PAINT CHIP CARDS

   Here's a little trick I've developed, which helps me to keep track of what paints I have...

      1.  Take an unlined white 3-1/2" x 5" index card and cut it in half from top to bottom, along the "short axis"; cut each of the halves in half parallel to the first cut; then cut each quarter in half along what was the "long axis".  You now have eight "chips" about 1-1/4" x 1-3/4".

      2.  Get a single-hole paper punch, and punch a hole in one end of the "chip", about 3/8" from one of the "long ends" and centered in the chip.

      3.  This part is best done when you first open a container of paint -- but you can do a few at a time (or all at once!) with the paints you have.  Write down on one side of the chip what the paint is -- manufacturer, name of paint, whatever other info you want...

   4.  On the other side of the chip, paint a good part of the chip with the paint from the opened container.  I usually paint the whole chip, up to about 1/4" from the hole you punched.  Set aside to dry.  The chips will most likely curl slightly, from the paint soaking into the chip.  Personally, I have no problem with this -- when dry, the chips will still lie relatively flat.

      I usually "paint" the chips with the toothpick I've used to stir the paint.  The only "problem" I've had with this is getting a good, even coat of paint.  If you don't get a good even coat -- and sometimes I don't! -- you can either (a) give it a second coat later, or (b) just hope that a part of the chip did get an even coat!

      5.  Get a key chain -- I've gotten the type that is a plastic-coated metal cable with a screw-on fastener.  Slide the painted (and dried!) chip onto the key chain.  You can arrange the colors in whatever fashion best suits your needs; I generally sort by color overall, generally using the "Roy G. Biv" pattern (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet), then grays, browns, blacks and metallics...  Close the key chain to keep the chips together.

   Now you have a handy, portable reference guide of the paints you have!  You can take it with you when you go to the hobby shop / craft store / whatever, to compare what you do have with what you don't -- makes it a lot easier to compare colors, not get duplicate bottles and miss on others, etc.  I have two different sets of paint chip cards -- one for the "craft" paints I use primarily for scenery, and one for the "fine" paints I use for my models.

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