I can't claim any credit for this as I stumbled across it while blog surfing the other day. I was going to link back to it
Here it is;
It doesn't look much but you are looking at a wet palette...
Ever got tired of endlessly flipping open pots of paint, while you work through the colours on a figure, especially when doing all that tidy up work? Or maybe you use a palette but the paint dries out fast on it? OK so you can use some paint-drying retarding agent, but that's another product to have to buy and mess about with...?
I tried this wet palette out this afternoon and was so impressed, I had to write this quick post...
It is easy to do, its just the metal cap lid from a glass food jar; something like pickled onions, or whatever... but I guess any slim lid type thing will suffice...
Pack the lid with toilet tissue (bog roll), and soak it in water, and drain off the excess. Then get a piece of grease-proof paper, cut out a circle to fit over the top and press it down on to the damp surface. And voila, a wet palette...
Just put out the paint colours you are working with direct onto this surface, and they will stay workable for hours without drying off. I spent a couple of hours easily with the above small dollops of paint working through some base colours on some FoW Germans, and even left it as it was time to go and pick up my son from a playdate, came back and the paint was still fine to use, and I dare say it would be for hours more...
Just not having to keep opening and closing pots of paints, dramatically reduced my painting time, and simply saved hassle... all the paints I wanted were right there, and quick swish in the water dish to clean brush and I was easily switching back and forth between colours.
Amazing, wonderful, so simple yet I had never come across it before in over 20+ years of painting...
So there you go, give a whirl if you haven't tried it before. I think you'll be impressed.
Oh and just to finish... when I had finished with the above, the excess paint could still be scraped up with a brush and put back in the paint pots, so no waste either!
[if it was your blog post I was looking at, you are more than welcome to add the link in comments below, and thank you again!!!]
Is "grease-proof paper" what we know as "wax paper" in North America?
ReplyDelete-- Jeff
Jeff I an not sure what it would be called in the US, but it's a paper that comes in a roll and is routinely used in cooking and baking for lining baking tins etc. when making cakes.
DeleteI just asked my wife who watches loads of cookery shows on TV, and she thinks it would indeed be called wax paper in the US.
Cheers
Scott
Thanks for the reply, Scott. It does sound like the same thing. I have a roll of it near my painting table and put my freshly painted figures on some of it.
Delete-- Jeff
Excellent idea! I'll give it a go when my French legionnaires arrive.
ReplyDeleteI think you will find it an excellent painting adjunct.
DeleteI used this years ago when I was last into painting, Rowley (I think) do a set of paper that is for this purpose. I used a tupaware type box and the paint would stay wet for many days when sealed between uses but in those days I used tube acrylics! Your method is the same but cheaper and less space hungry. I will have to have a go again, thanks for the memory tugger.
ReplyDeleteIan
No worries Ian, thanks for your comments
DeleteWhen it get's hot my paints dry out so fast, I'm constantly putting more on the palette. It's a waste of both paint and time. I'll be painting today and I'll give this a whirl. Thanks Scott!
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome, let us know how you get on.
Deletecheers
Scott
I have seen a pro painter do this and he uses a thin wet sponge on a plate with a kitchen towel which work amazing well.
ReplyDeleteYes I can see that working too, though I may still stick to the grease proof paper as the final layer...
DeleteQuality - will be trying this. Nothing worse than having to mix the same shades over and over again coz it keeps drying out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this Scott
You are more than welcome
DeleteI've had a professional wet palette sitting around for some time now but have never used it. I've always read that using one would make painting/blending much easier. That certainly seems to be the case with you. I think you may have just sold me on the notion. Thanks for the inspiration to try it Scott.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip mine tends to dry quick will give it a go thanks for the tip
ReplyDeleteNice one Scott, I've gotta admit, I never really knew what a wet pallet was until now, I'm gonna give this a go! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteTop tip there Scott, also really helps when the weather is warm too. Obviously not a major issue in the UK!
ReplyDeleteColour me informed, that's a good idea!
ReplyDeleteI keep meaning to try this, it certainly sounds too good not to.
ReplyDeleteYep, been doing something similar for awhile now except I use a wet cloth with brown cookie/baking sheet paper over the top. Very useful for Vallejo paints which dry very fast.
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Thanks all for the feedback, glad to help - I finally found the original post that inspired me: by Troy here;
ReplyDeletehttp://ritterkrieg.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/faces.html
I still don't think I'll be doing 'faces' on 15 mm figures though...!
Awesome. I live in Darwin and it is gradually getting hotter as we near what we call 'The Build Up'. Perhaps it has started already. My paint typically drys very quick which is great in some ways. No getting paint accidently blended on a figure. But this idea is something I will try for sure. A great idea and thanks for sharing the find.
ReplyDeleteCheers