Thursday, February 7, 2019

When Your Watercolor Paint Dries Inside Its Tube

Back in 1991 when I first started painting in watercolor, I started out with Winsor and Newton watercolors.  Through the years since then, I've purchased various brands in the pigments I normally use (plus a few others I don't).........building quite an inventory of watercolor tubes.

My Daniel Smith watercolors are not quite as old as the Winsor and Newton and one of my favorites to include pigments unique to it's Brand.  One pigment I like is Buff Titanium.  When I went to replenish the pigment on my palette, I found the pigment was dried solid inside the tube. 

This is what I do when I find pigments dried up (which is more often than not at this point....especially with pigments I don't go through as quickly).  I don't pitch but instead cut the tubes as shown...

Fabriano Soft Coldpress / Lamy AlStar with Lexington Grey ink.




3 comments:

Annie said...

Susan, Do you put the remaining dried pigment into a palette or just wrap it back up?

Annie said...

Susan, Do you put the remaining dried pigment into a palette or just wrap it back up?

Susan Bronsak said...

Hi Annie,

So far I've only wrapped it back up. The ones that dry up on me are normally those pigments I don't use on a regular basis. I haven't thought of a way yet to take out of tube and somehow add to my palette. Maybe if I were able to cut it into half pan size pieces placing in an empty half pan and wetting it good, it might stick or stay in place. I'll have to experiment. I wouldn't mind adding Buff Titanium to my palette.