mixing paint cup

[jerseycrazee]

hey all
here 's a little tidbit for possilbly for some newer members..i used to mix my paint right in the cup when i was using a syphon feed seemed easier...but when i went over to the gravity feed i was afraid to mix the paint in it as i may bend my needle...so i found this tip i would like to pass on ...the plastic screw caps from pepsi,,coke or any other soda bottle work just great ,,,,then after toss em...for bigger color mixes on greater surfaces i will use the gatorade lids..some not all water bottles will work i dont like the ones with that little ridge inside them.....
i also use these to thin down my paints as well
cheers

[ABD]

That is a handy tip JC!...Good thinking!!

Not a big soda drinker so I'd never get my hands on enough to do any good..LOL...I use the paper dixie cups..Cheap and disposable:D

[JimmyG]

Indeed a handy tip....very good for small amounts of different colors.....
I keep on hand some common eye droppers to suck up the paint and move it to the AB cup....I'm not near as sloppy with drips and such that way....
For larger amounts of mixed paint, I use the 3 ounce paper (not waxed) bathroom cups like Dell says....Bend the cup lip into a point to pour or use the eye dropper to fill the AB.....
For adding little drops of color to tweak a color mix, the eye droppers are quite handy....
I keep a 1 oz. nose drops bottle filled with isopropal alcohol to tweak the acrylics....
The 1 oz./30ml dropper bottles are also good for keeping small a mounts of unused mixed colors until next use.....The can be found in drug stores and such....

[MGX666]

thx for the tip ...

[AndyW]

Yip nice tip JC, use disposable cups as well, but a great tip for smaller amounts indeed.

[Whit]

Lil paper cups here as well,,
bout tha size of a shot glass,,,

[Shiva]

OK, I live in the 'country', and i got some advantages over you city folks.
I go to the local 'Feed and Farm Supply', and go get empty syringe's for animal use., plus the BIGGEST bore needle they got.
I need small quantities of paint mixed, I get a 3 or 5 CC syringe.. its marked off in .1 cc lines..
For bigger I get 60 or bigger CC syringes. cost is usually couple of bucks, or less
i do NOT know if these would hold to solvent based paint, but know they work quite well for water based.., plus cleaning is quick and easy as well

if the paint calls for 3 parts of color 1, and 2 parts color 2, and 10 parts of #3, then i can just guestimate I need 20 cc's total, and draw accordingly.

[JimmyG]

Excellent tip Shiva on measuring more precise increments....

[redanner]

hey all
here 's a little tidbit for possilbly for some newer members..i used to mix my paint right in the cup when i was using a syphon feed seemed easier...but when i went over to the gravity feed i was afraid to mix the paint in it as i may bend my needle...so i found this tip i would like to pass on ...the plastic screw caps from pepsi,,coke or any other soda bottle work just great ,,,,then after toss em...for bigger color mixes on greater surfaces i will use the gatorade lids..some not all water bottles will work i dont like the ones with that little ridge inside them.....
i also use these to thin down my paints as well
cheers

I use the left over cups from Crystal Light powdered drinks!

[jerseycrazee]

nice!!!
i have found some tips in my tip thread..who would have thunk it!!!!!!!!!
wicked.......
cheers

[Norm]

Great tips all.. especially like Shiva's idea.. have a 'tractor and feed' store local that carries those items.. I'll have to go check it out.. thanks for the ideas!

[Shiva]

ok, take my suggestion of the syringe, and go look at Steve Driscolls flesh formulas in Illustration..
I could mix those colors in SECONDS.. YES, you will have a quantity of paint, but, it doesnt go bad THAT fast does it???

[tugg]

I use the little pots you get your camera film in. they are great for mixing and storing paint and come with nice lid and the best part they didn't cost a penny. I got a big bag of them from a photo lab ,they were only too happy to get rid of them .