Recently I purchased the very cute Eraldo Explorer’s Watercolour Palette from Riot Art & Craft.
It’s really cute, but I had no need for the paints that came with it as I have an ever-growing collection of tube watercolours. I bought it with the intention of replacing the paints with my own.
Two problems with this plan:
- The paint is glued firmly into place
- The pan size is slightly smaller than the “standard” half pan used in most metal palettes*
Yes, that’s right, when I tried to pry the paint out from the pans, it wouldn’t budge. I tried searching the internet to see if anyone had ever encountered this problem before, but I couldn’t find anything. I tried searching for places to purchase empty half pans in this design. I tried filing down my other half pans, but it was tedious and didn’t provide a good fit.
Eventually, I hit upon the solution: isopropyl alcohol.
I sprayed a small amount into each pan, making certain it dripped down the sides, around the paint, into the bottom of the pan. I let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then I used a dental tool to pry it out, gently wiggling it down each side until the paint released.
The alcohol doesn’t seem to have damaged the paint, but as discussed I had no intention of using it.
Now I can fill my palette to my heart’s content.
I hope this information helps someone out there. Happy painting!
*That said, this pan design is the same as on my Derwent Graphitint Paint Palette.