-
The other day I wrote a couple of posts. One heralding how great Hahnemuhle Watercolor Postcards are (review here) and another Giving a tin of postcards away. I wanted to do a new post showing the savvy artisthow to make their own palette using that gorgeous tin of Hahnemuhle Postcards. The tin measures 6.5″ x 4.5″ x 1″ and will hold up to 45 half pans or 24 full pans.WHAT WE NEED:
1 Empty Hahnemuhle postcard tin
Empty half and/or full pans (The above pic shows 19 half & 4 full pans)
Magnetic strips (I am using ProMAG here)
1 Travel Brush (Da Vinci 1503 #4 shown)
1 Kuretake Water Container (also comes with mini water brush, not shown)
1 Kneaded Eraser
1 Can White Acrylic Spray (I used Rust-oleum Epoxy Gloss White Appliance Spray)
6-10 Hahnemuhle watercolor postcards
Gorilla Super Glue
When I sprayed the lids of my Altoid tins I detached the lid from the base. The same thing can be done with the Hahnemuhle tin. After it’s detached, tape off the outside edge of your tin lid and find a large, deep disposable box to spray in. Follow the directions on the paint can, I sprayed my lids three times for full coverage.
As you can see in comparison to an Altoids tin, the Hahnemuhle tin is deeper and larger. This is going to work out beautifully because we can fit everything we need into this tin for Plein Air painting, including the PAPER!
The next step is adding the magnets. I’ve tried three different kinds of magnets, Aleene’s Magnet Roll, Aleene’s Sheets and ProMAG strips. The strips are by far the best but if you can’t get your hands on them then get magnetic tape in the roll, the magnet seems to be stronger and thicker than the Aleene’s sheets. I strongly suggest you take the tacky backing off the magnets. Yes, I know this is a pain. I found that water makes the sticky stuff lift off. I’ve also tried using waterproof glue over top of the tacky backing, that didn’t work either. Ultimately, the best solution is to take the time to peel off the sticky backing before using Gorilla Super Glue to permanently fasten on the magnets. Cut them to size, use one small drop of glue. Obviously be careful not to glue yourself to the empty pans, lol.
You can use one of the postcards from the Hahnemuhle tin to make a color chart card. Just think, it already fits the tin! I have a laminator but if you don’t, just use clear packing tape on both sides. Not only does this make your chart last longer because it’s waterproofed but it can now also be used as a barrier between your paint and your unused postcards. Now just fill your tin. I found this water vessel from Kuretake, it also comes with a mini water brush but you can always add your own professional watercolor travel brush, which is what I elected to do.So that’s how you DIY your own perfect travel kit. Not only does it keep everything (including the paper) in one convenient place, it’s also compact. The lid makes for a great mixing area and if it gets dirty just spray it again! With 30 postcards you could go out painting dozens of times! You’re welcome!
For all the supply links go to my blog post at http://justaddwatersilly.com/2017/12/01/diy-palette/
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.