Frisket Film
 

Can anyone tell me how long I can keep frisket film on paper? Will it 'stick' permanently to the sheet of paper, if it has to be on there for a week or so? I've only worked with it a couple of times, but I have always removed it immediately. But this time it's taking longer for me to do the background.

Melissa,

If I remember this correctly from my airbrushing days, I would leave it on for 2 days on cold press illustration board.

I had to go to my reference books and look this up; it seems they recommend not to leave it on the artwork too long (more than 24 hours) because the adhesive may become tackier over time. Apparenly room temperature plays a big part in affecting the tackiness and can make the frisket difficult or impossible to remove.

The type of paper you use will also make a difference. My recommendation is to make a sample on a piece of scratch paper and let it sit over 24 hrs, that should give you a good indication how long you can leave it on. Good luck and please share the results.

I've known artists who leave the frisket on after the painting was finished. It may be harder to remove if you leave it on too long though.

Melissa,

You didn't mention your medium, so I will address watercolor because that is what I have used in conjunction with frisket film.

I never had a problem removing the film, except when I replaced a piece after spraying before the airbrushed watercolor was totally dry.

I have used both hot press and cold press, usually #140.

I have left frisket film on raw paper, as well as airbrushed areas for more than a week with nary a problem.

Sometimes, I *have* had trouble getting the frisket to stay stuck to the painted surface after painting. I found the drying watercolor overspray would shrink, causing the edges of the frisket to curl up after several days.