Blue in VT:
I’m just wondering if anyone around here uses a wet palette? I saw them for sale at the local hobby shop…then searched online and have seen how to make them for next to nothing…and I’m thinking about giving it a try…anyone have positive or negative things to offer on the subject?
Cheers,
Blue
Nicodemus:
Once I tried it last year I haven’t gone back. Saves on paint, keeps the consistency nice and workable (i.e. paints continue to go on nice and smooth), you won’t find you need to keep loading up your brush with drying paint, it’s inexpensive and very easy to clean up.
I use a small square ceramic baking dish with a couple of layers of paper towel in the bottom with water right up to the level of the paper towel, then parchment paper on top as the wet palette.
Can’t believe I didn’t start years ago. It sounds like more work to set up… but it isn’t once you’ve done it once and know how to do it. Plus paints aren’t cheap so if it saves you from wasting paints that dry out by putting them in an otherwise dry palette or from leaving the caps open in your paints… then it’s saving you money over the long haul.
~N
nitroglysarine:
Never thought of doing that before.
Might give it a try!
Although with it being 1oC all day today, I don’t think the temperature is going to make it dry any faster :-p
Ishkur Cinderhat:
I use a wet palette but find that it works best while working under daylight. The paints tend to dry up quickly under a desk lamp even if they are on a wet palette. Generally I recommend it, though.
GRNDL:
Only if I need to use extremely thin washes.
Da Crusha:
I have never used a wet palette but I have always thought it was a good idea and a good solution to paint drying too quickly… I know Ill do it one day.
Blue in VT:
o:o
So I’m sold on this idea already! I made one last night out of a small plastic container with lid and a dish sponge cut to fit it…this I topped with a piece of baker parchment paper…water was added up to the top of the sponge and off I went. I working on a whole squad of 28mm German infantry right now so was working with a large blob of mixed green/gray paint…about 4 models in my daughter (3yo) woke up from a bad dream and I had to go calm her down…I closed the lid on my palette and went to comfort her…of course I fell asleep…:~
When I had a few minutes to paint before work this morning…I opened the lid…stirred the paint a little and went back to work…FANTASTIC! It was just fine 12 hours later!
Cheers,
Blue
Obsidian:
Use it and love it!
This message was automatically appended because it was too short.
clam:
Cant paint without. Mine is home made as well. A CD cover and a foam facecloth (those disposable ones you bulk by when you start having kids) - cotton wool should work as well - and same kind of vaxed parchment paper (here we have them cut into size (to be use in our lunch boxes - and 500 sheets for a few $). Idea is 100% stolen from Rune Kapple (http://www.kaple.dk/v2/) 
Blue in VT:
One thing I am quickly realizing is how little paint I actually need to put on my wet palette…I realize that I have been assuming that about %50 of the paint I squeeze out was going to dry up…so now I only need to use 1/2 as much to do the same amount of work…awesome!
Cheers,
Blue
Blue in VT:
Here are a shot of my creation…and of the paper that I used…which seems to be working quite well
Cheers,
Blue
Da Crusha:
thats pretty cool blue now I know I gotta make one!
clam:
Same paper I use - min just comes in a pre-cut 12.5cmx14cm - perfect for a CD cover
Grimbold Blackhammer:
I’ve been using a wet palette for years actually. It makes mixing paints super easy! I use a cheap plastic plate with some parchment paper on it and just add water. There are some with lids that keep paint usable for days on end but I don’t think I’d have a use for something so elaborate. It keeps a tiny dot of paint wet for far longer than it would normally so my paint pots don’t dry out anymore!
If you’ve never used one, add some water so the parchment paper is WET but not floating on water. I usually soak both sides of the paper before use and use the little bubbles of water sitting on the paper to thin down my paints as needed. For anyone who has graduated from painting straight out of a paint pot to shading their colours, a wet palette is awesome!
Grimbold Blackhammer
Chaosftw:
One of the best investments I have made in a long time. I highley reccomend it.
Borador:
Talked to my granddad about this, he’s a professional painter and stuff. He told me that storing/putting it away works best if you keep it in a fridge and then spray a bit of water above it every day to prevent it from drying out (using one if those sprays you can use to water plants ;P) and you ofcourse have to keep the surface underneath moist. 
Looking good Blue! ^^
Da Crusha:
SWEET I was digging through some stuff and I realized I have everything to make one of these. now I just got get painting!
G.2:
I use one too. I will not paint without one now. I have used a ceramic tile, ceramic dish, plastic paint pots, plastic paint pots lined with aluminium foil, plastic sheets but nothing comes close to my wet palette. I have tried a few versions/sizes and I have found a 2nd hand stainless steel serving dish to be perfect, both in depth and size. Here is a picture of it on my old paint table. 
I bought this tray in an opp shop (opportunity/thrift shop) for about AUD$2. I use “baking” paper (which is what it is called in Australia and NOT wax paper). And use about 10-20 sheets/squares of paper towel for the ‘wet’ part of the palette. I have had paint sitting on the palette for 24 hours, and there is very little wastage. I love mine.
Here is another version of my wet palette.
It is a Tupperware TV dinner tray, which again I bought from an opp shop for about AUD$1 These do appear on eBay ALL the time, and are dirt cheap. I like this one because a cool place to keep my brushes, water and dry paper towel.
Here is a better image the Tupperware dinner tray.
nitroglysarine:
Ha it looks like a mini operating theatre, its just missing the kidney! 
G.2:
Ha it looks like a mini operating theatre, its just missing the kidney! :-DHa ha ha, that is funny.
nitroglysarine