Despite my best efforts, the pulp doesn’t always land where I want it to; it spills out from the designated area. as illustrated in the above photo. If left untreated, the surface of the painting will absorb the colored water, thus creating a permanent stain. To avoid the stain (I’ll never be able to avoid the recalcitrant pulp spills!), I treat the surface of the in-progress painting with a mixture of water and liquid paper sizing. I fill a squirt bottle about 3/4 full of water, and then add a 1/4 cup of liquid sizing. I spray the surface of the painting with this mixture and allow it to dry thoroughly. This procedure protects the surface from absorbing the colored water as the sizing creates a tension between the water and the surface. I simply take a rag and apply it to the colored water, and soak it up into the rag.
