Any TSA and customs issues with art supplies?

[Cameron]

Do you travel with art supplies -- paints and pens? Will small tubes of watercolors require more inspection if in the allowed liquid ziplock bag?

If you check bags with paints -- do the metal tubes expand and leak?

I've always carried an ink pen, but if I had a set, can I carry those on without issues?

Thanks!

 

[ncp]

We've traveled a lot with art supplies and had no trouble. Of course, you'll need to buy solvent over there if you're using oils. Tubes don't expand or leak in checked luggage. Never had them in carry-on though, I'd think that may make the TSA people nervous.

 

[Cameron]

Watercolors or pen and ink for me. Thank you for responding!

 

[ncp]

You should be safe then, but I'd still pack tubes in my checked luggage. Then again, maybe buy them there - what a great souvenir!

 

[Jan55612]

My husband travels with watercolor supplies and ink. We put it into checked luggage inside heavy-duty zip lock bags. We haven't had any issues.

 

[CaWino]

TSA has a web site with searchable area called What Can I Bring? TSA also has an app than can be useful.

 

[Matt D]

Sorry, I just came across this post. Hope the info is not too late, but perhaps it will be helpful to have it in the archive. I'm adding the link below to a blog post I made that contains some information about preparing for pleinair painting in Italy. Cameron's question has already been answered, but to sum up - you'll have no problems at all as long as you pack your art supplies in a checked bag. The exception is that oil painters cannot bring any solvents on board. Nearly every town has a hardware store, so I take my oil painters to buy their solvents on arrival. I highly recommend sketching or simple painting as an aid to slow traveling.
https://slowtraveltours.com/blog/practicalities-for-the-traveling-painter/

 

[Cameron]

Thank you!

I've had the TSA App since the beginning of it.

I travel carry-on only. No checked bags.

I know 1-2 ink pens are okay, but I don't know about five pens at once, outside the ziplock, are okay. I can certainly get by with 1-2 pens.

I've decided not to carry tubes of watercolors. I have watercolor pencils and a water pen (fill there), that will do for small studies.

I also recently upgraded to the new iPad that is smaller than the iPad Pro, but is compatible with the Apple Pencil. I'm finding it incredibly helpful with sketching/color studies/composition studies, etc. The app that I'm using is ProCreate for under $10. Using ProCreate -- sketch in one layer; add a layer for colors; choose which layers to view, etc.