The Range (UK): Wet Palette

Have you seen the various posts about wet palettes? I have but was put off by the need for special paper to line the palette. I also wondered if the colours would stay separate. The latter is a particular problem as I nearly always dilute my paints.

Whilst looking in The Range for something else I found a small well palette for £1.00. I was going to use it as a regular palette but when I got home I realised it would fit nicely in a takeaway food container. So I decided to try it as part of a "sort of" wet palette:

I’m pleased to say this has worked and the four test paints have not dried out overnight. To make one all you need do is:

• Take one recycled takeawy food container,
  
• Add a folded kitchen towel to the bottom of the container,
  
• Place the palette in the container,
  
• Soak the kitchen roll with clean water,
  
• Use paints as normal,
  
• Put the top on the container after use,
  
• Top up the clean water as and when required.

I think this will prove better than the paper based versions as the palette will keep the paints apart and is easily removed for cleaning.

Update: 25 Oct 2016

After one month's use, I don’t know how I managed without it! It’s not perfect but it works and I’ve found it really helps. I’m painting so much quicker. Here are some of the pros & cons.

Pros

• The palette contains just seven of my main colours and the ability to dip my brush quickly in any one of wells has had a surprising effect on the speed of my painting. I suppose it’s simply quicker than opening a bottle and using a standard palette well.
• Mixing is easier. Even though I still do this on a standard palette the ready availability of my main colours seems to give me more control.
  
• My regular palette has switched to being a proper mixing palette rather than a paint storage palette..
• I normally flatten my paints with a touch of talc especially reds. I have successfully flattened paint in the wet palette and the paint stays fluid. This means I don’t have to flatten batches of paint each time I sit down to paint saving me time with the bonus of a more consistent finish.
• I am wasting far less paint. Even if I have a “big gush” from a Vallejo dropper bottle it’s not wasted.
• When I have to add more paint to one of the wells I can add water or medium to ensure the paint has the right consistency, will flow well off the brush and cover in one coat. If I’ve over done the dilution and I have to add more paint it isn’t wasted.

Cons

• There’re only seven wells. I suppose it’s a sign of how well I have integrated the wet palette in to my painting that I am now annoyed that I have to open a bottle for my next colour.
• It does dry out but very slowly. I have had to add water to the towel under the plastic palette and occasionally to the paint wells. On average I’ve been doing this every other session. If the palette has been open for 3-4 hours I now top up the water before I close the box.
• The towel will get mouldy. In the last four weeks I’ve replaced the towel once (after three weeks) when I noticed some very small patches of mould on the edges of the towel. I suspect that at some point I will have to clean the palette, and the box, with some bleach if the mould returns too quickly.

One extra tip: add a squirt of anti-bacterial surface cleaner to the towel. This will prevent mould growth. Each towel is now lasting weeks and I like the lemon perfume!

Closing remarks

What I’ve decided to do is make a few more of these. I think single colour boxes would be a good idea. I plan to make one each for browns & horse colours, greens, tans/yellows and finally reds.

I hope this helps you and let me know if you’ve tried this.