These simple instructions will allow you to remove your stretched paint from Gator Board and leave your board 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 pierce the board too – just drill a small hole so you can gently slide the knife under the watercolor paper. Make sure your knife is as flat as possible on the board so it doesn’t disturb the board surface 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 .
Clever! Now your painting is separated from the board!
Do I remove the tape from the edge of the box?
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 border of your painting. (I always make sure I have an inch or so of white margin around my painting.)
You can cut the tape if you don’t like it. Or leave it on the edge of your painting for stability. The decision to leave tape to paper is your choice.
One thing to consider
Is the tape you use archival? This will influence your decision.
If you use Lukas wet 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 tape
I know the brown duct tape I used to use is also archival. (But sadly, the tape doesn’t have an identifiable brand or markings, so I can’t recommend a brown duct tape.)
Since I can’t speak to the many brown tapes available, I would recommend that you cut the tape from the edge of the white margin around your painting.
How to remove the tape from your Gator Board
The remaining tape, of course, is still on your Gator Board. I throw my Gator Board in the bathroom with the sealed side of the board down. I leave it on for about 10 minutes or so and then just remove the last of the tape. Sometimes you may need to use a dull knife to remove the 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’ve 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. Taking care of your Gator Board will give you years of service. It is a fabulous product.
Happy painting!
Suzanne
