How to Store Oil Paints, part II: The Greatest Invention Since the Paint Tube
February 15th, 2009
fold foil in half
You have a wonderful mixture of oil paint that you want to save. Or, perhaps you simply have a lot of paint on your palette and you don’t want it to dry up. What to do? The first step is to choose a piece of foil appropriate for the amount of paint you want to store. Fold in half, with the shiny side facing in.
put paint at fold
Put the paints onto the foil at the fold.
close foil at fold
Close the foil along the fold,
fold over and over
then fold again and again until there is no foil left to fold in.
fold up the foil, bend ends over twice, and label
Then fold over the ends twice. Attach a label and put samples of the paint on it so that you know what you have.
How long will the colors last? In my experience, they last weeks or months with no problem. While preparing this demonstration, I came across these foils which I sealed nearly four years ago.
I sealed these foils nearly four years ago
About half the colors were still good. Here is an example of one that lasted.
This paint, sealed nearly four years ago, is in perfect condition. About half the colors were still good after this time.
the paint is still good, can put put on the palette and used
Thus, four years is pushing the limits of the foils, but six months is certainly a reliable minimum lifetime if they are properly sealed.