With the cost of oil paint, there must be a better way to solve this issue. Here is a trick my father tought me years ago:
- Take a jam jar or any recipient that can contain very hot water.
- Put the kettle on.
- Pour some boiling water in the jar and dip the tube upside down in the hot water, making sure that the cap is below the water line.
- Leave it for a few minutes.
- Take a rag or a paper towel and unscrew the cap. If you cannot do it, put it back in the water.
- When the tube is open, remove the old paint around the tube mouth and the inside of the cap with a palette knife.
It works for all paint tubes: oil paint, gouache, watercolour.
You can also hold the tube under the running hot water, but you end-up wasting litres of water.
Two final remarks:
- Check your tubes from time to time. It’s not when you are out on a field trip that you will be able to use this method.
- Use a jam jar that you are about to recycle. Do not re-use the jar for aliments. Paints contain dangerous compounds like lead, cobalt or cadmium that are harmful when injested.
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