Ok, so how many times has this happened to you?
You mix up the perfect shade of paint and just as you're about to dip your brush, the doorbell/phone rings or someone yells out for something. 20 minutes later, when you get back to your bench, your perfect shade of paint is a dry splotch and is unusable.
If you're working with water-based acrylics, a wet palette is the answer.
What is a wet palette?
Basically, it's a lidded box/tray (preferably airtight) with an absorbent pad which is used as a reservoir and a semi-permeable liner sheet on which you mix your paint. The pad is soaked with water, which can move through the liner sheet to keep the paint moist.
You can buy a wet palette ready-made from an art supplies store, or you can make your own from some very readily available bits and pieces which I'm sure many of us have lying around at home.
All you need is a plastic container with a lid, a kitchen sponge and a piece of silicone baking paper.
Here's an example of a simple one I made using a plastic container from a "Hot Dollar" store. (The ones in Sydney have suitable boxes/trays of all imaginable shapes and sizes.)
The sponge goes in the box, water goes on the sponge and the baking paper goes on top.
Viola! Instant wet palette. Total cost, about $2.00.
If you don't want to buy a plastic box, you may find a suitable take-away container with a lid, and this will make it even cheaper.
This setup has kept Vallejo paint ready to use for up to about 10 days. (Much more than that, particularly in the warmer months and it may start to go mouldy)
You mix up the perfect shade of paint and just as you're about to dip your brush, the doorbell/phone rings or someone yells out for something. 20 minutes later, when you get back to your bench, your perfect shade of paint is a dry splotch and is unusable.
If you're working with water-based acrylics, a wet palette is the answer.
What is a wet palette?
Basically, it's a lidded box/tray (preferably airtight) with an absorbent pad which is used as a reservoir and a semi-permeable liner sheet on which you mix your paint. The pad is soaked with water, which can move through the liner sheet to keep the paint moist.
You can buy a wet palette ready-made from an art supplies store, or you can make your own from some very readily available bits and pieces which I'm sure many of us have lying around at home.
All you need is a plastic container with a lid, a kitchen sponge and a piece of silicone baking paper.
Here's an example of a simple one I made using a plastic container from a "Hot Dollar" store. (The ones in Sydney have suitable boxes/trays of all imaginable shapes and sizes.)
The sponge goes in the box, water goes on the sponge and the baking paper goes on top.
Viola! Instant wet palette. Total cost, about $2.00.
If you don't want to buy a plastic box, you may find a suitable take-away container with a lid, and this will make it even cheaper.
This setup has kept Vallejo paint ready to use for up to about 10 days. (Much more than that, particularly in the warmer months and it may start to go mouldy)
