Don’t put water/wetting agents directly back down into tubes of paint as they won’t rehydrate them evenly. If you want to keep them in a cool, dark place, the shelf life could be 2 to 3 years depending on your binding agent.
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Why do watercolor pans crack?
Tube watercolors that have been poured into pans tend to crack when they dry out. Some professional grade colors can crack because of the amount of binder in the paint, but it happens more often with less expensive paints. The best way to avoid this problem is to use a watercolor paint that has a high pigment content.
This means that it will not shrink when it dries out and will last a long time. If you are using a paint with a low pigment level, you may have to wait a few days for it to dry before you can use it again.
Which is better watercolor pans or tubes?
Getting the same color with paint from a pan will take more paint and less water since watercolor from a tube is more vibrant. The same color was applied to the paper with a small amount of water. The watercolor from the tube is not as vibrant as the paint on the paper is.
If you want to get the exact same look, you’ll need to use more water and paint than you would if you were painting on paper, but you won’t have to worry about the color fading over time.
Can you refill watercolor pans?
If you wish to refill a W&N pan or half pan, I find the best way is to add just one drop of glycerine to each half pan of watercolour. Spectrum watercolours need more than one drop to get the right colour.
I have also found that if you add a drop or two of oil to the water, the colour will come out much better. This is because the oil will absorb some of the pigment and make it easier to work with.
If you don’t want to use oil, you can also use a small amount of food colouring to make the colours more visible.
How do you keep watercolor pans from falling out?
When the box is upside down, the WN pans can fall out. One way to secure the pans is to get Blu-tack, or White Tack (whatever colours they come in), tear off a tiny bit and stick it on the back of the pan. Put the tack back in the ball by squeezing it into it.
If you don’t have any of these things, you can use a small piece of cardboard or something similar to hold the lid in place. If you want to make it a little more secure, put a couple of small pieces of duct tape over the top of it. This will keep it from falling out.
Do watercolor pans go bad?
Watercolor does not expire, but it can lose quality overtime, especially if stored poorly. The watercolor paint’s binding agent can’t be rehydrated again because of the separation of the pigment in the paint. If properly taken care of, watercolor can last longer. The best way to store watercolors is in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid.
If you don’t have one of these, you can use a plastic baggie or a paper towel to keep the paint from drying out. You can also store the paints in their original containers, which will keep them fresh longer.
How do you revive a dry watercolor tube?
The gum arabic in the dried paint can be used to revive it with water. If you want to get the consistency you want, add some water back into the tube a little at a time. You can cut the tube away from the dried paint and use it as you would a tube of paint.
