How to rescue tubes of solidified watercolour

If your colour has solidified in the watercolour tube, it is not possible to return it to its liquid form. But it can be used as a type of pan colour.

Simply add a little Winsor & Newton Gum Arabic medium to water and then use the dried tubes as pans.

Although they won’t perform as well as our Professional Watercolour formulated specifically for pan application, this trick does mean you can continue using old solidified tubes.

To prolong the life of watercolour tubes for as long as possible, try to ensure:

1. The threads on the neck of the tube are free of colour
2. The lids are replaced tightly
3. The tubes are stored at an ambient temperature