What to do when you've dipped too much?

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**Ratius**

What do you guys do when you've dipped your brush too deeply into a pot and got way too much paint on it?
I have a bad habit of doing it with pots that are about 1/3 full (so you cant see the paint level) with darker colors.

**sing your life**

I always wipe the brush on kitchen towel.

**Ratius**

I always find myself wasting paint on it, any tips on how to "get it back"?
Sometimes I'll wipe the extra on a nonabsorbent material and mix a drop of water with it, to try and keep it usable.

**oadie**

Honestly, I don't ever have that issue, as I work from a palette. Paints in pots are transferred thereto using the tip of the handle - less wastage, that way, and zero risk to the bristles from dipping too far. As it's a separate process from painting (distinct "painting prep" stage), I don't even think about the extra three seconds it takes to pick up the pot and look at what I'm doing, either.

Had I somehow done it, though, I'd gently scrape as much paint as I could back into the pot, then thoroughly rinse my brush. Minor paint wastage in the cleaning is less of an issue, in terms of both cost and hassle, than irreparably splaying the bristles or requiring a heavier cleaning (brush soap, lots of scrubbing, etc.) afterward, to save the brush.

**Ratius**

Good idea Oadie, must pick up a cheap palette so. Happens too regularly for me.

**oadie**

In that case, I'd highly recommend making yourself a wet palette. Incredibly simple and cheap to assemble one and it will keep your paints in working order far longer than a traditional palette can. Lots of threads, if you do a quick search, extolling their virtues, as well as detailing how to make one (again, it's incredibly simple).

**Yonan**

Inserting ubiquitous suggestion to transfer paints into bottles and/or buy paints that already come in bottles. Then use the above mentioned (wet) palettes.

**poda_t**

or don't buy GW's paints at all, and just buy stuff that's already in bottles....

I keep several different bottles/pots containing water: general purpose water, bright colors water, and white only water. Darker/aggressive paints don't care if they get some fugly water into them. it's also what I rinse my brush in. water evaporates, so, eventually, all the water keeps being added to the general purpose pot. eventually it does get to the point where it needs replacing, follow standard procedures for disposal of that stuff. but I just rinse my brush, and then "bleed it" into nearby handy-dandy paper towells or smocks or whatever else until only just moisture comes out, and no pigment.

**noballgames**

I use a basic piece of kitchen tile for a palette, some guys I know use glass chopping boards, they don't need to be expensive and they clean off easily after each use. The palette will help you manage your paint to brush application and also be easier to thin it than when you're working directly from the pot.

Don't worry too much about about losing some paint, it will happen.