From Marion Boddy-Evans,
Your Guide to Painting.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Store small amounts of unused acrylic paint in film cartridges containers. Dab the color on the lid if the container is opaque. Wal Mart gave me as many as I wanted... free!
Tip from: Ken Ralls.

If you have a photo shop in town, you might ask them to save used 35mm film containers for you. Customers generally bring their film in them when they want it processed. Generally, the stores have no use for them and are willing to give them to you for free. I use them to store acrylic paints which I have scraped off the palette after a painting session. It is an excellent way to preserve colors which you may have mixed in haste while you were painting and wish to preserve a bit longer.

I use my palette knife to place a dab of the paint on the lid so I may remember the colour inside or alternately use a permanent marker to label them. That way, you are not needlessly opening and closing the containers and letting in air which will dry out the paint more rapidly.

The little containers hold the moisture in the paint for quite a while. Sometimes, I even paint right out of the film containers without even placing them on a palette at all.
Tip from: Doris H David.

I use acrylics in painting my bird wood carvings. To save smaller quantities of mixed paints, I use plastic film containers and for larger quantities I use baby-food jars. In both instances the mixed paints keep for several weeks before drying out. Just put the word out with your friends that you are looking for either type of container and it's remarkable how quickly you acquire a reserve of spare containers.
Tip from: Hans J. Schneider

Submit Your Own Painting Tip:
Got a great painting tip to share with other artists? Use this easy form to send it in: Submit a Painting Tip Form.

More Painting Tips:

• Acrylics
  
• Oils
  
• Pastels
  
• Watercolours
  
• Figure Painting
  
• Colour Mixing
  
• Composition
  
• Inspiration and Creativity
  
• Fur Painting
  
• General Painting Tips