Tips for Using Disposable Aprons as Paint Protection

Published on 2023/2/28

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You’ve probably seen a painting demonstration in which the artist or presenter carefully covers the palette with a disposable plastic apron to avoid touching the color chips with their bare hands. These disposable aprons keep the changing colors from smearing and staining your fingers, and they also keep pet bugs and odors away from the paintings. This paint protection technique is called “pin smock” for its resemblance to a painter’s smock. In case you ever want to try it, here are some tips for using disposable aprons as paint protection:

Use a Disposable Apron to Cover Your Hands
The disposable apron should be large enough to cover your hands. You should be careful not to cover your forearms with the fabric because excessive fabric covering your hands will make it difficult to control the brush or roller when painting. If the apron doesn’t leave enough room to hold the palette and brush, you’ll have to dip your brush in the paint, which can lead to drips and smudges.

Keep the Painting Surface Dry
The surface on which you paint should not be wet. You can keep it dry by covering your palette’s surface with a disposable apron to avoid touching it with your bare hands. Another option is to use a plastic sheet or a drop cloth as a paint protection surface.

Use Paper Towels, Not Your Fingers
When you’re painting with your fingers, you’re touching the paper towel with the same color chips that are on your palette. If you use paper towels for wiping off your fingers, you can avoid touching the paper towel with the paint color chips. This way, your palette will stay dry and paint coverage will be consistent.

Don’t Wrap the Apron Too Tightly
You can place the apron tightly over the palette to keep the paint off your fingers. However, do not wrap the apron so tightly that it’s pinching the edges. A disposable apron should have a generous amount of slack in the fabric so that you can easily dip a brush in the paint. If you wrap it too tightly, you’ll have to untwist the fabric to get your brush into the palette, which will lead to drips, smudges and inconsistent paint coverage.

Be Careful When Taking Off the Apron
When it’s time to remove the apron, be careful not to pull the fabric too tightly. Otherwise, you’ll pinch the edges of the palette and smear paint. A better way to remove the apron is to slowly and gently twist the fabric, keeping it away from the palette edges. This will prevent the fabric from damaging the palette edges.

Wrapping up with a Final Tip
Paint protection is especially important when you’re working with watercolor and collage materials, which are highly absorbent. A disposable apron will help keep your palette and workspace dry. A plastic sheet or drop cloth can be used as paint protection, too. Watercolor palettes have paper bottoms, and the paper absorbs water, which can lead to inconsistent paint coverage, smears and drips. A plastic sheet or drop cloth placed underneath your palette will keep it from getting wet. If you’re using a wooden palette, you’ll have to be especially careful about keeping it dry. Wooden palettes can warp if they get too wet.