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Having Enough of a Mixed Color

Add to your color mixing knowledge

By , About.com Guide

When I paint with acrylics, I mix my paint in little Chinese cups. I mix more than I need most of the time so that, if later, when the paint is dry, I see spots that I missed, or the paint has dried unevenly, I can go back to the cup of that colour and do a touch up. I keep my acrylics moist by keeping cup and acrylic sealed air-tight in a Zip-lock sandwich bag. The paint stays moist using this method for about three days.
Tip from: B.S..

I work with acrylics and spend a lot of time mixing colors. To keep the extra paint moist until the next painting session, I store it in flat plastic containers with snap on lids. These containers are about 8x11" and 2" deep. I can put an entire painting's worth of mixed color into one of these, and as the containers stack neatly, they don't take up a lot of space.

I spray the paint with water before snapping the lid closed, and even in dry Los Angeles my paint stays moist for a good week. The containers are easy to clean and scrape out with a palette knife. I can work on several paintings at once easily, save myself more mixing time, and not waste paint. I've been using this storage method for many years now and haven't found anything that works better.
Tip from: Kris Cahill.

I use a party susan to mix my colors. It is a round, plastic container, divided into segments, with a sealable lid. It has a small round section in the middle in which I place my acrylic medium. It keeps the paints fresh for months, especially if you put it in the fridge.
Tip from: Chris Pisani.

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