From the article: Tips on How to Store Oil Paint and Keep it Workable
What tips do you have on how to keep your oil paints workable between painting sessions, especially if it's going to some time between them? How do you minimize the paint that's wasted by drying on a palette? Share what you do here. Share Your Oil Paint Tips
Using Just Enough Paint
- I find that once you've painted for a while you learn how to only squeeze out enough paint for one painting session. If you have leftover pouring turpenoid and then covering your palette with a cellophane sheet solves that problem easily. But it's not really a problem any more. Freezing oil paint is a really terrible idea as it will lead to cracking and yellowing.
- —Guest Chanyart
Freezer Paper
- In class, I use freezer paper taped to the work table for a palette. Then if I have ample paint or a color to save, I place another sheet of freezer paper on top of the palette, shiny sides together, roll them up and place inside an empty paper towel tube to keep it from getting crushed in the freezer.
- —Guest myrr
Old Oil Paint
- When I am done with a painting session, I have several small snap-top containers that I will save large gobs that I may have mixed for sky, etc. The rest I scrap into a special container that I keep with a tiny bit of solvent added. Mixed up, it is always a grey that can be used for toning. (One manufacturer does this and calls it "Torrit Grey".)
- —theoldfogey
Overnight in the Fridge
- I scrape my palette daily, place my paint on a piece of glass that fits in a plastic food box and place it in the fridge overnight. No skins to get flakes on your painting. I have been doing this for years.
- —Guest walt kozier
Freezing Oil Paints to Keep Them Soft
- I found a paint caddy that holds 35 small removable cups which allows me to pre-mix my oil paints and put them in my freezer for later use. I put two drops of clove oil in my paints when I mix them. I have oil paints in my freezer that have been there for a year. I thaw them when I need to paint...they are perfect. My acrylics and watercolors are even better. I got tired of scraping off dried up paints. [Note from Painting Guide: While clove oil is used by some artists to keep oil paint soft, there is a known risk of it darkening in the long term.]
- —Guest Carie Basaldua
Full Immersion Method
- I've occasionally submerged a plastic palette of oil paint in water. If you keep topping it up, it should keep fresh for ages. I have no idea if this is good or bad but it worked for me. I just drained the water off into another container. Do not drain it down the sink; it's bad for the environment. There's never enough space in my freezer or fridge.
- —Guest Graham Brown
Preserving Your Palette
- Cling film seems to keep my palettes working for both oils and acrylics.
- —Guest trevor
Plastic Box with Glass
- I use a plastic box about 4" x 9" x 3" deep with a glass shelf inside. Place a piece of glass on the bottom as well. When you're ready to quit painting for the day take your palette knife and place them inside and close the snap lid on top...place in the fridge and they're fresh for about a week. Ready to go the next session let them warm up a little and off you go. I never freeze them. If you paint large get a larger plastic container from the retail store. Does not smell up the food.
- —Guest walt kozier
Freezing Oil Paint
- For the young lady above who said negative things about freezing oil paint... they aren't talking about tubes, they are talking about palettes and it works very well. I cover mine with a wax paper of sorts, put the palettes in and for months it stays just as it should.
- —Guest Toni
Keeping Oil Paints Workable
- Especially when you have mixed a critical color you don't want to lose, but also for a goodly amount you want to keep soft, I scrape it up with a palette knife and wrap it in a bit of aluminum foil. Fold over a couple times, seal the edges, and voila! It will keep for years as long as it is "sealed" from the air... bit of a pain, but worth saving that special color you have spent an hour mixing.
- —Guest LaLa
Clove Oil
- Our teacher taught us to put a small sponge in our palette box and add a drop or two of clove oil to the sponge to keep paints pliant. Works great! ... Also effective for water-based oils. [Note from Painting Guide: Clove Oil is widely used, but there is concern about it darkening in the long term.]
- —Guest Ralf
Freezing Oil Paints
- Freezing your oil paints is the most ridiculous thing I've every heard of. Want to wreck your expensive oil paints, freeze them. Oil paints should be kept and stored at room temperature. Only put out what you need on your palette. A good quality tube of oil paint should last you ten years. Keep the cap on and keep it out of the freezer. You can keep your oil paints out on your palette for eight hours without drying up. If you want to paint longer, cover your paints with a wet paper towel.
- —Guest Pam Dolan
If Your Palette Won't Fit in the Freezer
- My custom-made palette won't fit in my freezer, so I put my leftover oil paint in a sealable plastic container such as Tupperware and store that in the freezer.
- —Guest Elena
Freezing Water-Soluble Oil Paints
- I've always put my palette with water soluble oils covered with wax paper in the freezer if I am unable to complete a canvas ala prima and have had no adverse effects to the paint or canvas when completed.
- —judiemoo
Cling Wrap
- Instead of a regular palette, I use an enamel tray, about 10x14 inches. When my work is finished for the day, I stretch some cling wrap over the top. It keeps the oil paints workable for a long time.
- —LaleErguner
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