Moist Watercolors

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Posted by admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 25-07-2011

Tags: prang semi moist watercolors

Moist Watercolors

How can I save left-over acrylic artists paint without it getting moldy?

I had been taught to save left-over paint in a plastic sealed container (like a sandwich box) by placing the paint inside on wax paper with a piece of wet watercolor paper under the wax paper to keep the environment moist. I was also told to mist my paint with water before closing the lid. I have noticed that if I don't get back to it right away then everything starts to get moldy. Any suggestions would be very helpful. I don't paint every day...maybe once a week at the most, so I need a good way to keep my left-over acrylic from drying up or going bad.

This is a great method of keeping your paints workable while you use them and for up to a couple of days, but beyond that time, mold will grow wherever it's wet.

You could try using cooled water that has been boiled ten minutes - this removes any organisms from the water and may buy you some time, but mold spores are airborne so it won't eliminate mold.

Sadly, mold can also grow in re-sealed bottles. Please use caution - the type of mold that grows on acrylic paints can be highly toxic. Don't scrape it off and try to use what's beneath, throw it all away. And be sure to wash your moldy palette out with hot water & a few drops of bleach.

When I store pre-mixed paint for long periods, I use small food containers but I place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the paint surface before sealing the jar. This keeps any air from reaching the paint and it never skins over. Some paint adheres to the plastic but it's better than throwing it all out.

You can cover your palette with plastic wrap as well - right on top of the paint - but don't leave the wet paper under it... do one or the other.