Tape Your Staples

   This entry was originally posted on Monday, April 9, 2012

When I stretch my paper using staples, I like to put tape over my staples.

There are a couple of reasons why I do this.

 

1. If I do NOT put tape on, when I do a wash of color, excess paint and water will get trapped under the staples. The excess water dries slower then what is on the rest of the paper and pushes the paint out, creating a bloom.  Which can be a nightmare in a sky. The more water that is trapped, the bigger the bloom. 

I have even had it create a backwash of color almost a couple of inches into my painting.

(Slurping up the excess water with a tissue also works) 

 

2. I like to pull off the tape at the end and Viola! 

I automatically have a nice white border to view my finished painting with. 

So much better than a dirty board.