Using rubber cement as a resist in Easel by Zaweba

Resists are among the oldest tricks in painting. You put something on the paper that stops paint from reaching it, paint over the top, then take the resist away to reveal the clean paper underneath. Rubber cement is one of the resist techniques in Easel by Zaweba, alongside masking fluid, masking tape, stencils and the natural resistance of wax crayon.

Easel lists it among its resist techniques, and this article looks at what a resist is for, how rubber cement fits among Easel's other ways of keeping paint off an area, and how to choose between them.

What a resist is for

In watercolour especially, the white of the paper is the brightest colour you have. Once paint covers it, getting that brightness back is hard. A resist keeps it safe while you paint freely over the top.

That freedom is the real point. Without a resist, you have to paint carefully around every highlight: the sparkle on a wave, the white of a gull, the light catching a window frame. With a resist in place, you can sweep a wash across the whole sheet and know those small whites will survive.

Rubber cement in the real studio

Rubber cement is a glue that dries to a rubbery film. Artists have long used it as an alternative to masking fluid. Painted on, it keeps water based paint away from the paper, and once the painting is dry it can be rubbed off to reveal the paper underneath.

It tends to give a slightly softer, more organic edge than tape, and many artists use it for loose shapes, textures and spattered highlights.

How it compares with Easel's other resists

Easel has several ways to protect an area, and each suits different jobs.

Masking tape drags out in straight strips. Masked areas take no paint until peeled and leave a hard, clean edge. It is the choice for horizons, window frames and geometric work.

Masking fluid is painted on and rubbed off after painting to reveal untouched paper. It is the choice for small, detailed shapes such as sparkles and twigs.

Stencils, built-in shapes or imported SVGs, give exact shapes you can move, resize and rotate.

Wax crayon resists water based paint laid over it, which gives a broken, textured resist, lovely for rain, bark and children's style wax resist pictures.

Rubber cement sits among these as another resist technique. Try it alongside masking fluid on a small test to see which you prefer for the job in hand.

Getting the most from a resist

Plan the whites first. Before you paint, decide where the lightest lights are. Put the resist there.

Let the paint dry before you remove the resist. Use Dry now or the drying speed slider to speed this up. Dried paint never moves or mixes again, so it won't smear when the resist comes off.

Soften edges afterwards if needed. A resist leaves a hard edge, which can look cut out. A damp brush or a lifting tool can soften part of the edge so the white sits naturally in the picture.

Mistakes with resists

The commonest one is using too much. A painting full of masked white shapes can look spotty. Keep resists for the few places that need them.

Another is forgetting to remove the resist before finishing. Check the picture with the values view before you export. Easel by Zaweba's view checks never affect the painting, so they are a quick way to see whether your whites are doing their job.