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So I am trying to paint my IG but when trying to use my wet pallet the water keeps making the paint overly thin and unusable. Is there a right amount of water I should use. I am using a tv dinner plate for the base, paper towers and parchment paper. Any suggestions of how I should set up a wet pallet?

Edit: it seems like the pallet is not keeping my paints wet.

I recommend using a thin sponge instead of paper towels. The top of he parchment should be damp, not wet.

Yeah, I use the clam shells and foam from the old metal model blister packs. I cut tracing paper to fit and use those for my wet pallets. It’s actually a shame those aren’t sold anymore, they worked very nicely.

 Fifty wrote:
I recommend using a thin sponge instead of paper towels. The top of he parchment should be damp, not wet.

Ya it is damp rather than wet. it just seems like it does not keep the paint wet. The parchment paper I am using is non stick, would that be the reason why the paints are still drying out?

Do you wet both sides of the parchment paper when you put it down?

You should be putting one side down to the towel, then turning it over and putting the other side down really, helps prevent curling too.

Try a real wet palette?

Dunno when dealing with cobbled ones years ago, it was always hit-n-miss. I enjoy the ease of use with a proper engineered one that doesn't grow mold, been wet for more than 2 months straight, works like a damned charm. Every penny was worth it for the lack of aggravation and frustration.

If it's not keeping the paint wet, it is too dry.
If its thinning the paint too much, it is too wet.

Permeability plays a role here. Baking Paper or a paper towel is going to all have different rates and so the "ideal" will vary, likely from sheet to sheet even. Plus with an absorbent surface like a paper towel you are going to have some of the binders and other chemicals leeching away from the pigment to be held by the paper towel.

WingedHussar88 wrote:

 Fifty wrote:
I recommend using a thin sponge instead of paper towels. The top of he parchment should be damp, not wet.

Ya it is damp rather than wet. it just seems like it does not keep the paint wet. The parchment paper I am using is non stick, would that be the reason why the paints are still drying out?

The parchment paper you're using is probably coated in silicon or something, I used to have a homemade palette but its become pretty much impossible to find uncoated baking paper or parchment here in England so in the end I gave up and picked up a mastertons handy palette http://www.mastersonart.com/products/handy.htm

As long as you can find uncoated parchment paper you should be fine with a homemade palette but if not I'd recommend getting a proper palette like the one linked.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh something to note with the paper that comes with the palette I linked. It does require a small amount of prep, you have to sit it in hot water for 15mins before you use it. Also it will absorb a little of the paint, but its pretty strong so you can wash the paint off it, use the other side and you can let it dry out and still re-use it. also you can pick up refills from amazon and places like that.

They also sell replacement sponges but you can either wash it or buy replacements cheaper at most super markets as its just a sponge cloth.

meatybtz wrote:
Try a real wet palette?

Dunno when dealing with cobbled ones years ago, it was always hit-n-miss. I enjoy the ease of use with a proper engineered one that doesn't grow mold, been wet for more than 2 months straight, works like a damned charm. Every penny was worth it for the lack of aggravation and frustration.

If it's not keeping the paint wet, it is too dry.
If its thinning the paint too much, it is too wet.

Permeability plays a role here. Baking Paper or a paper towel is going to all have different rates and so the "ideal" will vary, likely from sheet to sheet even. Plus with an absorbent surface like a paper towel you are going to have some of the binders and other chemicals leeching away from the pigment to be held by the paper towel.

Any recommendations for a wet palette

What's your ambient temperature like? I find my makeshift wet palette works best when it's around/below 20 degrees C, and above about 23 it dries out too quick to make much difference.
I use non-stick baking paper, but I tried a couple of different ones (branded, own-brand from different stores) and found effectiveness varied between them. If you don't want to buy a proper wet palette, try different quantity/quality of paper towels, try sponge/fabric instead of them, and try different types of paper.

Ashaar wrote:
What's your ambient temperature like? I find my makeshift wet palette works best when it's around/below 20 degrees C, and above about 23 it dries out too quick to make much difference.
I use non-stick baking paper, but I tried a couple of different ones (branded, own-brand from different stores) and found effectiveness varied between them. If you don't want to buy a proper wet palette, try different quantity/quality of paper towels, try sponge/fabric instead of them, and try different types of paper.

I live in Florida so its pretty hot and humid.

Ashaar wrote:
What's your ambient temperature like? I find my makeshift wet palette works best when it's around/below 20 degrees C, and above about 23 it dries out too quick to make much difference.
I use non-stick baking paper, but I tried a couple of different ones (branded, own-brand from different stores) and found effectiveness varied between them. If you don't want to buy a proper wet palette, try different quantity/quality of paper towels, try sponge/fabric instead of them, and try different types of paper.

Yeah non stick paper of any kind is pretty useless in a palette unfortunatley, I've tried a lot of different types and brands myself but I never found one that was perfect since they started coating baking paper with silicon. I'd suggest trying the proper wet palette paper at the very least as it makes the world of difference.

Also if you're gonna try out different papers check the packaging and reject anything that has any kind of coating and anything that says its non stick. also avoid tracing paper, its a popular suggestion but every type i've tried starts to rough up almost immediatley and leaves small fibres on the brush and model.

WingedHussar88 wrote:

meatybtz wrote:
Try a real wet palette?

Dunno when dealing with cobbled ones years ago, it was always hit-n-miss. I enjoy the ease of use with a proper engineered one that doesn't grow mold, been wet for more than 2 months straight, works like a damned charm. Every penny was worth it for the lack of aggravation and frustration.

If it's not keeping the paint wet, it is too dry.
If its thinning the paint too much, it is too wet.

Permeability plays a role here. Baking Paper or a paper towel is going to all have different rates and so the "ideal" will vary, likely from sheet to sheet even. Plus with an absorbent surface like a paper towel you are going to have some of the binders and other chemicals leeching away from the pigment to be held by the paper towel.

Any recommendations for a wet palette

Currently the only production wet palette that I've used that does not mildew is the Redgrass Everlasting Wet Palette. Every other wet palette (I had four or five, can't recall at this time) and all of them had to be kept clean and dry when not in use. The Redgrass one seems expensive but it lives up to it's advertisement of being non-mouldering. No papa-nurgle here. Yes it costs, but the small one is large enough for just about everyone. IMO and with experience with other large wet palettes the big one is "too big" but others might enjoy large palettes. Mine's been wet since June of this year without ever drying out, it is exposed to a high organic environment.. read my local has lots of spores to colonize the palette and the local water itself is full of organics. The water does not even stagnate or stale up. I am seriously impressed by this and this alone. Their paper is thin and tears if over worked but then I used a single piece of their included paper for 2 months straight so it was a consumable used well beyond it's expected lifespan.

To expand on my previous silly rant, to be specific. Different paints from different manufactures behave differently on the wet palette based on their chemical composition. Citadel Paints tend to work well on wet palettes staying wet and usable for a great length of time, over periods of 24h or greater they may thicken and maybe for a very thin skin (depending on how large and tall the paint blot is on the palette it may form none at all but just kind of look very thick, don't worry it's recoverable work it with a single drop or less of water and you are back in business no loss of adhesion), Vallejo works well except due to its base thickness out of the dropper bottle it will tend to skin, still usable for a greater than 24h period if you just clear the skin and get back to work. Armypainter, I am not going to go there. It sorta works, tends to soak through the paper more and isn't really usable beyond 24h, Scale 76-P3-Coat-D'arms all work about the same with little to no skin (thinner than Citadel when a big dallop of paint is left on the palette), though IMO the P3 reach their peak ON a wet palette, they are hydrophilic but not excessively so and their flow out is improved significantly with the use of a little water and thus on the palette they function very well. Well enough for me to migrate towards P3 more than I expected to.

Due to life, small children, and working from home I tend to paint in short bursts so I like my custom mixes and common use colors available at all times for a fast bit of work. Some people use a wet palette differently where they run them more wet than I do and use it for emulsification and custom color mixing in situe but otherwise tend to paint "all at once" and then discard the remains. There is no just one way and no one behavior.

Eh I will try to pick up a palette at my local Michelle's for now. I might consider the Redgress palette later though.

Honestly, I've never struggled to find silicon-free parchment paper in the UK. My last batch even came from my local corner shop, but I have bought it from Tesco and Sainsbury's in the past.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
This is the most useful of several videos I watched when I made my own, but start here and branch out as I did not do it exactly his way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96mjmqWTPfM

I use this exact bit of tupperware. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sistema-Accents-Split-Storage-Container/dp/B00HNLKARW/ref=sr_1_61?ie=UTF8&qid=1537943335&sr=8-61&keywords=sistema+tupperware The bit in the middle holds the sponge and parchment in place when I transport it.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
I THINK you want greaseproof paper instead of non-stick paper to avoid the silicon, but don't quote me on that.

When I’ve used a wet palette it’s been for painting with glazes and blending so I’ve wanted a thin consistency. I wouldn’t use one for base coating, and definitely not for painting guard. Spray can is what you want with that many guys, wash, dry brush done!

 Fifty wrote:
I THINK you want greaseproof paper instead of non-stick paper to avoid the silicon, but don't quote me on that.

Greaseproof paper is a waxed paper and is usually a little worse than silicon coated paper which tends to let a bit more moisture through.

I think one of the problems I've seen with giving advice on this over the years is what each paper is called, because as far as I know its different between America and England and also more recently manufacturers in england stopped giving a feth completely and started calling each paper whatever they damned well wanted.

For example parchment paper over here was originally the non stick paper while baking paper was uncoated and great for wet palettes but everyone tried to use parchment paper when the fad first started because the majority of the advice was coming from america where from what I've read it was the opposite way around.

Non stick papers still works after a fashion and depending on how you use your palette you may not notice the paint drying out as much, plus when sealed it will keep your paints usable as long as your container is pretty airtight. If however if its a bit too warm or you're thining the paints on your palette a fair bit or you're trying to use a colour gradient you'll find they'll need constant maintenance to keep them workable. This is nowhere near as much of an issue on a decent uncoated paper or the paper you can get that is meant for use with wet palettes.

Here in the uk I've bought baking paper that was really waxed paper and the only difference in most other cases between parchment and baking paper is that parchment paper sounds more expensive so they charge more for it! Both are usually silicon coated and non stick and not as good for a wet palette. You probably can get some decent uncoated paper over here from a few places and you can definatley purchase some direct from the manufacturers (though that might get expensive since they tend to sell in bulk.)

But end of the day I think the biggest confusion on what paper to use over here probably comes from the fact that most homemade palette users are using a coated non stick paper (most brands have a composition list on the back of the box you can check) and haven't tried a proper wet palette but are happy with the results since it is still a lot better than using a tile/plate or something similar.

WingedHussar88 wrote:
Eh I will try to pick up a palette at my local Michelle's for now. I might consider the Redgress palette later though.

Yeah the mic heals one is pretty big but it works well enough. Just keep it dry when not in use or it will grow mold on the paper and on the sponge.

Wet palettes are very finicky. I trashed mine a while back.

I second buying a $15 real one rather than mess around with a homemade one.

 womprat49 wrote:
Wet palettes are very finicky. I trashed mine a while back.

I second buying a $15 real one rather than mess around with a homemade one.

Ya I tried one more time making a handmade one with pallet paper and decided just to buy a real one. Where you get one for $15 The ones I see are for $30 or more?

Any recommendations of what I should be looking for?

WingedHussar88 wrote:

 womprat49 wrote:
Wet palettes are very finicky. I trashed mine a while back.

I second buying a $15 real one rather than mess around with a homemade one.

Ya I tried one more time making a handmade one with pallet paper and decided just to buy a real one. Where you get one for $15 The ones I see are for $30 or more?

Any recommendations of what I should be looking for?

Seriously dude? I linked to one in my first post from the people who make it for about $10.... Here it is again for $13.50 from Amazon if it makes it easier? https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=masterson+handy+palette&sprefix=masterson+handy+%2Caps%2C215&crid=1Y3NXWRU65DBM

Sorry I admit I overlooked it. Been doing lots of stuff today.

When I made mine I used silicone paper, it has a rough side and a smooth, with the rough side down and a couple of drops on the smooth side the pallete stayed moist for about a week before going mouldy (I forgot about it)

I tried using a Matterson Sta- Wet pallet and it does not seem to keep my paints wet. I followed the instructions both online and on the box but still no luck. I could use some tips for paint thinning and using a wet pallet. even with the page is wet or the sponge i damp.