How to Pack your Paints when Flying

Number One advice - Use your common sense. No paint in your carry-on. Your painting supplies should be in checked luggage. Travel with two suitcases, one for clothes and one for art supplies and easel. All art supplies should be water soluble - no turps or oils. All paints should be well displayed in well marked plastic Ziploc bags. You can include your business card in each bag. It can be overkill, but also write on the outside of the plastic bag "watercolor artist supplies." Never say "Paint" - never! To the TSA, "paint" translates to explosives and this is no time to educate them. While going thru airport security, don’t talk! Too many times painters can be seen nervously yakking to security, only to be pulled out of line and scanned or frisked. Also, inside your suitcase, you might want to place a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) which explains the paint ingredients. You can download MSDS from the paint (artist supply) manufacturer’s website. Security personnel are used to seeing and understanding these MSDS sheets. Any liquids like gels or gesso are packed in pint sized wide mouth jars, lids on tightly and taped, placed individually in Ziploc bags and well marked - write "water-based."

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