I use up left over paint on my mixing palette and paint onto watercolor paper or even cardstock. I use the painted papers for-
Mixed media base
Gel printing
Card components - use to layer,
stamp images / backgrounds
Tags - for gifts, altered books,
layers for greeting cards, etc.
Bookmarks (I like to buff with
art wax to keep the color from
transferring with damp fingers
onto the book)
Postcards (same buffing with
wax to protect image thru
the postal service
Endless possibilities!
When mixing neutrals, I do it on a plastic cover or a small ceramic plate that I just reuse without cleaning. One part is cool neutral, and the other part is warm. I might even just clean my other palettes into this if I need to clean them. All useful for doing value studies.
Good Will store for pallets & cute brush holders!!
Great palette / color pans can be found at Asian stores.
Have more than one pallet so that you can save mixes you used for one project for a different project, so the paint doesn't go to waste.
When you reach the point where you do need to clean the pallet, make pallet cleaning abstracts on cheap paper and use them for backgrounds for crafting or for note cards. Liquefy the leftover paint when it's down to a reasonable amount and wipe it onto other paper with paper towels in nice abstract smushes.
Never throw your empty tubes in trash. Take scissors, cut open the tube and place in a container with lid. Add a little water and mix. You will have a lot of paint coming out of the empty tube.
I have so many paint pallets that I have all the paint I have used so far. Let it dry and use those paints before adding more onto a clean pallet. I have paint tubes bc I prefer to have it already wet to start with…but i let them dry on pallet and then work from those paints till they are gone. Rinsing your pallet after every painting wastes a lot of paint. I buy smaller watercolor paper blocks to take on the go and I keep the larger paper at home for bigger pieces. Also cutting the larger ones in half helps conserve paper and paint. I only have one pad of arches paper that’s pretty large, so I cut those down, but the blocks are good sizes so I leave them alone.
Paint small paintings 4x4, 4x6, 5x7. Cut them out of larger 100 percent cotton paper
I use the (clean) tops of pizza boxes as a work area to tape my paper to. They work great and are very sturdy. Can recycle them when (IF) they ever wear out.
Paint:
- Instead of a full set, get only your favorite pigments across brands that you’ll really use.
- Don’t fall for fancy pigment names, check pigment numbers and properties before buying a new pigment. The same pigment can have different names across brands.
Paper:
- Even if you love Arches, maintain a economical cotton journal/sketchbook (Bee Creative sketchbook, Etchr, ArtBeek, Baohong) for regular practice. It is freeing, encourages exploration (new styles/techniques/subjects) and painting more often.
- Choose a paper that matches your needs of the project (styles, pigments and techniques you’ll be using). Makes painting enjoyable and yields better results.
Ruling pen:
- easy masking application and cleanup
Cut a foam drink koozie or pool noodle so brushes can dry tip down. Cut slits in the top and slide brush into slit so it hangs down.
I buy Arches 10x14 and cut it to 4 5x7s
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