We hear back from enough clients that their paints have dried out. This is normal behavior for the paint once it has interacted with air for too long. After all, you want your canvas to dry out. Leaving their cans open for long enough would cause this. If you too, are experiencing the same issue, read along! Not all dried paints are lost!
Dried paint
If your paint has gone thicker, harder and/or drier than normal, don’t worry! Acrylic paint is water soluble so thinning it out is very easy. You can use water or flow improver.
Water:
Water should be your go-to fixer when you are dealing with acrylic paints. They dissolve in water very easily. Add a drop or two of warm water to your hardened paint to soften it. Warm water mixes better with paint without thinning it. Feel free to stir it with a toothpick. For more stubborn paints, you can also leave it overnight to soften and mix the next day.
But don’t forget to close the paint can after adding the water! Exposing it to air will result in the same dried out paint.
Flow Improver/Flow Aid:
Flow improver, also known as flow aid, is a type of additive made specifically for working with acrylic paint. It is used to break up the surface tension present in the water of acrylic paint. In other words, to break it down as opposed to thin it. The goal is to chemically change the consistency of the paint without affecting the color or the finish composition.
Unlike with water, you do not mix the improver with the paint directly. Instead, add a few drops to the water you dip and clean your brush with. With this solution, the acrylic paint begins to flow in a much smoother and silkier fashion.
Note that this might increase the amount of paint needed, so if you are expected to cover a lot of surface area with the same color, we advise you to be careful so that you don’t run out of the color before you’re finished.
Hard paint
Sometimes, however, paints are beyond saving, even with the techniques we’ve mentioned. We make sure that all the paint we send out is in proper condition and we advise you to double check each can is closed properly once you are finished with the color. Even better, close it between every dip.
All these cautions and yet, sometimes it still happens. And if it happens to you, don’t worry or panic!
If you have ordered your kit from us, we will be happy to replace your dried paint. Just send us an email at service@defirefly.com with your order number and problem description! We are here to help!