Painting tip 3: Keep your paints from drying

Acrylic paints dry faster than oils. This can be an advantage, because you don’t have to wait weeks for your painting to dry, but can also be a disadvantage because they can dry faster than you want them to. 

One problem is paints that dry on your palette as you're painting.  There are several ways to prevent this:

• The best way is to use a pallette designed to keep your paints wet. You can buy a "stay wet" palette online or in an art supply store for $20 or $30.  They work well and will extend the life of your paints (and save you money in the long run).

However, you don't have to spend $30, or even $5, for a stay wet palette. You can make one for as little as a dollar from simple materials you already have around the house.  They're extremely easy to make.  I show people how to make a very inexpensive stay wet palette in the Acrylic painting for beginners class.

Apart from stay-wet palettes, other methods can prolong the life of your paints:

• Some artists also like to spray the paints on their palette lightly every few minutes, with a mist of water.

• To keep the paints workable longer, mix some retarder into the water first... a few drops per bottle are all you need.

• Clean paint off of the metal part of the tube before screwing the cap on.  That way they won’t dry out in the tube. 

- Nils Osmar, instructor