I have watched a dozen videos on "wet palettes" and not a single one told how to actually use them correctly. Most simply show how to make them and that's about it. So, thanks for explaining it in this way. I now think I will be able to get more out of mine. The tip on the paper should be good too. Thanks again!
When i first started out, I was discoraged by how rough all my paints were going on, i was using the stock masterson sheets. Kinda a relief to hear that my tools may have been contributing my struggles. Wish i had seen this video back then!
I just finished a session with a Masterson, and I'm very glad I watched this video first. It both convinced me to get one and showed me how best to use it. At the end of day one, I thought the palette was too dry, so I added some more water, and I discovered that to be a mistake-some of my paints (particularly my Vallejo model colors) separated their pigment from their medium, but I was able to remix them with a spare brush without problems. So keeping the right amount of hydration is an art perfected with practice. The Reynolds paper worked like a charm, and the grid guides made it easy to set at 3 x 4 squares for my smallest-size Masterson tray with only a little edge exposure for the sponge, which actually helped me monitor the water level. Great tutorial!
I was a die-hard glazed ceramic pallet user for the past 15 years. I knew about wet pallets, but never gave them a try until I saw this video. I got one of these and it really has changed my life, as far as painting at least. It's like this thing auto-thins paints to the perfect consistency. Love it.
Man. I'm a beginner in the hobby and at first I was very skeptical about a wet palette. Now that I've seen this, specially living in an area where it is very expensive to get your hands on good paints (vallejo/GW), this is a must. I'll try out the "zero dollar" option first. Thanx a lot!
It will change your life. I really mean that. It's so much easier to paint quickly and effectively with the palette and you can change colors so much faster. I couldn't go back.
I’m embarrassed to admit- I’ve been painting approximately 20 years & just got a wet pallet yesterday (11/2019)😑 Otherwise- I love this channel! Every time I watch/listen I learn something new. It’s very much like a great art course. Thanks. Really.
Have used a wet palette for decades - literally. Vince you have such an elegantly simple way of conveying information that is both entertaining and educational for the "masses" - kudos and well done - again! (This is why you are my favourite - and only - channel voted for! ) :-D Happy Christmas!
Thank you so much for this! I was thinking I was going crazy having these dryout probs and whatnot with Masterson paper. Gonna switch back to regular kitchen paper. Thank you so much for all the amazing tutorials and encouragements. You are one of the main reasons I started painting my minis in the middle of September and now I will be able to play on Shadows of Brimstone with painted minis between the year. Merry Xmas, Vince!
You're such a helpful guy, Vince. It's been a bit since I've watched your videos, pretty sure UA-cam just knew I was thinking about wet pallettes. This was thorough, and I always learn so much from you even if I've watched it previously. Thanks for all your posts, man!
I have recently made and use one as described here. From what I observed, the paper is not permeable, but keeps the humidity in the container up and probably more important, keeps the pallette cooler.
Yes, the water soaks into the paint through a little osmosis (assuming you are not using actual wax paper). The paint makes the paper slightly wet and water seeps through up into the paint. You are also correct thought that the watery humidity, especially when sealed, makes a big difference.
I use a spray bottle to keep my paint wet, too. I've also tried a retardant as well -- I put it into a fine mist spray bottle and will spritz my paint with that from time to time.
Vince, I’m still very much a painting noob and one of the problems I consistently have is my paints getting too thin, mid stroke. I thought maybe I’d jumped to using a wet palette too soon and I just wasn’t experienced enough with paint to make a wet palette work for me. But now especially after this video I think the issue isn’t the wet palette. Maybe it’s my brush rinsing habits and too much water is remaining in the brush. Essentially while painting, every few minutes I clean the brush with a swish in the water pot and dab the excess water off on a paper towel, get fresh paint, remove the excess paint, and go back to painting. Very often within one or two strokes the paint, without intentionally diluting and appearing to be a light base to heavy layer consistency ends up turning into an uncontrollable wash running into the crevices. I remove as much as possible from the model, reload the brush and test consistency two to three times before going back to the model. It’s a huge waste of time, paint, and most importantly, resolve; I get frustrated, put everything down, and end up not painting again for days. It “feels” like I’m not leaving too much water in the brush, but inexperience can be a devil sometimes and your feelings can lie to you. Am I maybe over-cleaning the brush while painting? Is that even a thing?
Aaron Newton it my experience yes you dilute the paint slightly as you rinse. But also there is some moisture coming up from underneath to keep The paint hydrated. If what you're using to hold water is too wet you can have this problem. But the paint can still be workable and not wasted if load less on your brush so it's essentially damp when you when you go to paint. A quick test on your thumb nail will tell you if you have too much for the paint consistency. Hopefully I'm some help.
The wargaming strongman thanks for the response though I may not have been clear. The problem I’m experiencing isn’t the paint becoming too dilute on the palette, it’s becoming dilute on the brush between strokes. I will test the consistency, and it’s fine. I’ll make one or two brush strokes on the model and those are fine.... and then on the second or third stroke it’s like there’s water rushing from the back of the brush making what was a heavier paint into a much thinner one.
@@flips300021 i think that was basically it, yeah. My brush washing was perhaps too vigorous. I wasn’t going past the top of the ferrule but I started cleaning differently - wipe off excess paint, swish just the tip, don’t even let the ferrule touch the water. It’s helped for sure.
Idk if you'll see this comment at this point, but I'm using this EXACT same setup, paper and palette, and everytime I try to take some paint from my drops of paint, when I move it to another part of the palette for mixing my paint almost immediately falls through the paper. I dont push super hard when laying the paint down in another area either, so idk what my problem is :/ towards the end of this video, with the blue you were making a glaze from, the way that blue started to sink and disappear when you first laid it down is how ALL of my paints react when I put them on the palette
Hmmm, that is strange for sure. I get inks soaking through sometimes for sure, especially over a long period. You could try a few things You could try wax paper. It let's very little water through, but it also lets little paint down. You wouldn't be able to leave it open all day, but it would still function. You may alternatively want to try a different non-stick baking paper, could be potentially that paper brand or something. That's a tricky one.
I'm a new hobby painter. I love my wet palette, it has made thinning my paints easy. But had some trouble of a few of my paints separating overnight? Vallejo game colour.
So there is a couple of things here. First, some paints will just break down over night, there is really nothing you can do about it, the wet palette isn't necessarily to keep paint workable over days. That being said, don't seal the wet palette, let it be open slightly and that can help ease that problem.
@@VinceVenturella Okay. So I'm not actually doing anything weird or wrong. Thanks Vince. Your videos have really helped me a lot. I am forever thankfull. Keep up the great work.
So I've been using a wet palette for a few of my minis so far and love it. I've heard about mildew issues and heard you in another video using surfactant to keep odors down. I've been drying out my sponge between minis. What do you do? Can I just leave the water in the palette or should I be cleaning it all up and drying the sponge between jobs. Thanks.
So I will be honest, with the wet palette in this video, there is no perfect answer. I keep copper wire in the edges of the palette, I use surfactant, I cleaned it regularly, and it would still smell every so often. I moved to the Redgrass wet palette that hasa different anti-microbial sponge and it's been amazing, no smell.
Wonderful information, I often to all the time have problems that my paint is too wet. For example, when I drop down paint in a nice blob it gets real wet, it get so wet that even a glaze consistency is bypassed... Any advice?
So it's always tough, because there is no simple answer. Some paints react differently, could be the paper, could be the amount of water. My basic advice is to try to vary the amount of water and try a few different types of paper and see what happens. It can be tough to nail down honestly.
Great video, I love my army painter wet palette and this helps get a better use from it, thanks heaps. I have a greengrass wet palette still sealed for the in case day .
Tupperware or some other shallow closeable container, a few paper towels, & parchment paper to build a DIY version for about $1. No serious loss if you have to dispose of your moisture retention medium due to contamination.
A side note for everyone rushing in buying stuff for their wet palettes, depending your country, you might not find a paper that is suitable for a wet palette. Where I live you absolutely can't find a parchment paper, baking paper, or anything that works for wet palette. The paper here doesn't let any water go through it, as they are all wax or silicon coated. You can push the paper with your finger on to the sponge and if no water comes through you don't have wet palette, you have a humid box where you store your paper dry palette. This is actually something that sort of irritates me. People say that just get parchment paper, it's so easy, no it's not, and people having the paper issues are having a bad time with their wet palette.
Totally fair, I had no idea that it wasn't available anywhere, that is good information. I know in the UK it's called Baking Paper, but I didn't know in some places it was only wax paper, you are right that won't work.
@@VinceVenturella Vince, you don't have to respond to every glowing comment, lol. Even though we viewers appreciate it! We know you're busy. I started out watching Trovarian & Kujo (both AMAZING!), but have grown to LOVE your channel, too. You provide some completely DIFFERENT things WE NEED to understand, that we don't see elsewhere. In addition to being a talented artist and showing your personal artistic techniques. If I see something truly helpful I can't help but comment. I'm the same way IRL; if someone's doing something exceptionally well, I have to compliment!🤣 THAT being said...I was trying to clean some excess paint off my Dire Bears canine tooth before really getting in that mouth and making it look great. I'm following YOUR advice on mouth painting and "glowing eyes" to bring this dude to life. Hours and days so far. So I decided to scrape off some excess "fur paint" that got on his fearsome Canine tooth to make it look sharp again... Can you guess where this is going? He looked SO GREAT up to this point. Yep, I cut that damn Canine tooth right off. I was so upset. Went into a panic whether to try to fix it after all my painting efforts, or toss and walk away😞😥 Today, I did microsurgery. I sanded down some sharp toothpicks, got a perfect smooth point, cut 0.75 millimeter off, or something silly like that. Got it in place with the tiniest dab of superglue gel and microtweezers. Looks GREAT. In fact, looks BETTER than the other 3 Canines. We'll see how it holds, not touching it for at least a day. But almost tempted to remove the other three "Canines" and replace if my Superglue gel holds...my replacement tooth is the same size, but so better looking than than the plastic models original tooth. Do you think we could replace tiny details like teeth in a model every so often? Have a fantastic weekend!😊🌈🌤
I suppose you could mark a circle with a pencil on your dry, fresh parchment before you put it on the palette, and place your flow aid in the circle...
The tupperware is certainly passable, I used that for a long time, but I do feel this is a little more convenient. In the end though, you are already on the right road. :)
You can buy the Sta-wet hobby palette on the new amazon au store, but there is also a local online art supplies store selling them a tiny bit cheaper. The issue is the paper. If you figure that out let me know.
@@mooncabbagere I've been searching for an appropriate sub for a half year and tried several brands of baking paper... Goliath from Aldi has worked the best so far - low wax. Water colour paper and tracing paper have been recommended but I don't know brands.
Can you put your stay-wet palette in the frig to keep the paints damp-mixable even longer? Also, I've heard that mold/mildew can be a problem with the wet sponge. Do you know how one can avoid that problem? Thank you for this video. I do not do miniatures, just canvas painting or painting acrylic paint on watercolor paper. I've never seen a water bottle like that. It looks easy to squeeze out the water. Where did you find that?
Yep, you can keep copper in there, there are also liquid addititves you can add that will more or less stop any growth. Palette Guard from Mini Master Werks for example.
Vince would consider me a complete philistine with a lot of my painting habits but this one even I couldn't do without. Painting without one is just a waste of time. Pass. FWIW I use a Supermarket Special one made of a little tupperware thing, a pack of sponges and baking paper. It does the job. One interesting thing I've noticed is that Warcolours Inks (only, of everything I use) bleed through the baking paper slowly and into the sponge. Doesn't create any problems though.
I have had that happen a little to and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the DIY version of the thing. I agree, at this point, I can't even imagine painting without it anymore (when I am on the road, I always do the quick version of the plastic plate, paper towel and some baking paper.
video request: simple green stuff cloaks and hoods. Trying to add some cloaks to Liberators and cloaks and hoods to Space Marines without much success so far...Thanks and great vid!
Would you recommend using a wet palette for inks? We have very dry air (due to a ventilation system) and I mostly use acrylic inks. When I don't use a wet palette, the inks dry on my palette pretty fast (especially when white is involved), but with the palette, they draw water through the sheet into the color and it gets too watery.
I might try the Reynolds parchment paper. I got some Walmart and Dollar store brand but even while working on the palette, some of my paints start separating and getting too thin. I can definitely not store them overnight (even heavy body acrylics look like puddles the next morning). Sam Lenz is also using the Reynolds; do you know what the black "sponge" is that he is using?
Yeah, Sam is a genius. So that is basically the foam that comes in blister packs. I have no idea where he got a piece that big, but it's amazing how well it works.
So did you follow the specific instructions for preparing the wet palette papers that is provided with that particular masterson's palette? I have found that if you prepare the paper correctly it works pretty well. You have to run it under very very very very hot water or even boiling water for several minutes until the paper becomes translucent, I do this every time I replace the paper and I have never had issues with fibers or anything else that you mentioned
Yes, you could go that way, I did that once, but I still got a little bit of fibers because of the nature of the paper (perhaps I didn't get the water hot enough). I just find the baking paper easy. No prep, I just tear a strip and go.
Hi Vince just wondering what your thoughts on the "everlasting wet palette" is? Have you tried it? I have the smaller version, I'm a fairly new painter. Would your advice be the same for the paper that comes with this palette ? The instructions also say to only wet one side of the paper but every vid on youtube that uses a different wet palette wets both sides? Any insight to give me here as to why that is and if I should be wetting both sides of the hydration paper? Thanks for any info and for all your vids I'm sure you've noticed me commenting on a few now at this stage.. I must say i'm very impressed with your replying game.
Thank you, always happy to help. So I use the Everlasting wet palette, I like it, but you don't necessarily NEED to have one, but it's a worthwhile investment, mainly fo rthe sponges, which really do resist mold much better than traditional sponges. As to the paper, I don't love the paper that comes with any of the wet palettes, including red grass (generation 1 - I haven't tried gen 2 paper yet). I just use traditional reynolds non-wax baking paper. I don't wet it first, just place it down and flatten it.
Vince, you are absolutely brilliant ! Thanks for the info I'll test out some non wax baking paper.. might not be exactly reynolds as I live in Ireland and I'm not sure if I could get it here. But I'm guessing any baking paper will do. Thanks once again!
I don't have loads of extra cash so I made one from a Citadel tufts box and some foam packaging from a tablet, even $10 is a stretch for me most the time. Is it possible to just keep the sponge clean and reuse it? Hoping to move soon where there's more jobs and I don't have to earn a living with commissions and people waiting forever to pay me.
I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong with setting up my wet pallet. When I leave my paints overnight, I'll come back the next day and see that most of the colors have separated and have become pretty saturated with condensation. And I don't mean a small amount of condensation, I mean the parchment paper is almost flooded. And if I dare try to mix and use the paints, there about ten times thinner than a glaze and do absolutely NOTHING to cover. I also used the flow improver-bottle dropper transfer for all my paints so their opacity was already lowered. Seriously, did I just screw up my paints, my pallet, or possibly all the above?
So a few thoughts. First, that can be paint brand dependent, some are more hydrophilic than others. The wet palette is really meant to extend your working time all day, it's tough over night but here is a tip. don't close/seal your wet palette, leave about a 1/2 inch gap on one side and that will prevent the environment from becoming too humid and over watering the paints.
Very helpful video and thanks for sharing. I use the same wet palette, but use the paper provided with it. I have found that I am having to continuously add water to my paint while it's on the palette ( Vallejo acrylics) to keep it from drying up. Sorry if this sounds stupid, but is it the paper or should I have more water in the sponge? Thanks
That paper isn't the right paper for miniature paint. It's assuming you are using heavy body acryllics for canvas painting and the amount of water that comes through isn't enough. (they can also bleed fibers sometimes and ruin your paints). Reynolds Baking Paper (not wax) is really all you need.
Great video! Can you please post a direct link to the parchment paper you use? I went On Amazon and can't seem to track down the one you mention in the vid. Many Thanks!
Great tips Vince thanks, I sometimes have an issue when I finish a session and then get the palette out the next day the paint is so watery I can't use it any more. I use a tub, a sponge and baking paper, which I believe is the same as what your using there but the UK version. Any ideas what's happening?
I have found this happens with some paint and with some paper. My best advice would be to try a few different types of baking parchment paper and see if you get a different result. I tried a different paper before this that was very similar and had the same thing happening with a few paints. It doesn't happen with this new paper for me.
I'm from the UK and use Wilko's parchment when desperate or when I can get it four seasons ready cut parchment paper (the best one but rarely see it sold, so have to stock up). Have had the same problems with some brands I've tried, got these 2 and one from Tesco (which is useless) and I can't tell any difference.
On a side note I've had Dunelm Mills and the Range recommended for having a good baking parchment. There just down the road so will go get some tomorrow and test them out and report back, intregued as to why some don't work well.
I've had the same issue with some cheaper parchment paper here in the colonies. I purchased a roll of Reynolds today and I am going to try it out. My paints have been getting super watery very quickly with only a small amount of water in my sponge.
Vince do you ever sand your plastic minis? If so, what grit(s) wouldntou recommend? I use an exacto to clean mould lines but some rough spots I'd like to smooth out.
Hey Vince, thanks for the video! Quick question, what is your opinion on using metallic paints on the wet pallet? I’ve read not to do it, and other things that say it’s a urban legend. Any input you can provide would be much appreciated!
Never put metallic paints on a wet palette. I will give the real reasons why. So metal paint is either mica or aluminum suspended in a liquid binding agent. One of the reasons they separate is because the pigments, even when finely ground are far larger and heaviler than non-metallic pigment. Paint consists of three elements, pigment, binder and solvent. For acrylic paints, the solvent (i.e. the thing that breaks down the paint) is water. The more water you introduce, the more you disrupt the acrylic binding agent's ability to disperese the pigment evenly in it's lattice work when it dries. Hence, the more water you are introducing, the worse your metallic paints will perform. Now I will follow that up by saying ther eis only one metallic paint worth using, and that is Vallejo Metal Color (not model, not air, Vallejo Metal Color), there is nothing else like it in the acrylic world.
Should work just fine. In the end, you may need to move to a slightly larger set-up, as that is the only thing I didn't like about them is they were a little on the small side, but good quality.
Do you ever have a problem after closing it up for a day or 2 and the paints getting TOO wet? When I open it back up, they are starting to run around. Should I maybe drain off excess water around the edge before I close it up? (I live in Florida, but our AC keeps the house fairly dry.)
Super good video, A friend showed me your Channel and I’m Learning a lot. Would you still recommend this wet pallet? Or have you found a better one in the 2 years of making this vid
I would very much still recommend a wet palette. I have replaced this wet palette with the Redgrass games wet palette, it's fairly expensive but I really do love it. I think the new army painter one is quite good from what I have heard, but I honestly haven't given it a full shot yet.
@@VinceVenturella Good to hear! I just picked up the Army Painter one to finally try out a wet palette myself. I look forward to using it in the next couple of days.
hey Vince, is it true that you have to buy parchment paper that is silicon free (presumably as the silicon makes it too water retardent and doesn't allow enough moisture through)? Its strange because over here in the UK its nearly impossible to buy silicon free parchment
Multix works quite well. Soak the whole thing on the sponge and pour out the excess. I have banned gladbake both for my wet palette and everything else as well.
You need to just smooth it out and hold it down around the edges. Basically, when it gets wet, it wants to curl, the key is to push from the center out and press lightly at the edges. It can also be a question of paper, I use a non-wax baking paper for cookies and that is the best thing I've found.
I've been trying to use a wet palette following this video, and I'm struggling with the "keeping it in a clump" part. Most of my paints start in a clump, but within 30-60 minutes, they spread out into a thin puddle. Some paints, like Pro Acryl, spread out instantly. They then dry out, as expected, despite the wet palette. I can keep them wet for maybe 2-4 hours, but certainly nothing like what you describe. Even more annoyingly, some paints break up as they spread out, with media and pigments separating. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
So there could be many causes of this. It could be very humid in your area, it could be the paper you're using. You want some non-wax baking paper. Don't close the top completely. Some paint brands can behave differently this is true, you could always lower the volume of paint in the reserve as well.
I always keep it separate and mix it into a separate spot on the palette (as you saw here, I always leave the original paint drops unsullied on the side.
I've noticed the next day my paint is watery ( It will get on my brush like a water bubble, and act like a wash). To me this seems too watery to work with. am I just over watering my palette? do I need to get more skills to work with this?
So it could be a few options, 1) too much water and/or 2) don't actually seal your wet palette. Cover it, but don't completely seal it closed. This will prevent the environment from becoming too humid and/or wet. Hope that helps.
hi Vince, a quick question, I´ve started using the wet palette and I´m having troubles when I prime or basecoat because paint it´s to thin and doesn´t cover properly. What can I do?
Well, in general, I would recommend against brush on primer, but that being said, I would avoid putting it on the wet palette, you need to really control the water in primer or it will break down. Now as to base coats, my best advice is the same I give everyone, don't paint over black. If you are already doing that, then you could try either a) different paper or b) a little less water to prevent it getting watered down or c) a different paint as pigment density varies a great deal even within a brand and different paints can react with thinning differently. I tend to paint over Zenithal, which is what I would recommend to everyone for 99% of miniatures, and there you don't want a strong base coat, you want something thin as a glaze. I know that was a lot of stuff, but I hope that helps or at least sparks some options to try.
I really like your videos Vince, but you are aware that there are other ways to buy things than just Amazon, right? ;) Thanks a lot for all the great stuff you keep producing!
I use water straight out of the tap, but I have good water that isn't too soft or hard and is filtered. I have heard that distilled is better and I have used it on occasion but haven't seen a big difference (though I do keep a copper wire and sufactant in my water to keep it free of smellies.
Ooo, I recently picked up a wet palette and while it's great, when left overnight my paints end up looking like the blue at the end (before it becomes the glaze). Again, my big blobs of single colours seem to almost split (they can be remixed). Any ideas why?
Basically, it's absorbing too much liquid. That usually actually happens from humidity. The key is to leave the top slightly ajar. That prevents too much humidity and prevents most paints from getting too watery, though sometimes it's just the nature of some paints to act like that.
I have tried using the mastersons palette paper to test it out. I have noticed that when using warcolours I place a drop and the drop starts to thin out somewhat quickly and it's hard to create glazes and such. Paint does stay thin though. I've had no bleed through on the sponge like I've heard some reported. Still sticking with the Reynolds paper I think. Anyone thinks a paper towel between sponge and mastersons paper would help with water absorption through the paper?
I never recommend the paper that comes with the palette. It's just not made for our paint and has lots of problems. I think the Reynolds paper is just the correct paper. I have seen a few use the paper towel trick before yes.
So here are a few tricks I have learned. 1) have a little less water in there when you close it up. basically, as it evaporates over the day, when you close it up, don't refill it as much. 2) Don't seal it completely. If you seal it completely, it will create a closed, humid environment where the paints gets too liquid. I just rest the lid on top.
Yep, the thinner is just acrylic medium, the retardent medium is an additive for slowing down drying time, you can see all the details here - ua-cam.com/video/FuSFCiLvs1w/v-deo.html
I really want to make the wet palette work, the parchment paper is making it difficult. It seems that too much water is coming through the one i use, because the paint leaves coffee rings on the miniature. And that's vallejo paint. If i were to get GW paints, which have less pigment, it would end in tragedy. But is the parchment paper the only issue i have? If the paint gets thinned "automatically" by the palette what do i do if i want to use thinner medium? Anyone know a good equivalent to reynolds paper for Europe? I am starting a big painting undertaking, doing 2k ironjawz, any advice would mean a lot to me.
So I can't answer on the reynolds equivalent, but let me see if I can help on the rest. 1) Try less water, you may have too much water, just try to keep the sponge wet and avoid standing water. 2) If you want to use thinner and other medium, you can put a few drops of that on the wet palette and then just mix from the source, same as paint. Best of luck with the Ironjawz, they are so fun to paint.
Vince Venturella , oh my... i didn't even think about the posibility of having too much water. i was using one of those floor wipers (we call them magic wipers, they can hold an incredible amount of water on a very flat surface). And even when i tried partially waxed paper it was still very damp/wet as soon as i placed it. I will get a masterson stay wet palette, no more messy buisness. Thanks as always Vince!
@@VinceVenturella the problem with that is almost everybody also want help from him because the first time i saw him was at the first world expo in Washington d.c, in 1993 but i did not know he was going to be there in the first place and i acted like a child then i still believe he thinks of me as a fool .
I have no idea, that is just something I found. The base water when I wet the palette is from the tap (I have heard people say use distilled water or other "clean" waters as then you get less chance of mold, etc. but I haven't done that yet though I should). The water bottle is to keep it wet throughout the process over the days in between full cleaning.
Yep, if you get mold, you have to jettison that sponge and clean the palette out with bleach or a very strong cleaner. Then new sponge. I have heard a small copper wire in the palette stops that, but I just scrub/change everything about once a week (roughly).
Vince Venturella Thanks for answering that as I was going to ask the same thing! When you say you get a new sponge however, where do you get them? Does Masterson sell just the sponges for those kits? ( I'm still on the Tupperware/paper towel situation but I was thinking of upgrading) Thanks again and Merry Christmas dude!
I clean out everything about once a week. I have heard placing a copper wire in the palette prevents it. I have focused on just giving it a good scrubbing and keeping things fresh.
the past couple of days (first time using a wet palette) I've had 2 problems. 1. I didn't have enough water in the palette and the paints were drying. So i added more water. 2. When I came back a little bit later, all of my paints were turned into washes due to too much water. So I removed some water and then they were drying out again. I feel like I'm wasting paint because I keep adding to thicken it up, only for it to wash out.
One key with a wet palette is don't close it completely. Local humidity (and the paper you're using) can have a big effect. But if you close the wet palette completely, it becomes so humid your paints will get quite liquid.
I'm going nuts here......... I'm used to use a hard palette and thin my paint there using water and a match. Doing that on a wet palette would ruin the paper and I observe now that putting a drop of water on the drop of paint makes the paint flow though the paper and into the sponge instantly. If I use a wet brush to bring water into the paint droplet then most of the paint runs into the bristles and stays there until I get more water, then I have paint in the water and less paint on the palette. I'm using a wet palette from The Army Painter. What am I doing wrong? It is driving me insane. Best Regards Peter, Denmark.
So in general, you need less water on a wet palette. In general, your paint will absorb a fair amoutn of water just from being on the palette. You can then do as I do here and make a little separate pile of the paint, then bring a little water in. You really don't need much extra water unless you are trying to making a thin glaze, in which case, you use a few times going back to the water. Avoid dipping your whole brush in or trying to make a big pile of wet paint. If you watch other videos I have hear where I use the wet palette, you'll see it in use, you can also check out video from Trovarion, as he often has his palette in show in things like his recent master class video and works with thin paint, that should be very helpful. hope that all helps.
Is anyone familiar with what causes that issue were thinning paint on the wet palette causes it to sort of disappear and seperate? I don't mean separate as in where the medium and pigment become separate but rather where the paint doesn't stay in one cohesive pool. It looks like Vince has an example of the issue around 8:55 and 13:35 in this video, but I've seen examples of Vince and others diluting paint on a wet palette without this happening (and I assume Vince is using the same parchment paper each time). My apologies if this has already been addressed.
I know exactly what you are describing. I suspect it's just paint and the presence of water. Water has a strong cohesion and it generally needs to get broken down some with flow improver to stop that.
I have watched a dozen videos on "wet palettes" and not a single one told how to actually use them correctly. Most simply show how to make them and that's about it. So, thanks for explaining it in this way. I now think I will be able to get more out of mine. The tip on the paper should be good too. Thanks again!
Awesome, happy to help as always. :)
This is the single best wet palette video out there, been watching them all and this has by far the most useful info.
Glad it was helpful!
When i first started out, I was discoraged by how rough all my paints were going on, i was using the stock masterson sheets. Kinda a relief to hear that my tools may have been contributing my struggles. Wish i had seen this video back then!
Yep, that paper just isn't made for us.
I just finished a session with a Masterson, and I'm very glad I watched this video first. It both convinced me to get one and showed me how best to use it.
At the end of day one, I thought the palette was too dry, so I added some more water, and I discovered that to be a mistake-some of my paints (particularly my Vallejo model colors) separated their pigment from their medium, but I was able to remix them with a spare brush without problems. So keeping the right amount of hydration is an art perfected with practice.
The Reynolds paper worked like a charm, and the grid guides made it easy to set at 3 x 4 squares for my smallest-size Masterson tray with only a little edge exposure for the sponge, which actually helped me monitor the water level.
Great tutorial!
Excellent, happy to help as always. :)
I was a die-hard glazed ceramic pallet user for the past 15 years. I knew about wet pallets, but never gave them a try until I saw this video. I got one of these and it really has changed my life, as far as painting at least. It's like this thing auto-thins paints to the perfect consistency. Love it.
it really is a game changer, I couldn't imagine regularly painting without it anymore. Happy to help as always. :)
Man. I'm a beginner in the hobby and at first I was very skeptical about a wet palette. Now that I've seen this, specially living in an area where it is very expensive to get your hands on good paints (vallejo/GW), this is a must.
I'll try out the "zero dollar" option first.
Thanx a lot!
It will change your life. I really mean that. It's so much easier to paint quickly and effectively with the palette and you can change colors so much faster. I couldn't go back.
I’m embarrassed to admit- I’ve been painting approximately 20 years & just got a wet pallet yesterday (11/2019)😑
Otherwise- I love this channel! Every time I watch/listen I learn something new. It’s very much like a great art course. Thanks. Really.
Nothing wrong with the when, you have it now. Hope it helps and I'm always happy to assist in your hobby journey.
Have used a wet palette for decades - literally.
Vince you have such an elegantly simple way of conveying information that is both entertaining and educational for the "masses" - kudos and well done - again! (This is why you are my favourite - and only - channel voted for! ) :-D
Happy Christmas!
I made my own wet pallette as I already hade everything available in my home.
It has helped a lot as a newbie mini painter.
Absolutely, the DIY palette is perfectl fine. :)
Just recently started using a wet pallet after I watched another one of your videos. This helps tremendously. Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
What a simple yet stunning tutorial, thankyou very much!
Thank you, happy to help as always. :)
Thank you so much for this! I was thinking I was going crazy having these dryout probs and whatnot with Masterson paper. Gonna switch back to regular kitchen paper. Thank you so much for all the amazing tutorials and encouragements. You are one of the main reasons I started painting my minis in the middle of September and now I will be able to play on Shadows of Brimstone with painted minis between the year. Merry Xmas, Vince!
Fantastic, glad to hear. I really do like the parchment paper, it just works. Glad to help as always. :)
You're such a helpful guy, Vince. It's been a bit since I've watched your videos, pretty sure UA-cam just knew I was thinking about wet pallettes. This was thorough, and I always learn so much from you even if I've watched it previously. Thanks for all your posts, man!
Excellent, happy to help as always. :)
I have recently made and use one as described here. From what I observed, the paper is not permeable, but keeps the humidity in the container up and probably more important, keeps the pallette cooler.
Yes, the water soaks into the paint through a little osmosis (assuming you are not using actual wax paper). The paint makes the paper slightly wet and water seeps through up into the paint. You are also correct thought that the watery humidity, especially when sealed, makes a big difference.
I use a spray bottle to keep my paint wet, too. I've also tried a retardant as well -- I put it into a fine mist spray bottle and will spritz my paint with that from time to time.
Thanks for not just showing the wet pallet but also your technique, very helpful :)
Thank you, I love my wet palette for sure.
Vince, I’m still very much a painting noob and one of the problems I consistently have is my paints getting too thin, mid stroke. I thought maybe I’d jumped to using a wet palette too soon and I just wasn’t experienced enough with paint to make a wet palette work for me. But now especially after this video I think the issue isn’t the wet palette. Maybe it’s my brush rinsing habits and too much water is remaining in the brush.
Essentially while painting, every few minutes I clean the brush with a swish in the water pot and dab the excess water off on a paper towel, get fresh paint, remove the excess paint, and go back to painting. Very often within one or two strokes the paint, without intentionally diluting and appearing to be a light base to heavy layer consistency ends up turning into an uncontrollable wash running into the crevices. I remove as much as possible from the model, reload the brush and test consistency two to three times before going back to the model. It’s a huge waste of time, paint, and most importantly, resolve; I get frustrated, put everything down, and end up not painting again for days.
It “feels” like I’m not leaving too much water in the brush, but inexperience can be a devil sometimes and your feelings can lie to you. Am I maybe over-cleaning the brush while painting? Is that even a thing?
Aaron Newton it my experience yes you dilute the paint slightly as you rinse. But also there is some moisture coming up from underneath to keep The paint hydrated. If what you're using to hold water is too wet you can have this problem. But the paint can still be workable and not wasted if load less on your brush so it's essentially damp when you when you go to paint. A quick test on your thumb nail will tell you if you have too much for the paint consistency. Hopefully I'm some help.
The wargaming strongman thanks for the response though I may not have been clear. The problem I’m experiencing isn’t the paint becoming too dilute on the palette, it’s becoming dilute on the brush between strokes. I will test the consistency, and it’s fine. I’ll make one or two brush strokes on the model and those are fine.... and then on the second or third stroke it’s like there’s water rushing from the back of the brush making what was a heavier paint into a much thinner one.
@@flips300021 i think that was basically it, yeah. My brush washing was perhaps too vigorous. I wasn’t going past the top of the ferrule but I started cleaning differently - wipe off excess paint, swish just the tip, don’t even let the ferrule touch the water. It’s helped for sure.
I bought the Green Stuff World wet pallette when it came out recently but haven't gotten the hang of it. This video should help. Thanks.
Always happy to help. :)
Idk if you'll see this comment at this point, but I'm using this EXACT same setup, paper and palette, and everytime I try to take some paint from my drops of paint, when I move it to another part of the palette for mixing my paint almost immediately falls through the paper. I dont push super hard when laying the paint down in another area either, so idk what my problem is :/ towards the end of this video, with the blue you were making a glaze from, the way that blue started to sink and disappear when you first laid it down is how ALL of my paints react when I put them on the palette
Hmmm, that is strange for sure. I get inks soaking through sometimes for sure, especially over a long period. You could try a few things You could try wax paper. It let's very little water through, but it also lets little paint down. You wouldn't be able to leave it open all day, but it would still function. You may alternatively want to try a different non-stick baking paper, could be potentially that paper brand or something. That's a tricky one.
I'm a new hobby painter. I love my wet palette, it has made thinning my paints easy. But had some trouble of a few of my paints separating overnight? Vallejo game colour.
So there is a couple of things here. First, some paints will just break down over night, there is really nothing you can do about it, the wet palette isn't necessarily to keep paint workable over days. That being said, don't seal the wet palette, let it be open slightly and that can help ease that problem.
@@VinceVenturella
Okay. So I'm not actually doing anything weird or wrong.
Thanks Vince.
Your videos have really helped me a lot. I am forever thankfull.
Keep up the great work.
Vince please keep being a great guy. Merry Christmas!
Happy to help as always. Thank You.
So I've been using a wet palette for a few of my minis so far and love it. I've heard about mildew issues and heard you in another video using surfactant to keep odors down. I've been drying out my sponge between minis. What do you do? Can I just leave the water in the palette or should I be cleaning it all up and drying the sponge between jobs. Thanks.
So I will be honest, with the wet palette in this video, there is no perfect answer. I keep copper wire in the edges of the palette, I use surfactant, I cleaned it regularly, and it would still smell every so often. I moved to the Redgrass wet palette that hasa different anti-microbial sponge and it's been amazing, no smell.
Wonderful information, I often to all the time have problems that my paint is too wet. For example, when I drop down paint in a nice blob it gets real wet, it get so wet that even a glaze consistency is bypassed... Any advice?
So it's always tough, because there is no simple answer. Some paints react differently, could be the paper, could be the amount of water. My basic advice is to try to vary the amount of water and try a few different types of paper and see what happens. It can be tough to nail down honestly.
I've been painting for 17 years and never used one. Think now's the time to take things to the next level.
THey really are great, ironically, it took me about the same amount of time to try it and now I would never go back. ;)
Vince Venturella I'll have to either order one after New Year or make all myself
Great video, I love my army painter wet palette and this helps get a better use from it, thanks heaps. I have a greengrass wet palette still sealed for the in case day .
Tupperware or some other shallow closeable container, a few paper towels, & parchment paper to build a DIY version for about $1. No serious loss if you have to dispose of your moisture retention medium due to contamination.
Yep, it really is a situation where there is no excuse when the cheapest options are basically free.
A side note for everyone rushing in buying stuff for their wet palettes, depending your country, you might not find a paper that is suitable for a wet palette.
Where I live you absolutely can't find a parchment paper, baking paper, or anything that works for wet palette. The paper here doesn't let any water go through it, as they are all wax or silicon coated. You can push the paper with your finger on to the sponge and if no water comes through you don't have wet palette, you have a humid box where you store your paper dry palette.
This is actually something that sort of irritates me. People say that just get parchment paper, it's so easy, no it's not, and people having the paper issues are having a bad time with their wet palette.
Totally fair, I had no idea that it wasn't available anywhere, that is good information. I know in the UK it's called Baking Paper, but I didn't know in some places it was only wax paper, you are right that won't work.
C r s Can you buy Daler Rowney products where you live? They make a parchment-like wet palette paper. Get the nearest size to your palette.
Vince is just so darn helpful! Really. Awesome!!❤👍👍❤
Glad you think so! :)
@@VinceVenturella Vince, you don't have to respond to every glowing comment, lol. Even though we viewers appreciate it! We know you're busy. I started out watching Trovarian & Kujo (both AMAZING!), but have grown to LOVE your channel, too. You provide some completely DIFFERENT things WE NEED to understand, that we don't see elsewhere. In addition to being a talented artist and showing your personal artistic techniques.
If I see something truly helpful I can't help but comment. I'm the same way IRL; if someone's doing something exceptionally well, I have to compliment!🤣
THAT being said...I was trying to clean some excess paint off my Dire Bears canine tooth before really getting in that mouth and making it look great. I'm following YOUR advice on mouth painting and "glowing eyes" to bring this dude to life. Hours and days so far. So I decided to scrape off some excess "fur paint" that got on his fearsome Canine tooth to make it look sharp again...
Can you guess where this is going? He looked SO GREAT up to this point. Yep, I cut that damn Canine tooth right off. I was so upset. Went into a panic whether to try to fix it after all my painting efforts, or toss and walk away😞😥
Today, I did microsurgery. I sanded down some sharp toothpicks, got a perfect smooth point, cut 0.75 millimeter off, or something silly like that. Got it in place with the tiniest dab of superglue gel and microtweezers.
Looks GREAT. In fact, looks BETTER than the other 3 Canines. We'll see how it holds, not touching it for at least a day. But almost tempted to remove the other three "Canines" and replace if my Superglue gel holds...my replacement tooth is the same size, but so better looking than than the plastic models original tooth.
Do you think we could replace tiny details like teeth in a model every so often? Have a fantastic weekend!😊🌈🌤
I suppose you could mark a circle with a pencil on your dry, fresh parchment before you put it on the palette, and place your flow aid in the circle...
Sure, not a bad call.
another good tip is using two glasses of water to clean your brush. cleaning the brush in one order on the glasses of water
That is a good tip, especially if you don't fully soap up and deep clean your brushes regularly.
I've always said that, and mentioned it on my blog: You cannot really clean a brush by rinsing it in dirty water, right?
Nice and useful tips, it's not about using a wet palette, but about the way you use it, and it has been very interesting to see the way you use it. :)
Very true, as with most things, the tool itself is just that, but how you use it makes all the difference. :) - Happy to help as always.
Vince, you changed my life. How did I even paint before!?!?
Happy to help as always.
Thanks for the video Vince. How long would the paint roughly last inside the we Palette? Without any retarder etc. Thanks in advance
Depends on the paper you use, brand of paint, etc. But in general, we are talking about several days of working time minimum.
I've definitely gotta see if I can get these in Australia. I made one out of a tupperware container but this would be a lot more convenient.
The tupperware is certainly passable, I used that for a long time, but I do feel this is a little more convenient. In the end though, you are already on the right road. :)
You can buy the Sta-wet hobby palette on the new amazon au store, but there is also a local online art supplies store selling them a tiny bit cheaper. The issue is the paper. If you figure that out let me know.
@@mooncabbagere I've been searching for an appropriate sub for a half year and tried several brands of baking paper... Goliath from Aldi has worked the best so far - low wax.
Water colour paper and tracing paper have been recommended but I don't know brands.
Can you put your stay-wet palette in the frig to keep the paints damp-mixable even longer? Also, I've heard that mold/mildew can be a problem with the wet sponge. Do you know how one can avoid that problem? Thank you for this video. I do not do miniatures, just canvas painting or painting acrylic paint on watercolor paper. I've never seen a water bottle like that. It looks easy to squeeze out the water. Where did you find that?
Yep, you can keep copper in there, there are also liquid addititves you can add that will more or less stop any growth. Palette Guard from Mini Master Werks for example.
@@VinceVenturella Copper? As in pennies?
Thanks Vince, this is super useful. Greetings from Colombia
Excellent, happy to help and hello in Columbia. :)
Vince would consider me a complete philistine with a lot of my painting habits but this one even I couldn't do without. Painting without one is just a waste of time. Pass. FWIW I use a Supermarket Special one made of a little tupperware thing, a pack of sponges and baking paper. It does the job. One interesting thing I've noticed is that Warcolours Inks (only, of everything I use) bleed through the baking paper slowly and into the sponge. Doesn't create any problems though.
I have had that happen a little to and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the DIY version of the thing. I agree, at this point, I can't even imagine painting without it anymore (when I am on the road, I always do the quick version of the plastic plate, paper towel and some baking paper.
video request: simple green stuff cloaks and hoods. Trying to add some cloaks to Liberators and cloaks and hoods to Space Marines without much success so far...Thanks and great vid!
That's a great idea, and actually one of my favorite things to sculpt with green stuff. Consider it added to the list.
Would you recommend using a wet palette for inks?
We have very dry air (due to a ventilation system) and I mostly use acrylic inks. When I don't use a wet palette, the inks dry on my palette pretty fast (especially when white is involved), but with the palette, they draw water through the sheet into the color and it gets too watery.
I do use a wet palette for them, but I never close the wet palette completely to prevent it from getting to watery.
I might try the Reynolds parchment paper. I got some Walmart and Dollar store brand but even while working on the palette, some of my paints start separating and getting too thin. I can definitely not store them overnight (even heavy body acrylics look like puddles the next morning). Sam Lenz is also using the Reynolds; do you know what the black "sponge" is that he is using?
Yeah, Sam is a genius. So that is basically the foam that comes in blister packs. I have no idea where he got a piece that big, but it's amazing how well it works.
So did you follow the specific instructions for preparing the wet palette papers that is provided with that particular masterson's palette? I have found that if you prepare the paper correctly it works pretty well. You have to run it under very very very very hot water or even boiling water for several minutes until the paper becomes translucent, I do this every time I replace the paper and I have never had issues with fibers or anything else that you mentioned
Yes, you could go that way, I did that once, but I still got a little bit of fibers because of the nature of the paper (perhaps I didn't get the water hot enough). I just find the baking paper easy. No prep, I just tear a strip and go.
thanks for the tips! sorry if ive missed it but I have been really struggling to find a good tutorial online for dead/zombie flesh
Well, then you will definitely enjoy this week's Hobby Cheating. ;)
Hi Vince just wondering what your thoughts on the "everlasting wet palette" is? Have you tried it? I have the smaller version, I'm a fairly new painter. Would your advice be the same for the paper that comes with this palette ? The instructions also say to only wet one side of the paper but every vid on youtube that uses a different wet palette wets both sides? Any insight to give me here as to why that is and if I should be wetting both sides of the hydration paper?
Thanks for any info and for all your vids I'm sure you've noticed me commenting on a few now at this stage.. I must say i'm very impressed with your replying game.
Thank you, always happy to help. So I use the Everlasting wet palette, I like it, but you don't necessarily NEED to have one, but it's a worthwhile investment, mainly fo rthe sponges, which really do resist mold much better than traditional sponges.
As to the paper, I don't love the paper that comes with any of the wet palettes, including red grass (generation 1 - I haven't tried gen 2 paper yet). I just use traditional reynolds non-wax baking paper. I don't wet it first, just place it down and flatten it.
Vince, you are absolutely brilliant ! Thanks for the info I'll test out some non wax baking paper.. might not be exactly reynolds as I live in Ireland and I'm not sure if I could get it here. But I'm guessing any baking paper will do. Thanks once again!
I don't have loads of extra cash so I made one from a Citadel tufts box and some foam packaging from a tablet, even $10 is a stretch for me most the time. Is it possible to just keep the sponge clean and reuse it? Hoping to move soon where there's more jobs and I don't have to earn a living with commissions and people waiting forever to pay me.
Yep, as long as you regularly clean the sponge, about once a week, it should stay pretty clean and reusable without issue.
I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong with setting up my wet pallet. When I leave my paints overnight, I'll come back the next day and see that most of the colors have separated and have become pretty saturated with condensation. And I don't mean a small amount of condensation, I mean the parchment paper is almost flooded. And if I dare try to mix and use the paints, there about ten times thinner than a glaze and do absolutely NOTHING to cover. I also used the flow improver-bottle dropper transfer for all my paints so their opacity was already lowered.
Seriously, did I just screw up my paints, my pallet, or possibly all the above?
So a few thoughts. First, that can be paint brand dependent, some are more hydrophilic than others. The wet palette is really meant to extend your working time all day, it's tough over night but here is a tip. don't close/seal your wet palette, leave about a 1/2 inch gap on one side and that will prevent the environment from becoming too humid and over watering the paints.
@@VinceVenturella Thank you for the advice. I'll give it a try. I use mostly Citadel Colour.
Very helpful video and thanks for sharing.
I use the same wet palette, but use the paper provided with it. I have found that I am having to continuously add water to my paint while it's on the palette ( Vallejo acrylics) to keep it from drying up. Sorry if this sounds stupid, but is it the paper or should I have more water in the sponge?
Thanks
That paper isn't the right paper for miniature paint. It's assuming you are using heavy body acryllics for canvas painting and the amount of water that comes through isn't enough. (they can also bleed fibers sometimes and ruin your paints). Reynolds Baking Paper (not wax) is really all you need.
Vince Venturella Thanks very much Vince. I'm in the UK and so should GP be able to get something similar.
Great video! Can you please post a direct link to the parchment paper you use? I went On Amazon and can't seem to track down the one you mention in the vid. Many Thanks!
Here is the exact product I use - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074C9N6TQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Great tips Vince thanks, I sometimes have an issue when I finish a session and then get the palette out the next day the paint is so watery I can't use it any more. I use a tub, a sponge and baking paper, which I believe is the same as what your using there but the UK version. Any ideas what's happening?
I have found this happens with some paint and with some paper. My best advice would be to try a few different types of baking parchment paper and see if you get a different result. I tried a different paper before this that was very similar and had the same thing happening with a few paints. It doesn't happen with this new paper for me.
I'm from the UK and use Wilko's parchment when desperate or when I can get it four seasons ready cut parchment paper (the best one but rarely see it sold, so have to stock up). Have had the same problems with some brands I've tried, got these 2 and one from Tesco (which is useless) and I can't tell any difference.
Thanks buddy, I will have to try some different paper
On a side note I've had Dunelm Mills and the Range recommended for having a good baking parchment. There just down the road so will go get some tomorrow and test them out and report back, intregued as to why some don't work well.
I've had the same issue with some cheaper parchment paper here in the colonies. I purchased a roll of Reynolds today and I am going to try it out. My paints have been getting super watery very quickly with only a small amount of water in my sponge.
Holy crap.... that gradient smear is a real game changer...
It can really make things easier for blending. :)
Vince do you ever sand your plastic minis? If so, what grit(s) wouldntou recommend? I use an exacto to clean mould lines but some rough spots I'd like to smooth out.
400 and 800 grit, those are your best for plastic minis (IMHO).
Hey Vince, thanks for the video! Quick question, what is your opinion on using metallic paints on the wet pallet? I’ve read not to do it, and other things that say it’s a urban legend. Any input you can provide would be much appreciated!
Never put metallic paints on a wet palette. I will give the real reasons why. So metal paint is either mica or aluminum suspended in a liquid binding agent. One of the reasons they separate is because the pigments, even when finely ground are far larger and heaviler than non-metallic pigment. Paint consists of three elements, pigment, binder and solvent. For acrylic paints, the solvent (i.e. the thing that breaks down the paint) is water. The more water you introduce, the more you disrupt the acrylic binding agent's ability to disperese the pigment evenly in it's lattice work when it dries. Hence, the more water you are introducing, the worse your metallic paints will perform.
Now I will follow that up by saying ther eis only one metallic paint worth using, and that is Vallejo Metal Color (not model, not air, Vallejo Metal Color), there is nothing else like it in the acrylic world.
I just ordered a p3 wet pallet with some special p3 paper hope it works
Should work just fine. In the end, you may need to move to a slightly larger set-up, as that is the only thing I didn't like about them is they were a little on the small side, but good quality.
Vince Venturella thank you so much you always seems to give the best tips
Do you ever have a problem after closing it up for a day or 2 and the paints getting TOO wet? When I open it back up, they are starting to run around. Should I maybe drain off excess water around the edge before I close it up? (I live in Florida, but our AC keeps the house fairly dry.)
Yep, your paint will over hydrate pretty easily (it varies by brand). One tip is to always leave it a little bit open, that will help prevent it.
Super good video, A friend showed me your Channel and I’m Learning a lot.
Would you still recommend this wet pallet? Or have you found a better one in the 2 years of making this vid
I would very much still recommend a wet palette. I have replaced this wet palette with the Redgrass games wet palette, it's fairly expensive but I really do love it. I think the new army painter one is quite good from what I have heard, but I honestly haven't given it a full shot yet.
@@VinceVenturella Good to hear! I just picked up the Army Painter one to finally try out a wet palette myself. I look forward to using it in the next couple of days.
Is that why people say not to use the Masterson's paper? I'd always assumed that it was because of the way glazes shoot out across the palette.
Yep, it bleeds microfibres and is a real challenge.
On my way to get a wet pallet.
It's a great investment for sure.
So if my glazes are going all over the place with the paper that came with my wet palette, all I need to do is change to parchment paper?
That could help, it helped me in the past when I had that happening.
hey Vince, is it true that you have to buy parchment paper that is silicon free (presumably as the silicon makes it too water retardent and doesn't allow enough moisture through)? Its strange because over here in the UK its nearly impossible to buy silicon free parchment
I'm not sure about that in all honestly. I'm sure it's better, but I know plenty of people who use that paper without issue.
If anyone knows a good brand of baking/parchment paper down under, let me know. Gladbake does not seem to do the job.
What about tracing paper?
From what I've seen online, Multix baking paper seems to do the job.
Multix works quite well. Soak the whole thing on the sponge and pour out the excess. I have banned gladbake both for my wet palette and everything else as well.
I've had issues with parchment paper in my palette. It wont uncurl and it wrinkles horribly, what might I be doing wrong?
You need to just smooth it out and hold it down around the edges. Basically, when it gets wet, it wants to curl, the key is to push from the center out and press lightly at the edges. It can also be a question of paper, I use a non-wax baking paper for cookies and that is the best thing I've found.
Very helpful tips.
Thanks, happy to help as always. :)
I've been trying to use a wet palette following this video, and I'm struggling with the "keeping it in a clump" part. Most of my paints start in a clump, but within 30-60 minutes, they spread out into a thin puddle. Some paints, like Pro Acryl, spread out instantly. They then dry out, as expected, despite the wet palette. I can keep them wet for maybe 2-4 hours, but certainly nothing like what you describe. Even more annoyingly, some paints break up as they spread out, with media and pigments separating. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
So there could be many causes of this. It could be very humid in your area, it could be the paper you're using. You want some non-wax baking paper. Don't close the top completely. Some paint brands can behave differently this is true, you could always lower the volume of paint in the reserve as well.
Should I add my thinner mix to the paint on the wet pallets?
I always keep it separate and mix it into a separate spot on the palette (as you saw here, I always leave the original paint drops unsullied on the side.
Excuse my ignorance, I am new to painting, but I assume wet palettes don't work for enamel paints?
Correct, this is for acrylics.
I've noticed the next day my paint is watery ( It will get on my brush like a water bubble, and act like a wash). To me this seems too watery to work with. am I just over watering my palette? do I need to get more skills to work with this?
So it could be a few options, 1) too much water and/or 2) don't actually seal your wet palette. Cover it, but don't completely seal it closed. This will prevent the environment from becoming too humid and/or wet. Hope that helps.
Great vid! Thanks
Thank you, happy to help as always. :)
hi Vince, a quick question, I´ve started using the wet palette and I´m having troubles when I prime or basecoat because paint it´s to thin and doesn´t cover properly. What can I do?
Well, in general, I would recommend against brush on primer, but that being said, I would avoid putting it on the wet palette, you need to really control the water in primer or it will break down. Now as to base coats, my best advice is the same I give everyone, don't paint over black. If you are already doing that, then you could try either a) different paper or b) a little less water to prevent it getting watered down or c) a different paint as pigment density varies a great deal even within a brand and different paints can react with thinning differently. I tend to paint over Zenithal, which is what I would recommend to everyone for 99% of miniatures, and there you don't want a strong base coat, you want something thin as a glaze.
I know that was a lot of stuff, but I hope that helps or at least sparks some options to try.
I really like your videos Vince, but you are aware that there are other ways to buy things than just Amazon, right? ;)
Thanks a lot for all the great stuff you keep producing!
Something other than Amazon? Do those places make me leave my house. Seems risky. ;)
amazing explanation thanks a lot
Excellent, happy to help as always. :)
Vince do you use distilled water or water straight out of the tap? Do you see a difference using either?
I use water straight out of the tap, but I have good water that isn't too soft or hard and is filtered. I have heard that distilled is better and I have used it on occasion but haven't seen a big difference (though I do keep a copper wire and sufactant in my water to keep it free of smellies.
Ooo, I recently picked up a wet palette and while it's great, when left overnight my paints end up looking like the blue at the end (before it becomes the glaze). Again, my big blobs of single colours seem to almost split (they can be remixed). Any ideas why?
Basically, it's absorbing too much liquid. That usually actually happens from humidity. The key is to leave the top slightly ajar. That prevents too much humidity and prevents most paints from getting too watery, though sometimes it's just the nature of some paints to act like that.
@@VinceVenturella ah, thank you. Will give that a try 🙌
So I got brown parchment paper. I can still use it right?
Yep, as long as it's non-wax baking paper, you're perfectly fine. The color shouldn't matter.
Is there a difference between parchment paper and genuine parchment paper?
Not that I know of. The key is to avoid wax paper.
I have tried using the mastersons palette paper to test it out. I have noticed that when using warcolours I place a drop and the drop starts to thin out somewhat quickly and it's hard to create glazes and such. Paint does stay thin though. I've had no bleed through on the sponge like I've heard some reported. Still sticking with the Reynolds paper I think. Anyone thinks a paper towel between sponge and mastersons paper would help with water absorption through the paper?
I never recommend the paper that comes with the palette. It's just not made for our paint and has lots of problems. I think the Reynolds paper is just the correct paper. I have seen a few use the paper towel trick before yes.
I find that the paints are way to watered down then I come back to them the next day. Am I doing something wrong?
So here are a few tricks I have learned. 1) have a little less water in there when you close it up. basically, as it evaporates over the day, when you close it up, don't refill it as much. 2) Don't seal it completely. If you seal it completely, it will create a closed, humid environment where the paints gets too liquid. I just rest the lid on top.
@@VinceVenturella Thanks, I'll give those a try.
@@VinceVenturella You tip of putting the lid on upside down helped tremendously. Thanks!
Does the parchment paper become transparent once it's wet? Because it looks like you are placing the paint on to the sponge.
Yes, it becomes rather transparent, you would see if it was on the sponge, a it would spread all out.It is on paper. :)
@@VinceVenturella Thank you very much! :)
Is there any difference in the use of the Vallejo thinner medium and retarder medium?
Yep, the thinner is just acrylic medium, the retardent medium is an additive for slowing down drying time, you can see all the details here - ua-cam.com/video/FuSFCiLvs1w/v-deo.html
@@VinceVenturella Thanks!
How did you get your paper to sit so flat? Mine always comes up off of the pallet?
I smooth it at the beginning. It will curl at the beginning. Trace your fingers along the edge repeatedly until it stays flat. Hope that helps.
@MrGunnar177 Why don't you just flip the curled paper upside down so the curled paper flattens back out???
I really want to make the wet palette work, the parchment paper is making it difficult. It seems that too much water is coming through the one i use, because the paint leaves coffee rings on the miniature. And that's vallejo paint. If i were to get GW paints, which have less pigment, it would end in tragedy.
But is the parchment paper the only issue i have?
If the paint gets thinned "automatically" by the palette what do i do if i want to use thinner medium?
Anyone know a good equivalent to reynolds paper for Europe?
I am starting a big painting undertaking, doing 2k ironjawz, any advice would mean a lot to me.
So I can't answer on the reynolds equivalent, but let me see if I can help on the rest.
1) Try less water, you may have too much water, just try to keep the sponge wet and avoid standing water.
2) If you want to use thinner and other medium, you can put a few drops of that on the wet palette and then just mix from the source, same as paint.
Best of luck with the Ironjawz, they are so fun to paint.
Vince Venturella , oh my... i didn't even think about the posibility of having too much water. i was using one of those floor wipers (we call them magic wipers, they can hold an incredible amount of water on a very flat surface). And even when i tried partially waxed paper it was still very damp/wet as soon as i placed it. I will get a masterson stay wet palette, no more messy buisness. Thanks as always Vince!
Is that parchmentpaper greaseproof?
It's non-wax baking paper.
how can i do a miniature when one of the judges is John Rosengarten ?
I suppose the same as with any judge, give your best effort and ask for feedback.
@@VinceVenturella the problem with that is almost everybody also want help from him because the first time i saw him was at the first world expo in Washington d.c, in 1993 but i did not know he was going to be there in the first place and i acted like a child then i still believe he thinks of me as a fool .
How many ounces is the water bottle you use to wet the pallete?
I have no idea, that is just something I found. The base water when I wet the palette is from the tap (I have heard people say use distilled water or other "clean" waters as then you get less chance of mold, etc. but I haven't done that yet though I should). The water bottle is to keep it wet throughout the process over the days in between full cleaning.
I started getting mold dots on my sponge. Have u had this problem? Do u wash ur sponge every so often?
Yep, if you get mold, you have to jettison that sponge and clean the palette out with bleach or a very strong cleaner. Then new sponge. I have heard a small copper wire in the palette stops that, but I just scrub/change everything about once a week (roughly).
Microwave it (WET!) on full power for two minutes to abort whatever monsters you're breeding in there, is what they say.
Bjarni St. Have u done that? Does it actually work?
Yes and, well, it hasn't NOT worked at least.
Vince Venturella Thanks for answering that as I was going to ask the same thing! When you say you get a new sponge however, where do you get them? Does Masterson sell just the sponges for those kits? ( I'm still on the Tupperware/paper towel situation but I was thinking of upgrading) Thanks again and Merry Christmas dude!
Is it just me that cant find a decent store anywhere that sell these?
I got mine from Amazon, I think some art stores also have them, but Amazon is my go to.
How do you avoid growing mold?
I clean out everything about once a week. I have heard placing a copper wire in the palette prevents it. I have focused on just giving it a good scrubbing and keeping things fresh.
the past couple of days (first time using a wet palette) I've had 2 problems.
1. I didn't have enough water in the palette and the paints were drying. So i added more water.
2. When I came back a little bit later, all of my paints were turned into washes due to too much water.
So I removed some water and then they were drying out again. I feel like I'm wasting paint because I keep adding to thicken it up, only for it to wash out.
One key with a wet palette is don't close it completely. Local humidity (and the paper you're using) can have a big effect. But if you close the wet palette completely, it becomes so humid your paints will get quite liquid.
This probably pays for itself in paint in a few uses.
It's really an awesome tool all around.
I'm going nuts here......... I'm used to use a hard palette and thin my paint there using water and a match. Doing that on a wet palette would ruin the paper and I observe now that putting a drop of water on the drop of paint makes the paint flow though the paper and into the sponge instantly. If I use a wet brush to bring water into the paint droplet then most of the paint runs into the bristles and stays there until I get more water, then I have paint in the water and less paint on the palette. I'm using a wet palette from The Army Painter. What am I doing wrong? It is driving me insane. Best Regards Peter, Denmark.
So in general, you need less water on a wet palette. In general, your paint will absorb a fair amoutn of water just from being on the palette. You can then do as I do here and make a little separate pile of the paint, then bring a little water in. You really don't need much extra water unless you are trying to making a thin glaze, in which case, you use a few times going back to the water. Avoid dipping your whole brush in or trying to make a big pile of wet paint.
If you watch other videos I have hear where I use the wet palette, you'll see it in use, you can also check out video from Trovarion, as he often has his palette in show in things like his recent master class video and works with thin paint, that should be very helpful.
hope that all helps.
@@VinceVenturella Thank you, Sensei.
I beg to differ, wet pallets are sorcery.
It's certainly an essential part of my hobby now, that's for sure. :)
Is anyone familiar with what causes that issue were thinning paint on the wet palette causes it to sort of disappear and seperate? I don't mean separate as in where the medium and pigment become separate but rather where the paint doesn't stay in one cohesive pool. It looks like Vince has an example of the issue around 8:55 and 13:35 in this video, but I've seen examples of Vince and others diluting paint on a wet palette without this happening (and I assume Vince is using the same parchment paper each time). My apologies if this has already been addressed.
I know exactly what you are describing. I suspect it's just paint and the presence of water. Water has a strong cohesion and it generally needs to get broken down some with flow improver to stop that.
@@VinceVenturella That seems to have been the issue. Thank you.
lol why do you buy something you can make it for almost free
Nothing wrong with making it cheap, I like the sponge that’s anti-microbial and the ease of use, but no shame in a self made at all.