How important is the use of a wet palette for a beginner?

[groggydog 141]

If I just use a cheap, dry, plastic palette and mix my paints there, am I going to see a noticeable dip in quality?

[Tvayumat 3,637]

Not very.

Wet palettes are great and all, but they won't make you a better painter. They mostly just help to avoid wasting paint and have more precise control over consistency.

By the time you know WHY you want a wet palette, you'll be ready to use one.

Many experienced painters don't use them for one reason or another.

[RaRarlo 2]

56 minutes ago, Tvayumat said:

By the time you know WHY you want a wet palette, you'll be ready to use one.

This

 

[Admiral Deathrain 5,232]

I've never painted without one. Building it yourself is easy and it prevents you from trying to use paint that has become too thick which will be detrimental to your paintjob. That is a definitive advantage for beginners!

Edit on how to build a wet pallet:

Get a watertight tupperware or cheaper equivalent box (with lid if you want it to keep wet longer), lay down some paper towels at the bottom until you have 7-10 layers overlapping. Soak these with tap water so they are really wet, get rid of excess water that hasn't been absorbed. Then lay a piece of non-waxed (very important so moisture can come through) baking parchment on top. This is your pallet area.

Cheap, simple to make from materials you have around the house, there is no reason to be afraid of wet pallets! Now of course it isn't mandatory, but a dry pallet requires you to monitor your paint consistency constantly, which is not a simple skill.

Edited March 30, 2018 by Admiral Deathrain

[Cartchan 242]

As a beginner, you paint slowly (as I do ). A wet palette will help.

To make one, just:

1. take a regular plate
2. put two paper towels in it
3. wet them with water
4. put baking paper on top

And you are good to go. Paint will stay wet for hours.

Edited March 30, 2018 by Cartchan

[Col. Dash 48]

It isn't. Not even all veteran painters use them especially if you are pressed for time and don't sit for long hours painting and just do a little here and a little there when you have a minute or two. I usually will knock out the important main colors that involve very little detailing very quickly then will sit down for a few minutes and paint the casings on the guns on a couple models. Maybe later in the day when waiting for the wife, knock out the highlighting on the casing. Eventually I get squads finished.

[Vineheart01 6,403]

i've been painting for like 10 years or so, ive never done a wet pallet once. Generally i only use tiny bits of paint at a time so i usually run out and need to squeeze more out before it starts to dry.

Course air humidity factors in. Its a lot more humid in southern nebraska than most people would think so paint dries slow-ish.

[Attackmack 526]

People have said all there is i think but ill still pitch in that while a wet pallet wont make you a better painter, it will spare you some frustrating issues you might experience.

Basically, if you put a small dab of paint on a whatever surface you use, it will start to dry within minutes and youll experience how the paint behaves differently throughout this time.

A wet pallet will keep it wet and in a static state for hours in the open, and if you can close it you can actually return and use the same paint the next day!

A plastic box, oven paper and paper tissue is all you really need to make one yourself if you want to try it out.

I strongly recommend using one from the very start even if you are just starting out. It may not make you a better painter but can very well make you a happier one

[Mep 2,291]

Depends on the humidity in your area. If you are at a place that is very dry, it may become important. What you can do instead of a wet pallet is thin your paints with distilled water and use some retarding medium. Also add a drop or two of water every 20-40 minutes to keep the paints wet. Wet pallets can get a little messy at times and the plastic pallet will help keep the paints separate.

[Dash Two 309]

Only been at this a few months.  Novice and I started to use one and found painting is easier.  My paints remain wet.  I can put them up/come back to them, which is nice.  Also, very easy to mix; blend and make attempts at wet blending.  Never too early to start learning how to do a more advanced technique.  

 

[MiniJunkie 34]

Definitely not necessary. I don’t bother with one and I’ve been painting 30 years. 

[LiveWire X 22]

Sub

[Agis 677]

IMO not necessary at all.

I am mixing my paints on a piece of paper - that's it!

[JohnnyTrash 404]

It's not mandatory at all but it may help depending on your painting style. I'm a very slow painter and I like to mix my colours a lot. Without a wet palette I would have to remix my paints constantly...

If you use your paints as they come, it probably doesn't make much of a difference as long as you remember to add a drop of water once in a while...

If I were you, I would just give it a try and see for yourself if you like it... You just need some paper towels, baking parchment and any old container you can find (even a plate will work). It doesn't get cheaper/easier...

[Polda 4,281]

It's just a tupperware container with a wet sponge on the bottom and baking paper on top of the sponge. Try it and see if you like it. If you don't like it simply go back to a plastic palette or a ceramic tile.

We can list all the usual pros and cons but who knows? You might find out you really hate the extra raised edge around your palette

Edited April 3, 2018 by Polda

[Kyle Ren 6,817]

I haven't needed a wet palette ever, but it seems helpful, so I might have to give it a go.

I just thought I'd share this, because I noticed it was the top article on Make today:

https://makezine.com/2018/04/03/how-to-make-a-cheap-wet-palette-for-acrylic-painting/

Gives some more in-depth instructions on how to make a wet palette, which others have already suggested in this thread.

[syrath 1,316]

I started to use a wet pallet for the first time after a long time away from painting, but I did find that it keeps the paints in a better consistency for painting. This was a problem for me as you have two choices 

1/put out enough paint to have a reasonable amount of time before drying and recharge with water when it dries. This can be managed with ****** fluid although this requires you to wait longer between coats as it needs to dry also

2/ put out small quantities and use it up before it has a chance to dry.

Using a wet pallet helps me keep the paint better.

Perhaps the best tip I've ever read is this one 

https://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/15

Learning brush control with thin paints is something I wish I had done from the start -as difficult as it is, as it would have improved my painting quicker.

[ABXY 1,019]

2 hours ago, syrath said:

... This can be managed with ****** fluid ...

Really curious what word got auto-censored there? 

 

[Dosiere 478]

I love my wet palette, but I don’t always use it.  It’s great to have one as it saves you paint and time if you’re batch painting, but not necessary in any way.  

Well, actually there is one area where it’s almost  essential and that’s when you’re blending you’re own highlights; being able to keep your previously mixed shade and adding to it without feeling rushed or having the consistency change on you is clutch.

[Jukey 1,257]

I didn’t really understand wet pallets at first (****, my first Armada ships are painted in enamel, I had no clue what I was doing). I painted all of Runewars without a wet pallet, and then got to legion. I was concerned about streaky armor for imperials, so I tried the wet pallet...I’m never going back and kicking myself for all the shambling undead with shoddy paint jobs. Highly recommended, but not an easy thing to grasp the purpose of early in painting.

[syrath 1,316]

5 hours ago, ABXY said:

Really curious what word got auto-censored there? 

 

As am I, I think auto correct went wild here

Edited April 5, 2018 by syrath

[Admiral Deathrain 5,232]

45 minutes ago, syrath said:

As am I, I think auto correct went wild here

My guess is a he was talking about a retarder medium.

Edited April 5, 2018 by Admiral Deathrain

[syrath 1,316]

9 hours ago, Admiral Deathrain said:

My guess is a he was talking about a retarder medium.

Yup

[Darth Lupine 1,556]

I've been painting minis for decades, literally, and I've never once felt the need or used a wet palette.

[syrath 1,316]

1 hour ago, Darth Lupine said:

I've been painting minis for decades, literally, and I've never once felt the need or used a wet palette.

That's the point , neither did I , didn't see much point to it myself, but I've switched to preferring it, but to be honest it is far from necessary and won't make me a better painter, the only thing that did IMO was practice, and having, at the very least a half decent brush suitable for the job. I now use Windsor &Newton series 7 but I can get similar or equal results with Army Painter brushes , again it's a comfort thing I find it easier to use W&N because the brushes retain their stiffness, the paint flows better but I can still do the same with a little more effort with a "lesser" brush . So given a choice of wet pallet or technique and experience, give me the latter anyday.