Encaustic: How To Store Your Paint
This week we revisit helpful ways to store paint in your studio, with a focus on encaustic. We'd like to begin by giving a quick shout-out to those who responded to our last newsletter with personal storage tips and tricks. If you've found something indispensable for improving your painting process, we always love to hear and share!
Encaustic hardens and solidifies when cooled, but does not dry in the way our Pigment Sticks® do when exposed to oxygen. This means the goal for efficiently storing your encaustic revolves around categorizing colors and making sure storage methods provide clear labeling. Read on to get ideas to streamline your paint storage from the R&F Core Instructors.
Image credit: Jeff Hirst
Jeff Hirst on sorting colors and keeping his encaustic stocked.
Early on in the pandemic, I started building a shelf storage system that would mount on the wall. I decided to use plastic bins from Home Depot to store my encaustic and Pigment Sticks. Everything is sorted by color and the system lets me keep track of what paint I have on hand and what to replace.
A note from R&F: In our workshop room, we use a checklist. Before each class, we inventory our storage bins and restock!
Image credit: Dietlind Vander Schaaf
Dietlind Vander Schaaf on paint storage.
I keep my encaustic paint arranged on three shelves in my studio. They are organized loosely by what I think looks complimentary - not by any specific rubric. I have always kept my paint on a shelf, but when I began teaching out of my studio a few years ago, I significantly expanded my inventory to make sure that there is at least one of each color available. My display was inspired by the wall of paint in the R&F workshop room, which is so exciting for students to see and select from. I wanted my students to become familiar with the full range of what R&F manufactures. When students can try colors they don't ordinarily use, it allows for a great sense of freedom and exploration.
Image credit: Jodi Reeb
Image credit: Jodi Reeb
Jodi Reeb embraces a mixed selection to inspire her painting palette.
My preference is to have the paint completely visible on a large tray which I can easily carry around the studio. It's so satisfying to see all of the colors in this way. I have discovered color combinations for my paintings by this random placement. I also use the R&F Palette Cups to store paints I have mixed and want larger quantities of. These tins are also helpful to grab when I'm teaching and traveling. I keep paints that I'm not currently using in separate drawers organized by the color palettes of warm, cool, and neutrals.
A note from R&F: One of the wonderful things about encaustic is any remaining paint at the end of a session, can be cooled and reused.
Image credit: Sue Stover
Sue Stover makes her paint accessible and mobile in the studio.
I have a rolling cart with bins I bought at Target. I have the colors separated by bin and they are stackable. This is where I keep my pure unused paints, colors I haven’t mixed with medium, and other colors.
A note from R&F: Rolling carts can be found at Uline, Micheals, Target, as well as other retailers.