: 1) the tape was left on the paper too long; or
2) the wrong kind of tape was used. A good type of tape for this
function is the blue tape found in hardware stores for protecting wall
trimming and ceilings when painting a room. Frisket would work, but its
application would be more involved, and because most brands of frisket
is tinted so the artist can see where it’s been applied, leaving the
frisket on the paper too long can stain it permanently.