This is my first ‘technical’ contribution as I build my skills. See my new ‘Technical‘ page.

The wet palette is not new, but I was introduced to it while doing a course with Painting Classes with Marianne Vander Dussen. Apparently, you can buy wet palettes, but here’s how to do it yourself.

See Hints, Tips, Tricks and Notes at the end (re-colour of the baking paper, condensation effects on the acrylic paint, and testing), and if you want a PDF version to download or print, I’ve got you covered.

Purpose

I found my acrylic paints dry fast on my palette. To save on paint, I’m using the wet palette method, which allows me to take breaks while waiting for layers to dry and use the next day or in case of interruptions.

Materials

I bought my tray from Spotlight (Wiki link) and everything else at my local supermarket.

• Enamel baking tray (or similar) or plastic sealable container
• Water
• Paper towels
• Baking paper (or similar – terms include ‘parchment paper’)
• Plastic wrap

Quick instructions

1. Get your tray or plastic container
2. Line with paper towels (4 – 6 layers)
3. Add water until towel is wet
   • remove any excess water if needed
4. Place baking paper (or similar) over the top of the moist towels
5. Add paints
6. Paint!
7. When not in use cover with plastic wrap or lid

Photo guides

Links to videos

That’s it!

I use generic plastic wrap and a compostable brown baking paper. However, the compostable part is lost because of the acrylic paint I add. So, I may migrate to the plastic sealable method to reduce my environmental footprint.

PS. I don’t wear gloves when making my wet palette.

Hints, tips, tricks and notes

Hint 1: Be aware that when sealed, your paints may become more liquid (less viscous) due to the condensation from the water within your paper towel layer. This may come in handy if your paint is very viscous – thick!

Hint 2: I found the compostable brown paper similar to the white standard baking paper when testing the wet palette method, so think about colour mixing. I did find white better to use to get my colours right.

Comment 1: When testing, I left my palette in the kitchen overnight. Some videos talked about putting their wet palettes in the fridge, so I guess it depends on your paint and the general temperature in the room. I suggest you experiment to get the most out of your wet palette.

PDF

Essentially a repeat of the above, but you can download or print.