Organizing the (Lack of a) Workstation

It’s nice to have a dedicated work place for all your painting needs—a place to store your tools, supplies, and figurines, all ready to go as soon as you step into the room. But that’s a luxury I just don’t have. So having a working system that's convenient and helps clear the clutter really frees you to do what you want, where you want.

Here's the system that I'm currently using, which addresses the issues of space, organization, consolidating tools and supplies, and still allows mobility. It consists of two different storage units:

1) a carrying case that holds all the equipment and supplies for immediate use and
2) a stationary storage unit with drawers.

What’s nice about this system is that I can go wherever to work and still have all the things I need. I can always return to the Sterilite container to replenish whatever supplies I’ve used up, to switch out some paints, and do it all with convenience. As a side note, I’m a noob at this hobby, so I don’t have a sizeable amount of stuff. This is sufficient storage for my needs at the moment.

This is a medium Flambeau Outdoors tackle box I purchased at Wal-mart for under $15. It’s much cheaper than buying a similar item from, say, Art Bin. What I like about this type of case is that it has several levels of trays, ensuring that you’ll have plenty of room to hold your main tools in one place. The trays are divided into smaller compartments, allowing you to organize your brushes, filers, loose pieces from minis, what have you.

I store all the supplies I’ll be immediately using in this toolbox, so wherever I decide to work I can just grab this thing and go. Or if I’ll be transitioning to another work area while I’m in the middle of a project, I can do so without too much trouble.

The second item is a medium-sized Sterilite container with three drawers. This is my stationary storage unit, and it can be whatever container that’s most convenient for you. Here is where I keep the rest of my equipment— things that I don’t need to use immediately, and extra tools and supplies.