In this painting, Tropical Anchorage, I painted the boat hulls much too dark and opaque:
The technique I use is to mask off the area where I want to remove the paint with artist's tape, a thick masking tape with less powerful adhesive so it pulls off easily without damaging the paper or paint beneath. It's usually white. I tear or cut the tape pieces to outline the offending area, and burnish down the inside edges to prevent water from seeping underneath the tape. Then I dip a small piece of the Eraser in water, squeeze it out, and gently rub over the surface, picking up the paint. I dry the area with a tissue and repeat, until I have removed all the paint. Then I lift the tape, and Voilà - an undamaged, unpainted surface where I can give it another try.
This is not a route to the very freshest-looking watercolor paintings, but if I have an otherwise good painting, sometimes I use this approach. It's also occasionally helpful in my watercolor workshops to inhibit student suicide. And it's fun!
This slide show shows the process:
Here is the result after repainting the hulls. As of this post, the painting is still available for purchase - just click the image for more info or to buy:
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