How to keep your paints wet longer?

Keep your gouache acrylics wet are a big deal, racially those who work with gouache now that you just spray water or add water with your brush and your paint came to life again. that is because of the properties of the gouache itself, gouache is made of Gum arabic, a resin from acacia, soluble in water, which helps paint to stay wet. On the other hand gouache acrylic are made from thermoplastic polymers that means they dry fast with the contact of the air.

For those who use this type of paint and especially if you are staring became tricky to not know what to do for keep it wet your paints longer while you are painting.

I will show you some options of how I learn, and what do I used personally

1.Use a stay-wet palette: This palette looks like a plastic box, it came with a special permeable paper and a sponge. To know how to use it watch this video, this combo will be a constant source of moisture for your paints. And if you want to leave, just take the lid and closed and the paints will stay in workable condition for days, even weeks. Here you can buy it.

2. Use a water spray: Maybe you are using a ceramic palette or even a plastic palette, having a water spray and using it periodically will help your paint stay wet enough. I recommend a spray with a fine mist.  

3. Use a medium: You can use a retarder, when you add it your paint it would help to increase the drying time, it helps to extend the drying time of your paint and increase the workability. I personally don’t use retarders but they are a good option if you don’t have a close palette. Here are some options.

4. Use taper ware: Yes, a teacher once told me that it’s ok to start small with materials, before stepping up to expensive ones. When I started painting I started small, I used to use taper ware to keep my paint wet. How does it work? it’s similar to the first option, but this one looks more handmade, on the bottom instead of using a sponge, use paper towels and spray a little bit of water on the paper. Instead of using waterproof paper, use tracing paper or parchment paper. That is all, you are set! Here are some ideas from Makezine website I found.