Maya Resist Tips and Tricks

Over the past few weeks, Susan and I have been hard at work playing with Maya Resist to show you all the cool things you can make with this fabulous new product!  But what have we learned about Maya Resist?

1. Maya Resist loves paper.  If you put it on too thick, it will actually pull the paper off with it!  How do you avoid this problem? Go very slow and light on pressure when you first start using the bottle to get used to it.

2. Maya Resist does not love mulberry paper.  A good example is the white prima flowers.  If you put it on too small of an area, it will not work as a resist.  I suppose the mist loves the mulberry paper a little too much... it soaked right in around the resist.  It also pulls a little of the paper with it when it comes off.  How do you avoid this problem?  Cover more area with your design so that the bleeding of the ink will not erase the resist by soaking the paper underneath it.  And lightly spray your paper.  The more mist, the more likely it will soak up from underneath the resist and destroy the image you are trying to resist.  If you like shabby chic, this technique will work perfectly for you -- a white prima flower will have a distressed soft look.

3. You do not want to shake the bottle.  I dropped mine by accident and it caused air bubbles which disrupted what I was trying to do with it.  Handle gently to avoid creating those air bubbles!  Another good thing to do is to dab a little on a piece of scrap paper or a paper towel before you start applying it to what you are using.  I saw the most bubbles when I first started applying it.
4. Let it dry completely.  Let the paper dry too if you mist it. I made the mistakes of bumping it while the resist was still wet -- it stuck to my finger -- and I also didn't let the paper dry which caused the cardstock to tear a little bit.  Patience is key.
    
   
   
   Dry resist is the darker, clear looking vertical lines and the wet resist is the lighter horizontial lines.
   That said...
5. The Maya Resist drys really fast!  I was surprised actually that depending on the area it was ready in a few minutes to spray mist over it or ink across it.   I think it's anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on how thick you have applied the resist.
6. Is it dry?  I found myself thinking that everytime I tried it on something else.  It looks more clear and darker blue when its dry than when it is wet.  Give it a few minutes and touch lightly with your finger.  Worst case it will be a little tacky and stick slightly to your finger but it shouldn't damage your image you drew with the resist.
7. Maya Resist does not like porous surfaces.  Think canvas, fabric or grosgrain ribbon.  We tried it on a canvas banner and it will not peel off!  Anything that has crevices and areas it can sink into will cause it to grab hold and not come off.  How do you fix this?  Add a layer of gesso to the canvas first, let it dry and then apply your Maya Resist.  The product just needs something to prevent it from going into all the little tiny holes in the canvas.  And don't worry, you can still apply your mists or paints to the gesso on canvas!   Just keep in mind that it will intensify the color of the mist and you will lose a little of the glittery sheen.

Anyone else have any helpful hints for using the Maya Resist?