Paint Tube Storage

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This may not be the most inspiring post but I think the timing is relevant. Most of the watercolor tubes I acquire are either Winsor & Newton or Daniel Smith paint. I find paints sold in tubes superior to the gel pans that are sold in packets. Paint in tubes generally provide vivid and fresh color while gels pans or half pans are more subdued and harder to achieve with diverse mixes.

In the winter months when the heat is on in our house, while the humidity is low, as we live in Vermont, my watercolor paints in tubes are prone to drying out. For several years now, I store my paints in a plastic, transparent container with a snap-on lid which I purchased at our local hardware store. With this storage system, I find my paints do not dry out as often. There are little compartments within the container whereby I can sort paints by color. I even store a pair of pliers, for occasionally a cap on a tube is hard to loosen. This system works for me as I can see through the container, it is portable and limits any spillage.