Who doesn’t love new art supplies? What’s even better? Art supplies that are free because you have them already! Here are some useful hacks using items you’re likely to have in your kitchen or can find inexpensively at yard sales and thrift stores. An important note: once you steal an item from your kitchen to use in the studio, don’t bring it back. Many paint ingredients are toxic, or at least not food safe, and there’s no way to be sure you’ve fully cleaned them out of tiny cracks and crevices.
- Many plates and pans make great palettes. One of my favorites are white ceramic dinner plates. A white ceramic low casserole pan makes a nice larger palette. White enameled tin pans are also great. Tin pans, small cookie sheets, and tin boxes that are not white enameled can be easily painted using a glossy white spray enamel designed to adhere to metal, such as Rustoleum. Be sure to read the surface prep instructions on the spray can to ensure good paint adhesion.
- Tiny condiment bowls are my absolute favorite palette. These little white ceramic bowls are sold as soy sauce bowls or condiment bowls and are often used in sushi restaurants. A box of a dozen can be purchased for $10, but you also sometimes see them at thrift stores. Slightly larger bowls and Chinese-style teacups are good for larger washes. I love using little bowls because I can wash them more easily than a large palette, and with each mixture in its own bowl, I can wash just the ones I’m finished with without wasting paint I could still use. I also like that they are deep enough to hold a large quantity of paint which can be picked up more easily than from a flat palette, and I can hold the dish in my hand to bring it close to my work. Most types stack easily when not in use.
- Magic Eraser sponges are a fabulous cleaning product, and they also work on watercolor paper. Some people say they can wipe off paint right down to white without damaging the paper with these. I haven’t been quite that successful (you definitely can damage the paper if you’re not careful) but these are still good tools if you need to wipe out more than small details. Try cutting pieces off the sponge to get a small, pointed shape. Wet the sponge and wring it out thoroughly before you start, and use more of a blotting (rather than scrubbing) motion to avoid wrecking the paper.
- Microfiber dusting cloths are my favorite substitute for paper towels. They absorb so much more water than paper towels, and the texture helps clean brushes faster. You can easily rinse them out in the sink (if you just use them for watercolor) and reuse them over and over.
- Silicone pot or veggie scrubbers are a good dupe for “paint puck” silicone brush cleaners. Cut to size and glue to the bottom or side of your rinse water jar, or glue magnets to the back and use a second magnet on the outside of your water jar to temporarily attach them to the inside of your rinse cup. The textured silicone gently helps clean your brush. They come in a variety of textures – try a few to find your favorite.
- Many kitchen products can be laid in a wet wash to create interesting textures by inhibiting drying and drawing in or pushing away pigment. Plastic wrap, cheese cloth, and cotton butcher’s twine are all things to try. Check out the work of artist Maxine Masterfield for inspiration!
- Scrubbrushes, toothbrushes, and sponges make good tools for applying paint in abstract patterns. Rub your finger across a toothbrush dipped in paint to create fine spatter.
- A ribbed soap dish without side walls like this one makes an excellent brush rest. Unlike many commercially available holders, it holds the brushes level so paint doesn’t run back into the ferrule. A brush rest prevents brushes from rolling away, keeps your table clean, and helps the brush to keep its shape while drying.
- Chip and dip serving bowls have a smaller cup inside a bigger bowl area. These are great for wash water as you have one area for clean water and one for dirty – or one for warm and one for cool colors.
- Cutting boards, plastic trays, and cookie sheets (turned upside down) are good waterproof work surfaces for stretching paper.
- Plastic blister packs from candy, gum (such as Dentine Ice) or pills can be cleaned and re-filled with paint to make mini pans for travel palettes. A mint tin makes a good container for your mini pans.
- A plastic food-storage tub such as a take-out container plus a thin, non-textured sponge “Swedish Dishcloth” like this can be turned into a DIY wet palette similar to the Masterson Sta-Wet palette. Wet palettes are handy for gouache and acrylic painting and keep paint moist for weeks. Special Masterson Sta-Wet paper membranes to go on top of the sponge can be purchased separately from the rest of the palette, but many folks prefer to put the paint right on the sponge (choose a neutral colored sponge if that’s your plan). Putting some copper strips or copper wire under the sponge will help prevent mold.
What household items do you use in your art practice? Share your hacks in the comments!
Carrie Glessner 