Oil Paint in the Freezer?!!
If you are tired of leaving out your palette and watching your expensive oil paint dry up then try this little trick. To avoid getting oil paint all over the freezer or it's contents, use a palette that will fit inside a plastic lidded tray such as a Masterson artist palette seal.
Put your palette inside the tray and seal it after your painting session is over then place it in the freezer. At the very least, if you don't have a sealable tray, use cellophane to cover the palette.The Oil paint will not freeze, but will stay fresh and usable almost indefinitely. I've taken palettes out after months in the freezer and the paint is as good as the day it went in. Simply take the palette out of the freezer when you are ready to paint and let it warm up for a few minutes. Ten minutes should be plenty. Mediums stay fresh as well if left in the freezer! This is a great tip for saving LOTS of money on Oil paint.
NOTE! : THIS TRICK WILL NOT WORK WITH ACRYLIC PAINT. Putting acrylic paint in the freezer will actually freeze it and it will be unusable, even after thawing out. For acrylics or watercolor paints, use the same kind of sealable tray. After spritzing the remaining paint with water put a damp paper towel in with the paint then seal the lid. The wet towel will help keep the paint hydrated. It's not 100% fool proof for acrylics like it is with the oil paint trick, but it definitely helps a LOT. Watercolor paints will rehydrate with a few drops of water even after they have dried or hardened. When using the paper towel for moisture, watch out for mold and mildew. It's best to use a new paper towel each time to help avoid that problem.
I hope these little tricks will make your painting life easier and help save you money!
Put your palette inside the tray and seal it after your painting session is over then place it in the freezer. At the very least, if you don't have a sealable tray, use cellophane to cover the palette.The Oil paint will not freeze, but will stay fresh and usable almost indefinitely. I've taken palettes out after months in the freezer and the paint is as good as the day it went in. Simply take the palette out of the freezer when you are ready to paint and let it warm up for a few minutes. Ten minutes should be plenty. Mediums stay fresh as well if left in the freezer! This is a great tip for saving LOTS of money on Oil paint.
NOTE! : THIS TRICK WILL NOT WORK WITH ACRYLIC PAINT. Putting acrylic paint in the freezer will actually freeze it and it will be unusable, even after thawing out. For acrylics or watercolor paints, use the same kind of sealable tray. After spritzing the remaining paint with water put a damp paper towel in with the paint then seal the lid. The wet towel will help keep the paint hydrated. It's not 100% fool proof for acrylics like it is with the oil paint trick, but it definitely helps a LOT. Watercolor paints will rehydrate with a few drops of water even after they have dried or hardened. When using the paper towel for moisture, watch out for mold and mildew. It's best to use a new paper towel each time to help avoid that problem.
I hope these little tricks will make your painting life easier and help save you money!