The Nitpicky Artist
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Studio
    • Lights >
      • Types of Lights
      • Color Balanced Light?
      • Standard Bulb vs. PAR Flood Light
      • Soft White vs. Clear
      • Lighting a Painting
      • Lighting Subjects
    • Table and Work Surface >
      • Palette and Cover
      • Brush Holder
      • Thinner/ Spirit Cup
      • Paper Towel Holder
    • Easel
  • Painting Techniques
    • Varnishing A Painting
    • Dust
    • Using Mediums
    • Reducing Glare In The Paint
    • Clove Oil To Slow Drying
    • Painting Small
    • Yellowing of Mediums
    • Constructing Panels
    • Color Matching
    • Wax As A Varnish
  • Career
    • Entering Juried Exhibitions
    • Shipping a Painting
  • Photographing Art
  • Product Reviews
    • Anti-Reflective Glass
    • Gamblin Cold Wax as a Varnish
    • Tube Wringer

Paper Towel Holder

All oil painters have a rag or towel to wipe brushes with to clean them.  Some will use old t-shirts or cloths, but I use paper towels on a roll.  I my opinion it is easier and only costs a few dollars for an 8 pack.  Of course whatever you choose is up to you, but if you go the paper towel route, buy a decent holder.  There is nothing more frustrating than grabbing a sheet and unrolling half the roll.  Look for the paper towel holders that provides resistance to the roll.  I know this sounds a bit nit-picky, but it will help you keep your sanity.  The holder I have was bought at Bed Bath and Beyond for $15 - a bit much for something so simple, but worth it.   I bolted it to the underside of my table where I can easily access them.
Another thing to watch for is the paper towels themselves.  Try to find some that have a papery feel rather than a soft fabric.  They lose less fuzz and tend to be cheaper.  Once I had to change the paper towel brand mid-painting just because of this.   On this one particular painting I was noticing more dust than usual.  My paintings are very smooth because I work on flat sanded gesso panels, so any speck of dust or fuzz becomes pretty obvious.  I eventually discovered it was because of the type of paper towel I was using.  Each time I wiped my brush clean with them, the bristles would pick up fuzz from the towel.  The fuzz was then transferred to the painting surface.  From then on, I became very conscious about the kind of paper towel I use.  
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.