We have seen how the white of the paper becomes the lightest area in our painting. It is all very well to paint around areas, but what happens if you want to paint a complex light subject against a dark background?

You will need to use masking fluid (also known as frisket).

In this section, Liz takes you through the pros and cons of masking fluid and the dos and don'ts. We then put it into practice in a beautiful painting of a Japanese cherry tree.