I did a blog recently about a little watercolour paintbox I made from an old tin. Lots of people were interested so I thought I’d put up instructions for it. I do a few hours teaching each week for a charity working with homeless people and I did this with the people in our watercolour group, so they each have their own kit.
You’ll need:
- A small rectangular hinged tin – I used a vintage ink stamp tin
- A watercolour brush
- A junior hacksaw
- Sandpaper
- DAS self-hardening clay
- An Inhaler or large round-bottomed pen
- A plastic lid from a margarine tub, or similar
- Blu Tack
- White acrylic paint
- A hog hair brush or similar
- Some reasonable quality tubes of watercolour paint
- Clean and dry the tin
- Cut a watercolour brush to size with a junior hacksaw
- Sand off the cut top with sand paper
- Press self-hardening clay evenly into the deeper (bottom) side, smoothing it up the sides a bit to seal it.
- Make a channel with the cut brush in the centre of the clay.
6. Press six dips with the bottom of a pen, such as a Sharpie or an Inhaler. The dips should not go to the bottom.
7. Leave the clay to dry – it might take a few days
8. Cut the white plastic to fit the lid and press it in. A smidgen of blue tack or similar might be needed.
9. If you’ve used coloured clay, give it two coats of white acrylic paint, leaving it to dry between coats.
10. Blob some good quality watercolours into the dips – one each of red, yellow and blue; purple, orange and green and leave them to dry before you carry the tin around. Pop the brush in and off you go.
Have a great time with it …..
scribblah 
Very kewl
Oh Aye
This is a brilliant idea. I had no idea that you could “reliquidate” watercolour paint from a tube like this.
Oh yes, as long as it’s a reasonably good make. The cheaper ones have chalk added and once they’re dry, that’s it. I never wash my watercolour palettes as that’s good paint down the drain 😀