20 AMAZING Art Workspace Hacks (FREE or cheap!)

In this video I show you some of my own hacks, shortcuts and money saving workspace practices! Make the most of your art area, even if it's tiny, work effectively and save money you can spend on paints and brushes. Perfect for watercolors, acrylics, pencil artists and more.

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction
2:19 Water jars hack
4:12 Clear up fast hack
6:12 Brush hanger hack
7:44 Take out box hack
10:02 Chart storage hack
11:41 Watercolor wash hack
12:22 Table top bin (trash) hack
14:08 Brush cloth hack
15:30 Brush rest hack
16:23 Ceramic palette hack
17:55 Surface protector hack
18:47 Paint removal hack
19:33 Tool containers hack
20:36 Ink well hack
22:50 Table easel hack
23:30 Keep your pencil sharp hack
24:17 A table with storage hack
26:45 Paper scraps hack
28:16 Prepare many boards hack
29:47 Brush cleaner hack

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[annaherlinger]

I took clothes pins, glued them horizontally on a piece of board. They hold all my wet brushes well.

[msfit]

Thanks, Michele! These are all great tips. I made a big scoop years ago of those tiny jam jars when attending a woodturning symposium with my husband. The hotel where everyone stayed served those with breakfast each morning and after the customers left I collected a lot of them—still have quite a few as they are reusable. My tips: (1) In our shared “studio” my hubby and I replaced the unused guest beds with a table for each of us. I covered both of those with clear plastic shower curtain liners for protection of the table tops. We each also have a large nonstick oven liner for a work mat—absolutely nothing sticks to those. They are so easy to just wipe clean. (2) Hubby was throwing away a lot of old worn out sox, so I saved quite a few, washed them, and cut the foot off of each. I wear a cuff on my wrist when painting. Not only does it protect the sleeve of a long-sleeved shirt in cold weather, it provides a very handy spot to wipe or dab off a brush. (3) We have some large sponges for washing cars and windows which can also be covered with the sock tops for a handy, absorbent and washable brush rest. (4) I found a couple of “S” hooks in the kitchen junk drawer and hung them on the cabinet door pulls above the tables, slipped a bulldog clamp on each and use them to hold a variety of things. I hope someone finds these suggestions helpful. I would love to use your take-away box storage idea, but California is phasing them out, which is sad because they are re-usable as you have pointed out and the ones made of styrofoam are simply trash.

[janemiettinen]

My best hack, if you have room for it, is to have two tables. On the other is my projects and mostly used supplies, other is only for cutting paper sheets or fabrics and nothing gets stored on top of it, so Ill always have one surface free of stuff. I saved the silverware tray from an old dishwasher, sprayed it pink (to get rid of that horrid 90s computer gray) and now my colored pencils live there, super handy! My acrylic paints hang on the wall in these little horizontal Cs, they are originally meant for storing spices on a cupboard door. Instead of bin, I have a ceramic bowl I made myself, its heavy, so it doesnt move even when empty and its always in the same place, so I dont need to even look at it when I throw stuff away. And a real lifesaver is to make sure my coffee cup is always on the opposite side of my water buckets.. when you make this a habit, you dont have to drink that nasty paint water ever again :)

Edit: I forgot, Ive drilled holes in the ends of my bigger brushes and tied a string in it, easy peasy hanger upper. The very fine detail brushes are too skinny for this, so on them I simply taped a little piece of string. I also marked all my different brushes (oil, watercolor, acrylic, glue, etc..) with different color washi-tapes, so I dont mix them up.

[katetracton]

These were some really great suggestions! Thank you. My little “hack” was to raise my worktable using inexpensive bed risers from Walmart. They raised the table about 8” which makes it MUCH more comfy to stand and work.

[Meggypp]

For color mixing and washes, I use a melamine deviled egg tray to mix. There are about 30 spaces to mix in and it’s also heavy enough to not bump around on your table.

[lynnettebrown]

I have an old towel rolled up and secured with a few rubber bands to use as my table easel, it is wider than my board so I can dab my watercolour brush on it if I need to. It doesn't rock, and I can change the height by rolling it more tightly. When it is looking scruffy I just wash it in my washing machine.

[leslie-annepepin]

I do enjoy your sense of humour! One brush drying hack: a large plastic top from a coffee container. Cut different sized ‘X’ s, then glue to top of tall skinnier container with another lid on the bottom for balance. Then just stick handle up into a cut ‘x’ with brush end down. I got this idea from a YouTuber named Kimberly. Works great!

[tj]

I created mixing wells on a thrifted plate with hot glue on the low setting. I made a grid with the hot glue, let it cool, and went over the grid a second time. Thanks for all the hacks.

[kellyhalligan]

I cover my work desk with a dog diaper (the kind that goes on the floor). it keeps my surface dry and free of paint and masking fluid, and, its a great way to tap off water from your brush while painting

[laurfincher]

Stretched Canvas tip: If you get a canvas, take the plastic wrap off and find that the canvas has a wrinkle in it or is loose (not taut) then you can easily tighten up the canvas and even get rid of the wrinkle. Take water in a misting bottle and lightly spray the back of the canvas. The raw side which doesn't have any gesso on it. Let it dry. You will find that the water tightened up the canvas to the frame.

[deborahteeter]

A friend made me the neatest brush rest by gluing a foam toe separator (the ones used for pedicures) atop a small strip of wood.

[LydiaCuff]

One hack I’ve found is to get a cheap rubber soap saver with a bunch of bumps on it from the dollar store and trim it to fit in my water jars to help get all the paint out when I’m rinsing. Very similar concept to the Paint Puck but much less expensive and they can be trimmed to fit any jar. I’ve also seen people use textured plastic tofu or mushroom containers as water dishes, but the texture on those isn’t nearly as pronounced

[zmaryellen]

Goodwill stores in the US are the best for finding inexpensive containers of all sizes, shapes, and materials. Also, find someone who feeds their baby commercially prepared baby food. Most come in perfect little jars with lids which, after washing, can be used for thousands of uses....

[frankmazzant]

I know it’s not good to stand a brush in a water jar. What I do for temporary soaking a brush is to apply double sided duck tape around the top inside edge of a water jar. It allows me to suspend a brush in water for a short period without bending the bristles.

[rosieleat]

When I lived in my 28 square metre apartment with my two cats (they had a catio which gave them a great outside view and fresh air and climbing frames, I also walked them on a harness every day) - I used my bed (queen sized go figure lol) as a work surface. I would cover it over with drop-clothes during the day to put work on to dry or just put all my paints and materials on and take it off at night - I also had an easel and a big table for art which along with the bed pretty much took up the whole space of the apartment. It got frustrating at times because the cats walked all over everything. It was a happy time though :)

[sylviaholtzhausen]

Thank you for your informative videos. I have a hack for drying brushes. Take a piece of a pool noodle, cut a slit from top to bottom about an inch deep. Push over the edge of an Ice-cream container. Then cut slips across spaced out evenly and slide your brushes in. Hope my explanation is clear 😊 I'm watching from South Africa. ❤

[tamraalden]

I absolutely not only loved the hacks but your jolly humor. My takeaways are using T-shirt cotton rather than paper towel, the ring-binder easel, the color charts on smaller cards, the make-up pads, sandpaper to renew pencil points and reminder to keep paper scraps for testing. Thank you!

[bheanacu]

Thank you for the great tips! I store my paint tubes in one of those hanging things that has multiple clear pockets. Like the kind for shoes, but smaller pockets. I have it hanging on the inside of a storage closet door next to my workspace.

[kielia]

Among other creative pursuits I am a multi media artist, jewlery maker, and a crafter.. I use paper towels to clean my brushes and paper plates to set many of my projects on as I work. I never get rid of my painty paper towels. Once they are full of water colors I separate the 2 ply towels and add them to other scraps to make more paper by tearing into appropriate bits and then gluing down, or incorporate them into other projects. My paper plates are used over and over again. Once completely coated with paints, glues, inks, and sparkley stuff I can make everything from jar lid covers to very unique jewlery with them. Though the plates and towels cost money they are used a great many times and not one scrap of them is ever thrown out.

[OhJodi]

I use a medium butcher's tray (or cake pan, or flat box, pencil pouch, etc) to put the supplies that I am currently using for a project. It's easy to forget what tube of paint you grabbed, which kind of pencil you used, etc, especially if you leave your project for even a few hours.