Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've been using a wet palette for about two years now, and I must admit that I question whether it's worth it.

I have little control over paint-consistency. At least with a normal palette, I can keep adding some thinning medium if the paint gets thick. And I really miss having a concave dish as opposed to a flat surface, which I think contributes to the problem.

The paint ends up spread so thinly (especially if needs to be mixed) that the consistency just ends up wrecked. To make it worse, it's completely unpredictable which way it's going to go. Take the examples in the photo below.

Those paints were laid down within five minutes of each other, yet the green one is un-usable due to being too watery and separated, and the grey one is completely dry.

FWIW, I have experimented with different levels of hydration with the palette, from wringing the sponge out all the way to having it floating in water.

I must be doing something wrong. Any help appreciated.

It seems you've forgotten to attach the image?
What are you using as the top surface of the palette? I use a soaked paper towel and baker's parchment paper and don't have any of the issues you describe.

Although I don't find them quite as good as Youtube clickbait often advertises, mostly because after going through a few colours I run out of room on the palette, whereas with a normal palette paint dries out and I can place new paint on top of it.

Something that doesn't often get mentioned is that different paints behave differently on a wet palette. It's not a 'one size fits all' situation.

Some paints are naturally more hydrophilic than others, like your green. Others don't take up water as readily, like your grey. While it may seem random it isn't - the same paints should behave similarly each time they're on the palette. I'd suggest getting a paint shaper - it's a tiny silicone wedge on the end of what looks like a paint brush. Useful for mounding your paint back into a blob after mixing, which will help - less surface area means less change.

Are those Vallejos? I have a terrible time trying to get Vallejo paint to behave on a wet palette. It's rather tempermental.

Your paper looks rather dry. Did you presoak it before sticking it down? I find that helps the water distribute more easily. Smoothing it out with something flexible (piece of plastic works well) also helps a bit. Air spaces under the paper prevent it from working as well.

When paint overhydrates I'll stick down an extra layer of parchment paper on part of the palette and relegate the water loving paint over there, so it doesn't get too runny. I have the same issue with some of my greens; it's probably a pigment thing.

Is that the Redgrass wet palette? I had the exact same issue and I think it's down to the paper they supply with it. It lets too much water leech through and over thins the paints. It actually makes it fairly useless as a wet palette because leaving paint in it over night just gives you a puddle of paint water the next day.

Try using a sheet of parchment paper/baking paper and see if you notice an improvement. I found the thicker paper doesn't let as much moisture through and my paints don't spread to the same extent.