How to Make Your Own Watercolor Pans From Tubes

Use tube watercolors to make pan watercolors.

Watercolor paints are available in several forms, including those packaged in tubes. These paints are soft and buttery in consistency. Watercolor paints also are available in small pans. These paints sometimes are referred to as blocks or cakes. Pan watercolor paint is dry and must be moistened and softened with water before using. Since tube paint may leak, some artists prefer to carry the pan form of watercolors when they travel with paints. You can make your own watercolor pans from tube watercolor paints.

Things You'll Need

• Tube watercolor paints
• Empty watercolor pans
• Watercolor pan holder with removable pans
• Palette knife

Instructions

1. Pick pans that fit snugly into the pan holder.

2. Hold the pan with one hand and use the other hand to squeeze tube paint into the pan. Squeeze the paint into the corners of the pan before filling in the center of the pan. Don't fill the pan completely since you need some space to add water later. Replace the lid on the paint tube.

3. Gently tap the pan on the table surface to level the paint. Smooth the surface of the paint with a palette knife. If you want to create a small depression in the middle of the paint to hold water, use the round tip of the palette knife or the back of a plastic spoon to build more paint up along the edges of the pan. When the paint is smooth, set the pan in the pan holder.

4. Fill the remainder of the pans with paint. Use the palette knife to mix colors and to transfer the mixture into a pan.

5. Let the paint air dry in the pans. Depending on climate and room conditions, the paint might dry overnight or require a few days. To soften the pan paint, spritz it with water and use a brush to gently work the water into the paint until you achieve the consistency you like.

Tips & Warnings

• You can create your own color mixtures by blending paint from different tubes on a palette. For example, create an orange color by mixing equal amounts of red and yellow paint.

• Covering the paint may slow the drying process.

References

• Daniel Smith: Tips on Filling Empty Pans With Tube Watercolor
• YouTube; Tips for Filling Pans in Daniel Smith Empty Watercolor Travel Boxes; September 2010
• How to Draw and Paint; Choosing & Using Artist Watercolor Paints; Bob Davies