Removing Your Stretched Paint From Gator Board
Home KitchenThese simple instructions will allow you to remove your Gator Board stretch paint and leave your board completely undamaged:
Make sure your paint is completely dry first.
Take a look around your tape to see if you can find an area where there might be a slight lift/air gap in the area where the tape meets the watercolor paper. I use a kitchen knife that has a strong but thin blade. Hold a knife at an angle to make sure you don’t gouge the board too: just drill a small hole so you can smoothly slide the knife under the watercolor paper. Make sure your knife is as flat on the board as possible so you don’t disturb the surface of the board, of course.
Once you have the tip of the knife under the w/c paper, simply slide the knife around the edges of the watercolor paper (I like to hold the knife reasonably low and flat to the board. It’s like opening an envelope with an envelope knife. .
Ready! Now your paint is separate from the board!
Do I remove the tape from the edge of the frame?
You have a few options:
You have removed your painting from your board and this will leave some of the stretch tape still attached to the white margin of your painting. (I always make sure I have a white margin of an inch or more around my painting.)
You can cut the tape if you don’t like it. Or leave it at the edge of your painting for added stability. The decision to leave the tape on the paper is your choice.
one thing to consider
Is the tape you use archival? This will influence your decision.
If you use Lukas wet adhesive tape
The Lukas tape I use is archival, so leaving it on the edge of the painting shouldn’t be a problem.
If you use brown duct tape
I know the brown duct tape I used to use is also archival. (But sadly the tape has no identifiable brand or markings, so I can’t recommend brown duct tape.)
Since I can’t speak to the many brown masking tapes available, I would recommend that you cut the white margin edge tape around your painting.
How to Remove Tape from Your Gator Board
The remaining tape is of course still on your Gator Board. I throw my Gator Board in the bathroom with the sealed side of the board facing down. I leave it on for about 10 minutes or so and then I just remove the last of the tape. Sometimes you may need to use a dull knife to remove stubborn pieces, but it usually comes off without much effort.
Remember to clean around the area where the tape had been to make sure you have cleaned up any remaining gum. We don’t want your next painting to stick to the board.
This sounds complicated, but it is actually very simple and easy to do. I have explained it in detail to help you understand each scenario. Once you have tried these suggestions, you will find that everything is very logical and easy to do.
Now your board is fresh, clean and ready for your next painting. If you take care of your Gator Board, it will give you years of service. It is a fabulous product.
Happy painting!
Suzanne