Meet the guy paid to watch paint dry

For paint R&D technician Matthew Risbridger, no day is ever quite the same. After clocking in at the laboratory, he’ll look at requests from clients, poring over paint specifications and desired results. Then, like a mad scientist, he’ll start mixing formulas and testing different ingredients, all in pursuit of whatever the client needs. Once that’s done, Risbridger puts paint to paper (or whatever surface is needed), then sits back and watches the paint dry.

Science has driven humanity forward by leaps and bounds. Many things we now take for granted represented major breakthroughs in the past. Take paint, for example. Throughout most of history, folks rarely bothered painting the outside of a building, ship, or whatever else because water would quickly wash it away. Now, paint protects homes, boats, and other properties from the elements, water, rust, and much more.

That’s the power of science. Modern paints consist of a lot more than pigments. They’ll also contain a mix of binders and solvents. Sealants, meanwhile, are used to protect the paint. Yet mixing paint formulas is tricky. Too much of one ingredient or not enough of another, and you’ll end up with a recipe for disaster.

Risbridger spends large chunks of his day watching paint dry, looking for cracks, bubbles, or any other defects to ensure good outcomes. He might also use infrared heaters, wind tunnels, ovens, and various other tools to test the paint under different conditions.

So how long does it take for paint to dry? Some coats might dry in just 15 minutes. Other coats may need well over an hour. Interested in watching paint dry for a living? Go figure — Risbridger stumbled upon the position after finding an ad on a job board. Who knows, maybe your paint-drying dream job is out there, too!