Tubing Paint

After the light faded on a glorious winter light show this weekend, I settled in for some surgery.  It can be pretty messy.  Here is how it started.

Nitrile Gloves, Painting Spatula,  MT Paint Tubes, Pliers, Paper Towels,  Jar of Paint

I worked on my glass palette in the studio.  Glove up, start loading paint into the tube, tapping gently, cap to table top.  When the paint is settled and maybe an inch from the open end, begin the crimping process.  You do not want air trapped inside, so the paint will squeeze out the end a bit.  Fold once, then a second time crimping with the pliers.  You can clean up with mineral spirits, but I leave it to help identify the colour.

Ready to Go

I identified the colour, tube # and date on each tube with a Sharpie.  The jar of paint to the left is oil ground in Safflower Oil.  Have to decide whether to tube it or not.  Later.  There is 500 ml there so 4 large tubes of paint.  The tubes are Vermillion, Quin Red, and two types of White.  Rolf sent me a white he thought I might find interesting - Flake Xtra Fine with Zinc in Safflower Oil.  Should be able to play with translucent passages with that.  Won't yellow.  We will see.

So, is this gooey mess worth while?  Well, it depends.  You are not painting when you are tubing.  Something like doing shows when you are not ready.  It is "cool".  Nobody else in your painting group will have anything like this.  This is a way to buy in bulk and try things like a good Vermillion (not a hue or whatever).  It is interesting - maybe.  So for me there are a few applications for it but I generally get my brand name paints for my standard palette.