Art Tips: How to Keep Your Acrylic Paint Moist

Here is an inexpensive Tip for keeping your Acrylic Paints soft for days.
from JAQUI MILES 


You will need:

• A plastic box with a tightly closing lid
• Thick paper towels - use several layers
• Freezer Paper

Cut your thick, moisture holding paper (Paper Towels) and several sheets of freezer paper to a size that will fit in the base of your plastic box.

Lay the Paper Towel in the base of your plastic box. Thoroughly soak the paper towel with water and then drain off the excess.

Add 1 (one) sheet of Freezer Paper on top of the wet Paper Towel. Save the other sheets of Freezer Paper for when you are ready for a clean palette.

The layer of thick wet paper underneath adds enough moisture to keep the paints from drying quickly while you paint AND will keep your acrylics wet for days (sometimes even a week) if the box is closed well.

The Freezer Paper has a waxie finish and is heavier so it will hold up to under use.

Tip: Don't try this with wax paper - It's too flimsy and falls apart!

Thanks Jaqui!
    Jaqui is a Graphic Designer/Graphic Artist/Painter/Jewelry Designer

Boynton Canyon Spire, New Painting by Froshay

"BOYNTON CANYON SPIRE" ©Wendy Froshay

"Never say, 'I can't.'

It closes the door on potential development." 

~ Irwin Greenberg

Artist Reference: Drawing Pencils Explained

They Never Were Lead!
The first pencils were created some time before 1665. They were made from sticks cut from a high quality natural graphite deposit, which was then wrapped in either string or sheepskin. At the time it was thought to be lead. Later, the graphite (a form of carbon), was inserted into wooden sticks that had been hollowed-out by hand.

Today, the "lead" of a pencil is usually made from blend of powdered graphite, clay and water that is shaped into thin rods, dried, kiln-fired and then wrapped in a wood casing. 

Grading
The hardness or softness of the graphite core depends upon how much clay is added into the mix.

Harder pencils - indicated by the H code, produce fainter marks and the higher the number, the lighter the lines. In other words, if H2 produces a light grey mark, H4 will be even lighter and H6 will be lighter still.

Pressing harder with these pencils will only crease your paper rather than make darker lines.

Softer pencils are indicated by a B coding and the graphite becomes softer as the number increases. The higher the number, the darker the lines will be (and the more easily they can be smudged).

Remember it this way..... H (for Hardness) ...... B (for Blackness)

School Pencils
Those good ol' yellow pencils you purchase for back to school as a kid? They are usually smack in the middle and may be considered an H or HB, although I've owned some that marked more like a 2H.

I prefer the softer range myself because I have a light touch. I usually begin a drawing with a 2B and then move into the 4B and 6B when I'm ready to darken up my line work and create shading.

Woodless Pencils
Woodless pencils are solid graphite coated with thick varnish. They are very versatile, also come in various degrees of softness, are ideal for laying in large areas quickly and can be sharpened with a normal pencil sharpener.

How to Clean Dried Paint out of Brushes

How to Clean Art Brushes
One of my students showed up at class today and announced..... "I've made an Expensive Mistake!"

She'd taken her brushes home from art classes the week prior and had forgotten to clean them. The paint had dried and the bristles were hard and twisted.

Her face lit up when I told her I could fix that for her but then fell when I told her that the brushes would have to soak for about 24 hours . . . she had no clean brushes to use for class.

What is a Ferrule?
Fortunately for her, the paint was not deeply embedded in the ferrule. (The ferrule is the metal portion of the brush that attaches the hair to the handle). So I suggested we try something else. 

I pulled out my trusty Lanolin Hand Cleaner (the type that garage mechanics use to clean the grime from their hands after working on cars), and squeezed a small amount in the palm of my hand.

I worked the brush back and forth through the cleaner - and voila! - the paint came free.

I use this to do a final cleaning of all my brushes and then wash them in cool water with soap before putting them away. It is especially useful when I've gotten paint deep down into the ferrule.

You can purchase lanolin hand cleaner at any automotive supply store - just make sure to get the kind that does NOT have grit (which will ruin your brushes).

You can also buy it on Amazon here:

Getting Oil Paint out of Clothes

A long time ago - in an age far, far away - I once managed to get a whole pile of green oil paint all over the front of an orange top I was wearing.

A newbie to painting, I had no idea what to do. I picked up my lanolin hand cleaner and rubbed it into the shirt, which made an even bigger mess. Figuring that the shirt was ruined, I tossed the shirt into a corner by my washing machine and left it for about a week.

The next time I did laundry, I tossed the orange shirt in with some old rags and to my amazement ALL THE PAINT CAME OUT! I was stunned!

I've even managed to get small amounts of dried paint out of clothing by rubbing the cleaner into the area and leaving it for a day before washing. 

A Word of Caution
Lanolin hand cleaners have a solvent in them, so you'll need to be careful in handling them. Use them in a well ventilated area, keep them away from flames, keep away from children, avoid eye contact, don't take internally, etc. Always read and follow the directions on all of your art products before use.

Other Ways to Clean Paint from Brushes
I've also heard that fabric softener works really well and I'm going to try this sometime.

If you have any other cures for dried paint - please share with others by leaving a comment. I'll give it a try and report back on this blog.