How to Revive Dried-Up Watercolor Paint

Don’t toss those rock-hard tubes or the crumbly paint in that palette you haven’t used in a while. Here’s how to make it like new again.

In this short video, I’ll talk about

how (and why) to revive dried paint back to its out-of-the-tube consistency before adding more paint to a palette well
how to level out the color in your palette wells, so it dries into a flat cake instead of a mound or blob
how you may be able to soften dried up paint in a tube, so you can actually squeeze some out without resorting to cutting the tube open (doesn’t always work with really old tubes, but it’s definitely worth a try before cutting!)

I’ve already made a couple a related video on how to easily remove a stuck cap (without resorting to pliers) and a video that includes instructions how to clean a palette well that’s become contaminated with another color (go to timestamp 1:35).

If the trick for softening up paint in a tube doesn’t work and you have to cut open the tube, Kathy Weller has already made a great comprehensive video about how to revive paint by cutting open the tube.

Technical How-to | Tips & Hacks

Simple Ways To Show Your Worktable in Zoom

Are you wondering how I can see your work and give you feedback in Zoom? I’ve been doing watercolor coaching via Zoom for almost two years now—I’ve got a system! Here’s a short video to show you how it works.

Second Sunday Live Demos | Supplies and Materials

Live Demo 9 Aug 2020—What’s on Your Palette?

A lot of people have asked me to talk about what brands of paint I use (most of them!) and what colors I have on my palette (way too many!). I’m always at a loss, because I am constantly playing around with the colors on my palette. I’m just as much of a sucker for a cool new color as the next person. Isn’t that just part of the fun of watercolor? 😉 But it’s time to take a stab at answering the REAL question, How can you decide which colors to have on your palette?”