"Pallettes, please help this ostrich out" Topic

In a recent TMP thread we were asked about the use of wet vs dry pallettes TMP link

I've been painting figures (on and off) for 28 years and I must have painted >5000 figures in that time, always using a bit of plastic as a pallette i.e. a dry pallette. This has seriously influenced my painting style (short, intense, precise, painting periods with constant small additions of water to keep the paint the right consistency). Until the TMP thread last week I had never heard of a wet pallette for painting figures (I live miles from civilization, I don't tend to have time to read around about painting and the one book I have – Foundry painting guide by Kevin Dallimore, a present in 2006, doesn't have any options other than different types of dry pallette).

I assumed that wet pallettes must be a new introduction to the hobby, but I found a mention to wet pallettes in a TMP thread from 2007 TMP link where most people were using dry pallettes and another in 2003 TMP link just about using wet pallettes.

So when did wet pallettes get introduced to the hobby and why do they seem not to be that widely discussed (or have I just missed everything as usual)?

Wet pallettes for acrylics go back 20-odd years, iirc.

They've been around among folks painting single display miniatures, like the folks at Cool Mini or Not for quite a while – I think I tried it first in 2002 or so, but I had seen it mentioned many times before that.

It was a bit slower to get accepted among army painters, but now I see some using it for that as well.

One of the big advantages when painting loads of figures is that you easily can get a better consistence for painting, which actually enables you to paint faster than using thick globs of paint straight from a bottle.

Wet pallettes date back pretty well to the introduction of tube artists acrylics. Some of the early Rowney sets actually included a small pad of the paper they produced.

Personally, being a small scale painter, I find a wet pallette too much trouble to bother with. Even when painting small numbers of 15mm in the distant past (using tube acrylics, before craft acrylics were in other forms) I didn't find any real advantages.

I can see the advantages if you blend or have a more 'artistic' approach but I didn't and still don't so of very limited value for me.

CAUTION:IF YOU ARE PAINTING OUT OF THEB OTTLE YOU ARE DRYING OUT YOUR PAINTS!!!

You don't need anything from the outside to have a perfect wet and small wet palette.

You need the following:

An "OPEN MIND," Pringles or butter lid. I use Pringles. Some wax paper (dollar store variety). Some tissue or paper towel and some water. How difficult is this?

If you can get those, you have a wet palette.

It won't be big.

Instructions:

#1
You make it by stretching out the wax paper to about a foot.I(I get mine at the dollar store.) Fold paper into about 6 -8 square. The squares need to be bigger than the lid. You then place the paper on a cutting board and use the plastic lid to trace over the paper with a sharp X-Acto knife. You should end up with about 6-8 round pieces that you will use over the next week or so for you palette.

#2
You then fold the tissue/paper towel into about 4-5 pieces and trim to fit the lid. You place water into it and cover with the small cut-out circles of wax paper(save the others) and you are done. This takes all of about 3 minutes to do.

Try it for two weeks. You will notice a huge difference. I use the back of the brush to transport paint from the bottles to the palette. (Wipe off imediately) I Immediately close the paint bottle to avoid the paint from drying out. (How guys paint from the bottle is beyond me. It dries out your paint especially when painting with a fan.)

Good luck and enjoy you will thank me later

I use a Tupperware container (for the seal) big enough to hold a household sponge. On top of the saturated sponge, I put a piece cut to size from W&N wet palette paper, simply because I bought a package of the stuff years ago: it was designed for a specific container they make, which shops here don't carry. Kitchen parchment would work as well.

I wouldn't think that wax paper is permeable enough to wick the water up from the saturated material, but maybe it's sufficient to have the moisture in the air around the paint.

But yes, as combatpainter says, it makes a big difference, both in keeping paint consistencyy the way you want it, and being able to close up the container and walk away without wasting paint. Works for me on small figures, too, most assuredly.

Allen

Oh, and as GildasFacit says, they've been around for a long time. Maybe they don't get discussed much because those that use them assume everyone else does, and those that don't aren't exposed to them!

Here's an inexpensive version:

link

Allen

Easy How to make Wet palettes:

combatpainter.com/?p=937

YouTube link

I never used one up until about a year ago and I will never paint without one again! They are especially nice with smaller scales or with detail work as the paint stays 'open' longer and is much easier to use.

They are also nice because if you need to make a correction you don't have to waste time opening a paint bottle again if you keep a bit of the colors you are using on the palette.

I never used one up until about a year ago and I will never paint without one again! They are especially nice with smaller scales or with detail work as the paint stays 'open' longer and is much easier to use.

They are also nice because if you need to make a correction you don't have to waste time opening a paint bottle again if you keep a bit of the colors you are using on the palette.

Ditto!

By the way, home-made mine from the clear plastic from a Battlefront miniatures blister, the foam from the blister, and parchment paper (the wife loves to bake). I cover with another piece of plastic from another blister and it stays wet for days.

Thanks for all the useful responses.

Do you think Dallimore doesn't use one or should we get cynical and think that the rest of the Foundry painting book was trying to sell Foundry paints and wet palettes have less wastage?

Do you think Dallimore doesn't use one or should we get cynical and think that the rest of the Foundry painting book was trying to sell Foundry paints and wet palettes have less wastage?

He definitely uses one. No doubt in my mind.

Honestly, I can't imagine using acrylics without one. I recall clearly years ago having to spend too many painting sessions scraping dried acrylic blobs off the hard plastic palette I used to use, as it had become completely occluded by them. Never again!

Allen

On another note, when drybrushing we use a blank ceramic bathroom tile to pull paint of the brush. They're about 17 cents a Lowes and they clean up really easily: just soak in water for a few hours and the paint peels right off. I don't like to use a paper towel anymore as it drys the paintbrush too much.

Good tip!

Allen

Yes, the ceramic tile bit is a good tip. I'll pick one up when I go to Home Depot tomorrow.

As for the wet palette, get one. Now You won't be disappointed.

As aecurtis mentioned, using Tupperware or a similar product will allow you to seal up your palette. Your paints will stay fresh for days.

I have never gotten around to trying a wet pallet. I have always used a hard plastic pallet and small amounts of paint. I did receive a wet pallet awhile back but it's a bit big for my table space so I never used it. I will have to try out a smaller home made one as I get interrupted all the time while painting.

Hmm, very interesting, I'll have to try out this wet pallet method. Thanks guys.

What tnnlynch said, except I probably won't make a homemade one, just try the big one I have, then if I like it, get a smaller one that fits my table space better.

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