If you do watercolors, you probably have paint, paper, brushes and a palette. There are a few other accessories and tools that can make your painting sessions easier and more versatile.

1. Masking Fluid

Masking fluid is a rubber cement with a white or colored pigment. You paint this right on the paper to block the paint from staining the paper. Areas with masking fluid (or frisket, another name for it) stay the color of the paper stock while you wash paint around the area.

When you rub up the cement, either with fingertip or a crepe square of rubber, the area is untouched and ready to be painted or left the background color.

Masking fluid can also be applied to painted areas to keep a color unsullied as you paint around in a different color. This is a useful technique if you do layers of glazes (thin paint washes.)

2. Masquepen

The Masquepen is a system with a thin needle dispenser on a squeeze bottle of polypropylene plastic. A separate bottle for washing comes with it. The nib can be a "supernib"--very fine gauge that dispenses a thin line of masking fluid. This is a great tool for making cat whiskers, strands of hair, highlights in eyes and any fine detailed areas where a brush would create too wide a swath.

I consider a Masquepen an essential tool for ACEO artists; these miniatures benefit from the fine control you can get over smal areas on the 2.5 x 3.5 inch painting surface.

3. Incredible Nib

This is a dual ended rubber stylus that distributes wide areas of masking fluid and keeps you from using a brush. The masking fluid can clog the hairs of a normal paint brush. (One trick however, is to soap up the brush before applying the masking fluid and then washing right out. This works.)

4. Masking tape.

Good quality painters' tape can be used to make a nice clean edge on your paintings or even to stretch the paper after wetting and letting dry. Some painting tape won't stick to wet paper, so check out the kinds available at the art store.

Masking tape can also be used to block large areas as with masking fluid.

5. Salt, comb, vodka, old credit card

These strange items can be used to texture a painting.

Salt is strewn on semi-wet paint. Let dry. Now scrape off salt with old credit card. A textured effect is very useful for sandy, pebbly beaches, walls, insect-eaten leaves, paths.

The credit card can be used to scrape out areas like tree trunks from semi-wet paint.

Vodka can be used on semi-wet areas to make drippy marks. The paint is pushed away by the alcohol.

A comb can be used to make texture and rake marks. Great for abstracts and collage.

6. Metallic paints

Metallic paints (especially powdered metallic gouache) are useful for adding areas of high shine, ornamentation and an elegant, rich effect. Shake out some powder, dip wet brush, mix up a slurry and apply.

7. Rhinestones (Swarovski Crystals.)

Gluing on flat-backed crystals can add interest to a painting. Sometimes, one crystal gleaming is all a painting needs to go from good to fantastic.

Hope these items find a way into your art box and help you paint your artistic visions!