Tip of the Day - Don't watch paint dry!

For those of you who use acrylic paints, you'll be all too familiar with the heartbreak, anguish, rending of vestments and wailing unto the Heavens that accompanies the feeling of mixing the perfect colour and watching it almost instantly dry and become unusable. Or is that just me? Anyway... no more of that! Here's a fantastic way to keep your acrylics workable. 

Step One: Buy yourself one of those solid plastic A4 document cases from Officeworks or wherever you get your regular office supplies fix. (Go on, own up. If you're reading an illustration blog I'm almost certain you're addicted to stationary. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem...)

Fearless is horrified that my daughter wrote on my drawing board...

Step Two: Layer some thick kitchen towel in the bottom, topped by a piece of greaseproof kitchen paper (not the waxed kind). Soak the paper towel with water, and set out your paints on top of the greaseproof paper.

Please ignore the fact that I bite my nails. 

Step Three: Well, that's it, really. The case is hinged and has convenient clasps so that you can shut it up when you're not using it, and the moisture in the paper keeps the acrylic workable for weeks. Huzzah! You save a fortune in paint this way, too. You're welcome. Maybe you can buy me a beer with all the money you saved next time we see each other.