How Do I Know if a Tube Has Acrylic or Watercolor Paint in It?

Question: How Do I Know if a Tube Has Acrylic or Watercolor Paint in It?

"My sister gave me a wooden case for my birthday, full of all kinds of things, including pencils and paint. There wasn't any leaflet with it though and I was wondering how to identify the type of paint. It's in little clear plastic bottle type tubes. You can see the color through them and the color names sound like watercolor names. I don't think it's oil because it's too thin and there isn't any cleaner with it. I work with acrylic and watercolor, but I can't decide which it is." -- Megan H.

Answer:

The way to test if the paint is watercolor or acrylic is to paint a little area on a piece of paper and then leave it to dry totally. Then take a clean, wet brush and see if you can lift any of the paint off the paper. If it's watercolor, you'll be able to, but if it's acrylic you won't.

For more information on the differences between watercolors and acrylics, see How to Decide What Paint to Use.