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Just had a quick question before I try my hand at using this home made wet pallet. Do I need to thin down the paints still or will the water from the wet pallet itself do that?

All it is is the shallow plastic container, standard sponge cut out to fit, filled part way with water with parchment paper covering the sponge. I've never used one before, and I just don't want to over thin the paints!

I use the thicker type of foam that is used for packaging of some stuff it acts like a sponge....that might be confusing haha (the same type of foam that is found in warmachine blister packs I think)

I soak it with water once its in my container I use and then squeeze out enough where when I put in the paper it doesnt over soak it.
I use paper towel because I don't have parchment paper.

I don't water the paints down I let the wet pallet do it and then add some water on my brush and mix it around if I want it watered down further. Just takes some trial and error and you'll get it!

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Generally, the wet palette is meant to maintain equilibrium - it doesn't actively thin the paints, it just keeps them from drying out as quickly. Since different people construct and use their wet palettes differently, though, and with different goals, it varies in practice.

I basically use the "sponge" (I actually use layers of paper towel) in my reservoir to keep the parchment paper from sinking and letting water flow in over the top. Even keeping it that wet, evaporation slightly outpaces osmosis. If I close the lid, though, water will bead up on the bare surface over time and leftover paint blobs will become diluted paint pools. The rates of both evaporation and osmosis will vary, depending on ambient conditions and materials used, so you may or may not be able to thin paints by simply dragging them around the palette.

Really, you'll just need to experiment. Remember that you can always add more paint - start by adding a small amount, seeing how the palette behaves. Move some around, leave some for a bit, thin another bit to your usual consistency and do likewise. Close it up for a few hours and see what happens to the various remnants. You'll learn soon enough what to expect.

Personally, I fully believe that the wet palette is for preservation, not for thinning. When the latter happens, it's only as a byproduct of extended storage. You may find that your palette behaves differently (for good or ill), but you'll only know once you start using it.

Sorry to hijack your thread wikkedj, but I'm also interested in the wet palette. Currently I use thick cardstock as a palette and dump water/thinner/medium onto puddles of paint from a dropper and mix it up with a mixer brush. It works and eventually I end up with layer upon layer of paint puddles and throw it away when it gets too crusty. Maybe there's a better way?

Does it require a lot of maintenance? I mean do you have to let the sponge dry out every time you're done, or can you let it sit wet in the tray?

 Cave_Dweller wrote:
Does it require a lot of maintenance? I mean do you have to let the sponge dry out every time you're done, or can you let it sit wet in the tray?

You can leave it in there, but there is a point at which wet palette reservoirs are liable to develop strange odors and sprout fuzzies. Some people get around it by using distilled water to avoid (or periodic additions of alcohol to kill off) any budding nastiness. Sponges can, to a degree, be sanitized, giving you a second chance even if they are neglected for too long, at some point. I paint sporadically, so I use paper towels which can simply be tossed and replaced if I leave the tap water-filled wet palette sealed for too long. Even without taking any antimicrobial measures, upkeep is minimal - a splash of water every few hours of open time to replace what is lost to evaporation (for me, that means after several short sessions, usually), new palette paper (parchment paper) when I run out of room for fresh paint, and fresh paper towels and palette paper if anything starts growing in there. I need to do a full clean and swap once every couple of months, at most.

Of course, this only applies when using a container with a good seal. "Open air" wet palettes are also a viable option - simply use a non-absorbent dish, like a junk ceramic or disposable plastic plate to hold everything. It's a tradeoff - less worry about keeping things sanitized, since it dries up on its own, but you lose the ability to store paints overnight (or longer - I've kept paints viable for several days at a time). If you tend to paint in marathon sessions, it might be a better option, actually, but most people just use resealable, Tupperware-style containers and clean them on occasion.

 wikkedj wrote:
I've never used one before, and I just don't want to over thin the paints!

Uh... I never thought it exists such a thing as "overthinning"...

I suggest not filling your container over 1/4" of standing water (after sponge is thoroughly soaked). If you can, the paper that is used to put adhesive stickers on is an excellent material for a wet pallet (slick side up).