DJ Geribo

Acrylics are known for their fast drying time, which can be a plus and a minus! To extend their life, use a sta-wet palette with a wet sponge under your palette paper (follow instructions that come with the palette). Spritz the paints after each daily use to continue to keep them moist for days.

Although Yupo is a 100% Polypropylene paper and not specifically a watercolor paper, it makes a fantastic watercolor surface. Adding water and paint to the surface, it allows you to paint loose, if you want, and remove anything you don't like. Or you can play on the paper again and again, trying different techniques and removing the paint to try something new, or just removing a small area if you want to add more detail. You can't make any mistakes with Yupo!

When working on pastels, pastel dust often builds up. Your inclination is to blow it away or whack the back of your painting to shake off the loose dust. But either of these remedies may just blow some of your painting away. Be gentle with pastels, use a slanted easel so the dust will fall while working, and then gently tap the back of the painting over a trash can or use an old dry paint brush to brush the pastel dust away from your painting.

When framing pastels, having a professional do it is always the safest choice. Just make sure the framer is familiar with the dust of pastels. Some framers will not deal with pastels because the dust falls off while framing and can ruin your work of art, especially if you don't spray your pastels with fixative. If you choose to frame your own pastels, the key is to be extra careful when framing and don't lay the painting face down when putting on the backing. Instead stand the painting up and work on the back while someone holds the painting for you.