It can fit about 29 gansai per layer. I probably wouldn't move any larger of a gansai collection into this box. Since so many Kuretake gansai are fugitive I may move about 12-16 of the most lightfast ones into here so I can better organize which ones are appropriate for art to sell. This case would be better for a mixed size pan set up, placing your favorites along side half and full pans from other brands. Just gansai size pans alone don't line up very well, some have to be a different orientation to reduce wasted space. For a 48 pan gansai set you'd need to either use both sides or find a palette just as large as the big box the gansai came in.
It was also quite fun watching someone double load watercolor. I started from a decorative painting/tole background which is all about custom loading and brushstrokes.. it's not something you see often anymore except for Donna Dewberry's "one stroke" stuff. I kept expecting it to make a comeback with all the renewed interest in hobby art during the pandemic... but so far no luck.
What great ideas you have Kim!! This is another winner! I even already have a similar large palette like this that I can experiment with without buying anything!! I’m currently making up your ultimate mixing palette and having a blast testing all your “dupes” mixes in it. I could spend weeks mixing and swatching so you’ve provided me with endless entertainment...😂. Thanks for generously sharing your knowledge and experiments!!
I've been eyeing this palette for a long time, I may buy it now thanks to your useful review because I'm running out of space to store my paints. Thanks!
I first used a box for pastels as storage for my colors. But since I've gotten new aditions to my watercolor collection I now purchased one of those wooden drawer boxes for storing brushes and pens. Watercolor pans fit perfectly and I can sort by brand, or granulation, whatever I want. Smaller tubes also fit.
I like those as well! The wood is also prettier than plastic, but I was a bit messy and got mine a little damp so the wood warped over time. I really should have sealed it first. I had an older cheap wood drawer system (with a board you can slant at different angles to hold your canvas on top too) but the latches broke so I kinda gave up on it. They can be really nice if you get a quality one.
Oh my heck. I didn't even think about using a cardboard piece as a second level holder, brilliant! I have a similar solution to storing full pans of colours I am testing out as I am putting together a main palette. However, I used the mijello 36 well palette since it was so cheap and I knew I would be taking out the inserts either way, haha. 😊 Btw thank you for all the information you put out both here and on your website. It's made picking out/ adding colours to my collection so much easier and fun! 🥰 💜
I'm so glad to hear that the info here and on my site is helpful, I appreciate hearing that, thank you :D I am debating adding two little feet/bumpers to the bottom of the cardboard tray to help give it a little air space between it and most of the bottom layer of paints too. I haven't had much sticking issues yet since the board is so glossy with tape it comes right off the paints if they touch, but I think it'll be easy to create a little gap for while these pans are super full. Though I'm hoping this new set up has me using the paints often enough they won't be full to the brim for long. Happy painting :)
Yeah my love for this palette box all started when I specifically tried to organize my White Nights paints and got realllllly frustrated with those big white cases. It actually dissuades me from using them when they are separated out and in awkward containers, so I finally fixed it! Now when I do a brand overview of the entire White Nights catalog, I'll be super organized :D
You are absolutely AMAZING!!!!!! I literally just purchased 3 complete watercolor sets... I bought the Sennelier full 98 set ( 100 tubes - 2 duplicates, but mine did come with rose opera ) I also bought the complete range 140 wood box set of schmincke and the 108 set of Holbein watercolors. I've bought 1 schmincke empty pastel box so far, for a set to put them all in full pans. I've been browsing around for another solution...you are a God send lol
Yes! I’ve mine stored across 3. And I love the palette. It’s so useful for putting multiple dollops of paint in one well to mix your own custom blends. Thanks for this! ❤️🦩🌺
oh this is genius!! i've been eyeing this palette for the long wells in the insert because i like being able to dilute colours without transferring them to another mixing area, but the idea of taking the insert out to stash a lot more paint is really smart :o
Thank you, so much! I am putting my Sonnet and VanGogh "big brush and playtime" paint on a plastic liftoff, and my pro set on the bottom. I can see that I'll be much more likely to do sketches, thumbnails and experiments if I don't have to run back and forth looking for my kits! You encourage and inspire me.
Thank YOU!! I’ve been trying to find a metal tray to hold my excessive collection of White Knights and Roman Szmal paints and finally thought about a cigar box!! This sounds like a cheaper option and will seal better!! I’m ordering right now 😊 Thank you very much Kim… Nancy Rolfe
That is awesome. I could store my full pans in this with room left over. I've been looking for a storage setup that will open up my little corner desk so this is great ☺️
It's actually really useful when you have a lot of full pans. I saw similar palettes from Mijello and I think Meeden make also similar palettes. Maybe they are the same size but the layout look different. I modified one of my metal palettes to hold more full pans a while ago.
I have a couple from Mijello and other brands, but ran into problems with the inserts not being fully removable or leaving spaces that weren't completely flat. This one seems really perfect for DIY with any layout you want. I just kept getting frustrated having full pans in 10 different metal tins around the room, it was really time for me to get organized :)
I purchased 4 of these in the medeen brand at $15 each and use them for my watercolor sets. I just pull out the colors i need and use these to store them. They work great.
As someone who really hates having various paints in different palette's and carts them all around the house in my bag, this makes me sooooo happy! #nocolorleftbehind
I have palettes everrrywheeerrre... sometimes just a few pans stuck into mini altoids tins even. I find them separated from their own brand in different parts of the house. It was definitely time to get this sorted out for me. Agreed and LOL at #nocolorleftbehind :D
Thank you. Saved item to my wish list. So will remember this as my Daniel Smith full pans are outgrowing its palette. At moment, have a smaller palette to use but could see outgrowing that solution. I really prefer using full pans.
I'm surprised someone would need/want so many colours in one pallette! Because I usually try to minimise the amount of options, otherwise they give me headaches x)
I need both types of palettes to stay organized since I have a large paint collection that has gotten chaotic. I test a lot of colors and not many of them can go into my top favorite condensed palette to have out all the time or when traveling. I do keep a more compact palette out on my desk with 12-24 colors, but I find that I stop using some of my other palettes for too long when they are all separated out. I think this box is really for those that have found themselves collecting too many separate sets, so they can have it all in their faces just begging to finally be used lol. In this type of case I still organize my top favorites/primary mixing colors in the first couple rows at the top to avoid a headache of searching for a color. While I thoroughly appreciate a limited palette, I've found some amazing color combinations I would never have thought to pair by combining so many options into a case. Happy painting :)
I ended up getting this exact same case for the same reason. I have multiple sizes of pans from multiple different companies. I don't have it all set up yet because I'm deciding if I want to use some magnet sheets on the bottom vs some of the Blue Tac to keep pans where I want them. I have some handmade watercolors from different makers and like to keep them grouped together by This way I can keep everything together. At the same time, I'm going to make a smaller travel palette of about 24 half pans in a Whiskey Painter's palette. I have a "free form" one of those on the way. My other large palette is the Qor 24 tube tin. This can hold a ton of pans and I really like their mixing tray lid. This one obviously is metal and I can use magnets to hold the pans in place and why I'm thinking about magnetizing the Paul Rubens case.
I considered using magnet sheets in here, but decided it was cheaper and still easy to remove if I cut some cardboard or thick cardstock inserts to adhere the pans onto. I definitely didn't want to try to pry them off the plastic palette if I changed my mind later. I have some really mixed collections from handmade makers too and they are kinda everywhere in tiny altoids tins just waiting to be organized. Hopefully this helps us a lot!
like that idea Terry...the magnets...easier to remove and look at the colour names ect...prefer that to blue tack which gets everywhere. I have both the small tin and the 24 set tin of Qor...and hope to do that...instead of ruining that beautiful Paul Rubens...24 set with the elongated wells...unless I buy a couple more...yikes!!!!I have 3 sets of Paul Rubens 8ml 24 colour sets...there are some duplicates...hoping to arrange them all in the 2 ...24 elongated well palette sets...so 48 in total...yikes also have the 48 half pan Paul Rubens set...lovely paints...ya, no granulation much...but vibrant , like Mission Gold...big pigment load!.
@@KimberlyCrick yes that organizing, colour swatching, and labeling each pan with name, brand and the pigment info...very time consuming...and I find only the black sharpie really stays...some where off...like the blue sharpie....wish a micron pen would work on plastic, but so far no luck....
What a neat & versatile palette! Do I actually own enough pans to fill the tray? Perhaps. Do I want the ability to say my tray can hold 256 half pans? Definitely, that's an epic brag! Thank you for the idea about using their inserts for mixing. The size of the wells seems more than sufficient, and your neon flowers look so awesome with the black-light! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve been waiting forever for someone to come up with a decent sized palette to organize my collection of Roman Szmal paints and now I can even gather all my white nights in one place also. Great! Pity I couldn’t use your affiliate link as I buy from Amazon UK
I've been storing my full pans in the bottom of these large plastic boxes for a while now. There is a lovely soft touch lilac one but it has raised edges in the base under the tray so it can only hold 3 sets of 20 full pans. I may take a razor blade to it at some point and flatten it out as with the ridges in the plastic White Nights palette. I have seen some people put the well tray from the base into the lid to use as separated mixing spaces but I imagine that also took some alteration as none of the various brands fit in the lids, although the base trays themselves are interchangeable if you like one colour box but hate the insert it comes with or already made a palette in a different one. I had thought about sticking pans to the inside of the lid too but didn't want to risk contamination when closed, but I hadn't even considered making a lift out tray to sit on top of the base layer. I imagine the bottom would get very dirty very quickly though, especially with pans that are kept well filled with paint that remains sticky. Even without clever MacGyver solutions though, the boxes are great for storage. There are also these stackable A4 plastic boxes on Amazon that are just a few cm deep that are perfect for storing pans, and they're much cheaper than repurposing these palettes if being able to travel with them isn't necessary. You can get a pack of 5 for roughly the price of one palette.
I'm debating putting a tiny spacer on the bottom of the second stackable layer so that there will be a small gap between it and the paints below. So far though with White Nights I haven't had much sticking when allowing them to dry before closing the case. It would be a real nightmare if you had cardboard not sealed with tape/laminated though! I got a few other brands of these types of cases but most of them either had one insert tray that wouldn't come out, curved or uneven edges underneath so it didn't fit as many pans as this. I'll check out other non-palette storage boxes like you mentioned!
I have reused old containers and made my own wood boxes before, but I have not found anything as durable, airtight/dust resistant or perfectly sized as this. As a bonus it also has the ability to fit longer paint brushes, be used as a mixing area or even fit my small ceramic palettes inside. Not many people will find something laying around that would work this well.
I have 36 tubes that I'd love to have out all the time. I hope you do a follow-up on what you'd find as the most useful color organization of a large set.
Yes, this initial play time with this big palette box was the first step in my upcoming brand overview video for White Nights. I'll go over how I chose my top mixing colors to have as easy-access at the top rows, followed by go-to favorites, then sectioned off things like pastels, metallics, fugitive colors separate from LF ones etc. and I'll make the color chart inserts too :)
@@KimberlyCrick I look forward to this Kimberly! Can't wait!...bet it will take you some time, and do not mind waiting...awesome of you to attempt to do this!...janis
Desk space is a premium for my workspace, so something that large would wind up frustrating me pretty swiftly. My pans and half pans I've made custom 3d printed holders for. I can fit 10 half pans in a box that's roughly 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.5 inches. Each pan slots in snugly (and pops out via the hole under the pan) and there's a lid that I can snap on the bottom when the paints are being used. Being a bespoke 3d printed model, it's about as hyper custom to my preference as I can get :)
I can understand that, oddly enough part of the reason I decided to get one of these for my Paul Rubens sets was because it was taking up way too much space to have multiple 48 pan metal tins out. This helped me combine sets that I was frequently using together. I also had a problem with my White Nights palettes that I had collected over many years not being used because they were all in separate spots. I love my smaller limited palettes for always having out on my desk, but when I want to play with a certain brand I've collected a lot from the last thing I want to do is find a lot of separate pieces :)
@@KimberlyCrick I tend to just have a few of the 10 sets out, and if need be, just pop out the ones I'm using into a temp empty holder for that one session. I can't even deal with a single 48 pan, I can't imagine trying to use more than one of them!
Your idea works but the last shot showed everything very close to each other. I am sure that it would be difficult and nerve wracking for me to try to use a pan like that to paint with. For storage it is awesome though.
If you did wish to use it as a stay wet palette you could add a wet sponge sheet (you can purchase them online) or a thick layer of wet paper towel + parchment paper (for baking) on the bottom after removing the tray. This will keep even acrylics wet during use and quite a while in storage. Googly DIY stay wet palette for more info.
I came to check out your channel after a mention by The Frugal Crafter, and I'm so glad I found this video. I've been looking for a practical way to keep all my watercolours in full pans in one palette that can close. This will do the trick nicely. How do you hold your pans in place? Double-sided tape?
You have a few options, double sided tape works, adhesive back magnet sheets, or what I did was use packaging tape to seal a thick cardstock insert. I then made a big loop with the tape that functioned like double sided tape on the surface of the paper. That way I can lift the tape-sealed paper out to easily to remove pans later compared to directly adhering them to the base of the container. I saw someone mention they cut pieces of tin/galvanized steel sheets to fit into the bottom, so they could just put magnets on their pans and remove them like fridge magnets. Happy painting :)
that's a really nice box! but I have a fear of paints getting molds, and if I store all my pans in one big box, the risk of them all getting molds from one or two pans highly increases, I assume. Currently I store my pans in separate plastic or tin boxes, but it's difficult to remember which is in which after a while. I use Blue Tac for all the pans as opposed to tape as I can take them in and out easily without worrying about the stickiness of tape which is hard to remove.
I can understand that, I completely forget where some of my collection is if it's gotten too separated (sometimes leading to accidentally buying a duplicate). Blue Tac is nice, especially if placing the pans directly in the container. I put a thick piece of cardstock in the bottom of my tray to adhere the pans to, so that I can just pick it up and flex it if I need to remove anything. I haven't seen many mold issues since I switched to painting with purified water a few years ago. I go through a pretty small amount of water though since I usually paint small. Once I made handmade paint without the mold inhibitors that are in common paints... I closed the container while it was still damp and found mold a few days later. I remember Teoh mentioning that his apartment in Singapore is really humid and the way he solved paints getting moldy was to let them dry in the sun near a window for a little while before closing the case. Out of curiosity I'd love to know if there are any brands you've had mold issues with? I saw a review for Mission Gold where 1 color became moldy just from squeezing the tube out into a pan to dry. I assume that only happens in a bad batch.
@@KimberlyCrick I myself have not yet had mold issues so far, probably because I mainly use DS, cotman, Holbein and Van Gogh which dry fast after being put into pans. In a watercolor group chat that I'm in, I often see people talking about the following brands getting mold: M.Graham(mostly and frequently), Mission Gold, and sometimes White Nights. Maybe because the honey binder in them attracts bacteria to settle in, especially in my area where it's humid oftentimes (not like the humidity in Teoh's though). I heard about using purified water or soft water when painting with M.Graham, but it sounds too much work for me lol. The bottled purified water is not cheap, and if I buy one of those big volume bottle, I also worry the water would go bad due to bacteria before I use it up. My beginner painting skill doesn't deserve purified water yet haha. That's why my M.Graham palettes remains untouched still ;(
@@dannychen1064 Thank you so much for that detailed response, it's really good to know which brands are giving people some trouble! Yeah, MGraham has a lot of purified water users also because they also suffer from textural issues, gritty weird patterns a little like unpleasant granulation, when using certain water types. All of their quins had weird sandy looking patches when I used them with my tap water. I bet all the honey paints stay too moist in some climates attracting more problems than other brands. I love how easy honey paints are to re-wet, but they really seem best for use in a controlled dry or indoor air conditioned environment. Thanks for your input :)
@@KimberlyCrick thank you for you detailed reply as well! I love how easy rewetting MGraham is, and I don't mind its smell that much. But it's not ideal for outdoor painting since I alwasy have to worry if they are running up and down inside the palette box :D I guess there is no perfect paint in the world ;)
Kim, I’ve been doing this for almost a year now…and exactly for my Szmal collection! I use the small “permanent” glue dots to adhere them down (for metal palettes, I stick a tiny neodymium magnet in the groove on the bottom of the pans). It works like a charm, but it IS a bit heavy when “filled,” LOL! I also use some sticky putty/a kneaded eraser if I don’t have a full lineup, just as an extra safety measure in any “open spaces” left…especially along the bottom row. So when, dear @Kimberly Crick Art, will you do a video on the Aquarius colors like Payne’s Gray (gorgeous, because it of course uses PB27, which is my Kryptonite), Pryzqlmprissk…you know the one…with PR177, or Pyrrol Orange with PO73? (And Prussian…how I WISH there was SOME brand that had a lightfast PB27…) Also, curious if you know what pigment is in “Aquarius Orange?” I got it when it said Pigment Code N/A, but have never found the actual code. It has that almost-fluorescent hue that reminds me of the Imidaz./Benza colors, but I am just not sure. Trying SO hard not to end up with fugitive colors. I love this brand, especially for their high amount of single-pigment colors, but I think I’d actually prefer giving up a few SPs for better LFs. I can’t believe I said that…I’ve spent YEARS trying to build SP palettes. It’s why the whole DS PrimaGate -piss- … er … had me so twitterpated. Would love your thoughts on any/all of the above! Hugs and hearts for all you do! 🤗💕
I'm just waiting on a few lightfast test results before doing some more Roman Szmal and other brand spotlight videos. The Aquarius Orange is best labeled as DPP for now (this form of Diketopyrrolo Pyrrole pigment has not yet been registered for an official color index code number). It was initially released as P0107 from Winsor & Newton (same as transparent orange) before being released as DPP instead since the chemical supplier didn't get it registered with ASTM. It's a very nice, reliable pigment, LFI mass LFII diluted. As far as I know only RSzmal and WNewton have it so far, but I expect it'll eventually become more common and also get assigned a new code in the future :)
Hi, I came across your video today. I am getting a 24 full pan size curated kit in a cardboard box for Aquarius paints. I do plan to grow with them an so I found your video very informative as I do have this Paul Ruben tray pallet. So I plan to use it for my Aquarius paints and have room to add more. Do you think I can use magnets instead of double sided tape?
You would have to cut a tin metal sheet to glue inside the case to be able to use magnets, since the plastic isn't magnetic, but yes there's plenty of room in there if you'd like to use magnets. I hope you enjoy your Aquarius paints :D
Ordered! Thanks for the tip :-) I've been having a messy, STICKY time with my Roman Szmal collection in this hot, sticky weather--you say you can adhere the pans upside down with no issues??
I wouldn't take this out of the house in high heat/humidity/direct sun, but otherwise I haven't had any trouble with White Nights or Roman Szmal turning liquid enough to actually ooze out of the trays. Unlike Sennelier or MGraham tubes put into pans, the WN and RS seem to stay inside of their pans regardless of orientation. There will be an air gap between the top and bottom layer of pans, so there should never be paints touching each other. You could totally put a sheet of plastic like a film projector transparency sheet or plastic from a take-out dinner box between them just in case!
Curious as to how you could ever know which colour is which???That is my big dilemma ...sure you can label each pan with a sharpie, and hope it doesn't come off...but getting a pan out from the middle...or knowing where a specific pan is...yikes...The watercolour challenge!
It definitely takes a little planning. I put a piece of paper on the bottom of the tray so the whole layer of paint comes up flexibly instead of stuck to the plastic. I make a big color chart and write all the color names as I put the pans in place. All of my pans are labeled with a sharpie as well, but I dont plan to take them out. I plan to have this whole selection open on a desk with the color chart next to it. Since it's only 7 colors wide for my White Nights I haven't had any issue finding a color. You could be careful not to organize colors that look identical next to each other. I could see that being a problem if all the greens were in a row or something. I am setting up mine by top mixing colors, then favorites, then pastels, then fugitives, and colors I don't use much last. That helps me keep track :)
How many gansai pan can fit in one layer?
It can fit about 29 gansai per layer. I probably wouldn't move any larger of a gansai collection into this box. Since so many Kuretake gansai are fugitive I may move about 12-16 of the most lightfast ones into here so I can better organize which ones are appropriate for art to sell. This case would be better for a mixed size pan set up, placing your favorites along side half and full pans from other brands. Just gansai size pans alone don't line up very well, some have to be a different orientation to reduce wasted space. For a 48 pan gansai set you'd need to either use both sides or find a palette just as large as the big box the gansai came in.
@@KimberlyCrickty
It was also quite fun watching someone double load watercolor. I started from a decorative painting/tole background which is all about custom loading and brushstrokes.. it's not something you see often anymore except for Donna Dewberry's "one stroke" stuff. I kept expecting it to make a comeback with all the renewed interest in hobby art during the pandemic... but so far no luck.
What great ideas you have Kim!! This is another winner! I even already have a similar large palette like this that I can experiment with without buying anything!! I’m currently making up your ultimate mixing palette and having a blast testing all your “dupes” mixes in it. I could spend weeks mixing and swatching so you’ve provided me with endless entertainment...😂. Thanks for generously sharing your knowledge and experiments!!
amazing idea - just ordered one 🙂
I've been eyeing this palette for a long time, I may buy it now thanks to your useful review because I'm running out of space to store my paints. Thanks!
This is still the best way that works for me. Will you be making more videos? I’m a color nerd and am wondering what you have planned next ;-)
I first used a box for pastels as storage for my colors. But since I've gotten new aditions to my watercolor collection I now purchased one of those wooden drawer boxes for storing brushes and pens. Watercolor pans fit perfectly and I can sort by brand, or granulation, whatever I want. Smaller tubes also fit.
I like those as well! The wood is also prettier than plastic, but I was a bit messy and got mine a little damp so the wood warped over time. I really should have sealed it first. I had an older cheap wood drawer system (with a board you can slant at different angles to hold your canvas on top too) but the latches broke so I kinda gave up on it. They can be really nice if you get a quality one.
Oh my heck. I didn't even think about using a cardboard piece as a second level holder, brilliant! I have a similar solution to storing full pans of colours I am testing out as I am putting together a main palette. However, I used the mijello 36 well palette since it was so cheap and I knew I would be taking out the inserts either way, haha. 😊 Btw thank you for all the information you put out both here and on your website. It's made picking out/ adding colours to my collection so much easier and fun! 🥰 💜
I'm so glad to hear that the info here and on my site is helpful, I appreciate hearing that, thank you :D I am debating adding two little feet/bumpers to the bottom of the cardboard tray to help give it a little air space between it and most of the bottom layer of paints too. I haven't had much sticking issues yet since the board is so glossy with tape it comes right off the paints if they touch, but I think it'll be easy to create a little gap for while these pans are super full. Though I'm hoping this new set up has me using the paints often enough they won't be full to the brim for long. Happy painting :)
This made me so wanty!! I love White Nights but do find the palette bulky for the amount it stores. This is a great, affordable option!
Yeah my love for this palette box all started when I specifically tried to organize my White Nights paints and got realllllly frustrated with those big white cases. It actually dissuades me from using them when they are separated out and in awkward containers, so I finally fixed it! Now when I do a brand overview of the entire White Nights catalog, I'll be super organized :D
@@KimberlyCrick That's me convinced!!
@@KimberlyCrick Oh wow I`m looking forward to that overview
Genius hack! I have this palette and haven’t figured out the best way to use it. Thanks for sharing these ideas. Great inspiration.
This is great. I use mine to store the set of 112-or-so Daniel Smith half-pans that a generous viewer sent me. I love it for that.
I love the idea of removing the existing inserts and filling with pans! Brilliant! Thank you so much.
Great review and suggestions! You and Lindsay Weirich are my go-to channels for reviews. Thank you for the in-depth look into these products.
I just put my Rosa watercolors in the pallette, now it's my most favorite one ever. Great tips, I need to do another for my gansai ones
What a great idea.
Thanks! I got this box and full pans. Much more room on my table now.
the cardboard insert is a clever idea 😀
You are absolutely AMAZING!!!!!! I literally just purchased 3 complete watercolor sets... I bought the Sennelier full 98 set ( 100 tubes - 2 duplicates, but mine did come with rose opera ) I also bought the complete range 140 wood box set of schmincke and the 108 set of Holbein watercolors. I've bought 1 schmincke empty pastel box so far, for a set to put them all in full pans. I've been browsing around for another solution...you are a God send lol
Yes! I’ve mine stored across 3. And I love the palette. It’s so useful for putting multiple dollops of paint in one well to mix your own custom blends. Thanks for this! ❤️🦩🌺
Great idea!
oh this is genius!! i've been eyeing this palette for the long wells in the insert because i like being able to dilute colours without transferring them to another mixing area, but the idea of taking the insert out to stash a lot more paint is really smart :o
Thank you, so much! I am putting my Sonnet and VanGogh "big brush and playtime" paint on a plastic liftoff, and my pro set on the bottom. I can see that I'll be much more likely to do sketches, thumbnails and experiments if I don't have to run back and forth looking for my kits! You encourage and inspire me.
Thank YOU!! I’ve been trying to find a metal tray to hold my excessive collection of White Knights and Roman Szmal paints and finally thought about a cigar box!!
This sounds like a cheaper option and will seal better!!
I’m ordering right now 😊
Thank you very much Kim…
Nancy Rolfe
That is awesome. I could store my full pans in this with room left over. I've been looking for a storage setup that will open up my little corner desk so this is great ☺️
It's actually really useful when you have a lot of full pans. I saw similar palettes from Mijello and I think Meeden make also similar palettes. Maybe they are the same size but the layout look different.
I modified one of my metal palettes to hold more full pans a while ago.
I have a couple from Mijello and other brands, but ran into problems with the inserts not being fully removable or leaving spaces that weren't completely flat. This one seems really perfect for DIY with any layout you want. I just kept getting frustrated having full pans in 10 different metal tins around the room, it was really time for me to get organized :)
I purchased 4 of these in the medeen brand at $15 each and use them for my watercolor sets. I just pull out the colors i need and use these to store them. They work great.
As someone who really hates having various paints in different palette's and carts them all around the house in my bag, this makes me sooooo happy! #nocolorleftbehind
I have palettes everrrywheeerrre... sometimes just a few pans stuck into mini altoids tins even. I find them separated from their own brand in different parts of the house. It was definitely time to get this sorted out for me. Agreed and LOL at #nocolorleftbehind :D
@@KimberlyCrick I just love all my pigments so much, and require the ability to spontaneously choose one... zero desire to use a limited palette!
Thank you. Saved item to my wish list. So will remember this as my Daniel Smith full pans are outgrowing its palette. At moment, have a smaller palette to use but could see outgrowing that solution. I really prefer using full pans.
Wowsers!! I want one just like yours! I am jealous 😫, that is one really great idea!
I'm surprised someone would need/want so many colours in one pallette! Because I usually try to minimise the amount of options, otherwise they give me headaches x)
I need both types of palettes to stay organized since I have a large paint collection that has gotten chaotic. I test a lot of colors and not many of them can go into my top favorite condensed palette to have out all the time or when traveling. I do keep a more compact palette out on my desk with 12-24 colors, but I find that I stop using some of my other palettes for too long when they are all separated out. I think this box is really for those that have found themselves collecting too many separate sets, so they can have it all in their faces just begging to finally be used lol. In this type of case I still organize my top favorites/primary mixing colors in the first couple rows at the top to avoid a headache of searching for a color. While I thoroughly appreciate a limited palette, I've found some amazing color combinations I would never have thought to pair by combining so many options into a case. Happy painting :)
I ended up getting this exact same case for the same reason. I have multiple sizes of pans from multiple different companies. I don't have it all set up yet because I'm deciding if I want to use some magnet sheets on the bottom vs some of the Blue Tac to keep pans where I want them. I have some handmade watercolors from different makers and like to keep them grouped together by This way I can keep everything together. At the same time, I'm going to make a smaller travel palette of about 24 half pans in a Whiskey Painter's palette. I have a "free form" one of those on the way. My other large palette is the Qor 24 tube tin. This can hold a ton of pans and I really like their mixing tray lid. This one obviously is metal and I can use magnets to hold the pans in place and why I'm thinking about magnetizing the Paul Rubens case.
I considered using magnet sheets in here, but decided it was cheaper and still easy to remove if I cut some cardboard or thick cardstock inserts to adhere the pans onto. I definitely didn't want to try to pry them off the plastic palette if I changed my mind later. I have some really mixed collections from handmade makers too and they are kinda everywhere in tiny altoids tins just waiting to be organized. Hopefully this helps us a lot!
like that idea Terry...the magnets...easier to remove and look at the colour names ect...prefer that to blue tack which gets everywhere. I have both the small tin and the 24 set tin of Qor...and hope to do that...instead of ruining that beautiful Paul Rubens...24 set with the elongated wells...unless I buy a couple more...yikes!!!!I have 3 sets of Paul Rubens 8ml 24 colour sets...there are some duplicates...hoping to arrange them all in the 2 ...24 elongated well palette sets...so 48 in total...yikes also have the 48 half pan Paul Rubens set...lovely paints...ya, no granulation much...but vibrant , like Mission Gold...big pigment load!.
@@KimberlyCrick yes that organizing, colour swatching, and labeling each pan with name, brand and the pigment info...very time consuming...and I find only the black sharpie really stays...some where off...like the blue sharpie....wish a micron pen would work on plastic, but so far no luck....
What a neat & versatile palette! Do I actually own enough pans to fill the tray? Perhaps. Do I want the ability to say my tray can hold 256 half pans? Definitely, that's an epic brag! Thank you for the idea about using their inserts for mixing. The size of the wells seems more than sufficient, and your neon flowers look so awesome with the black-light! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve been waiting forever for someone to come up with a decent sized palette to organize my collection of Roman Szmal paints and now I can even gather all my white nights in one place also. Great! Pity I couldn’t use your affiliate link as I buy from Amazon UK
Amazing! Thank you for doing the maths for us.
What a genius idea!
this is great!
I've been storing my full pans in the bottom of these large plastic boxes for a while now. There is a lovely soft touch lilac one but it has raised edges in the base under the tray so it can only hold 3 sets of 20 full pans. I may take a razor blade to it at some point and flatten it out as with the ridges in the plastic White Nights palette. I have seen some people put the well tray from the base into the lid to use as separated mixing spaces but I imagine that also took some alteration as none of the various brands fit in the lids, although the base trays themselves are interchangeable if you like one colour box but hate the insert it comes with or already made a palette in a different one. I had thought about sticking pans to the inside of the lid too but didn't want to risk contamination when closed, but I hadn't even considered making a lift out tray to sit on top of the base layer. I imagine the bottom would get very dirty very quickly though, especially with pans that are kept well filled with paint that remains sticky. Even without clever MacGyver solutions though, the boxes are great for storage. There are also these stackable A4 plastic boxes on Amazon that are just a few cm deep that are perfect for storing pans, and they're much cheaper than repurposing these palettes if being able to travel with them isn't necessary. You can get a pack of 5 for roughly the price of one palette.
I'm debating putting a tiny spacer on the bottom of the second stackable layer so that there will be a small gap between it and the paints below. So far though with White Nights I haven't had much sticking when allowing them to dry before closing the case. It would be a real nightmare if you had cardboard not sealed with tape/laminated though! I got a few other brands of these types of cases but most of them either had one insert tray that wouldn't come out, curved or uneven edges underneath so it didn't fit as many pans as this. I'll check out other non-palette storage boxes like you mentioned!
Would you have a link to these please mydogeatspuke???
Just look around at your home and you’ll find stuff you can repurpose as a storage solution. Like A4 document file case.
I have reused old containers and made my own wood boxes before, but I have not found anything as durable, airtight/dust resistant or perfectly sized as this. As a bonus it also has the ability to fit longer paint brushes, be used as a mixing area or even fit my small ceramic palettes inside. Not many people will find something laying around that would work this well.
I have 36 tubes that I'd love to have out all the time. I hope you do a follow-up on what you'd find as the most useful color organization of a large set.
Yes, this initial play time with this big palette box was the first step in my upcoming brand overview video for White Nights. I'll go over how I chose my top mixing colors to have as easy-access at the top rows, followed by go-to favorites, then sectioned off things like pastels, metallics, fugitive colors separate from LF ones etc. and I'll make the color chart inserts too :)
@@KimberlyCrick I look forward to this Kimberly! Can't wait!...bet it will take you some time, and do not mind waiting...awesome of you to attempt to do this!...janis
Desk space is a premium for my workspace, so something that large would wind up frustrating me pretty swiftly. My pans and half pans I've made custom 3d printed holders for. I can fit 10 half pans in a box that's roughly 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.5 inches. Each pan slots in snugly (and pops out via the hole under the pan) and there's a lid that I can snap on the bottom when the paints are being used. Being a bespoke 3d printed model, it's about as hyper custom to my preference as I can get :)
I can understand that, oddly enough part of the reason I decided to get one of these for my Paul Rubens sets was because it was taking up way too much space to have multiple 48 pan metal tins out. This helped me combine sets that I was frequently using together. I also had a problem with my White Nights palettes that I had collected over many years not being used because they were all in separate spots. I love my smaller limited palettes for always having out on my desk, but when I want to play with a certain brand I've collected a lot from the last thing I want to do is find a lot of separate pieces :)
@@KimberlyCrick I tend to just have a few of the 10 sets out, and if need be, just pop out the ones I'm using into a temp empty holder for that one session. I can't even deal with a single 48 pan, I can't imagine trying to use more than one of them!
Your idea works but the last shot showed everything very close to each other. I am sure that it would be difficult and nerve wracking for me to try to use a pan like that to paint with. For storage it is awesome though.
yah...very close to each other...contamination...ready to a happen!
If you did wish to use it as a stay wet palette you could add a wet sponge sheet (you can purchase them online) or a thick layer of wet paper towel + parchment paper (for baking) on the bottom after removing the tray. This will keep even acrylics wet during use and quite a while in storage. Googly DIY stay wet palette for more info.
Interesting I hate the palette my white night paint came in, this could be good and an excuse to pick up some random paint pans to toss in
I came to check out your channel after a mention by The Frugal Crafter, and I'm so glad I found this video. I've been looking for a practical way to keep all my watercolours in full pans in one palette that can close. This will do the trick nicely. How do you hold your pans in place? Double-sided tape?
You have a few options, double sided tape works, adhesive back magnet sheets, or what I did was use packaging tape to seal a thick cardstock insert. I then made a big loop with the tape that functioned like double sided tape on the surface of the paper. That way I can lift the tape-sealed paper out to easily to remove pans later compared to directly adhering them to the base of the container. I saw someone mention they cut pieces of tin/galvanized steel sheets to fit into the bottom, so they could just put magnets on their pans and remove them like fridge magnets. Happy painting :)
that's a really nice box! but I have a fear of paints getting molds, and if I store all my pans in one big box, the risk of them all getting molds from one or two pans highly increases, I assume. Currently I store my pans in separate plastic or tin boxes, but it's difficult to remember which is in which after a while. I use Blue Tac for all the pans as opposed to tape as I can take them in and out easily without worrying about the stickiness of tape which is hard to remove.
I can understand that, I completely forget where some of my collection is if it's gotten too separated (sometimes leading to accidentally buying a duplicate). Blue Tac is nice, especially if placing the pans directly in the container. I put a thick piece of cardstock in the bottom of my tray to adhere the pans to, so that I can just pick it up and flex it if I need to remove anything. I haven't seen many mold issues since I switched to painting with purified water a few years ago. I go through a pretty small amount of water though since I usually paint small. Once I made handmade paint without the mold inhibitors that are in common paints... I closed the container while it was still damp and found mold a few days later. I remember Teoh mentioning that his apartment in Singapore is really humid and the way he solved paints getting moldy was to let them dry in the sun near a window for a little while before closing the case. Out of curiosity I'd love to know if there are any brands you've had mold issues with? I saw a review for Mission Gold where 1 color became moldy just from squeezing the tube out into a pan to dry. I assume that only happens in a bad batch.
@@KimberlyCrick I myself have not yet had mold issues so far, probably because I mainly use DS, cotman, Holbein and Van Gogh which dry fast after being put into pans. In a watercolor group chat that I'm in, I often see people talking about the following brands getting mold: M.Graham(mostly and frequently), Mission Gold, and sometimes White Nights. Maybe because the honey binder in them attracts bacteria to settle in, especially in my area where it's humid oftentimes (not like the humidity in Teoh's though). I heard about using purified water or soft water when painting with M.Graham, but it sounds too much work for me lol. The bottled purified water is not cheap, and if I buy one of those big volume bottle, I also worry the water would go bad due to bacteria before I use it up. My beginner painting skill doesn't deserve purified water yet haha. That's why my M.Graham palettes remains untouched still ;(
@@dannychen1064 Thank you so much for that detailed response, it's really good to know which brands are giving people some trouble! Yeah, MGraham has a lot of purified water users also because they also suffer from textural issues, gritty weird patterns a little like unpleasant granulation, when using certain water types. All of their quins had weird sandy looking patches when I used them with my tap water. I bet all the honey paints stay too moist in some climates attracting more problems than other brands. I love how easy honey paints are to re-wet, but they really seem best for use in a controlled dry or indoor air conditioned environment. Thanks for your input :)
@@KimberlyCrick thank you for you detailed reply as well! I love how easy rewetting MGraham is, and I don't mind its smell that much. But it's not ideal for outdoor painting since I alwasy have to worry if they are running up and down inside the palette box :D I guess there is no perfect paint in the world ;)
Kim, I’ve been doing this for almost a year now…and exactly for my Szmal collection! I use the small “permanent” glue dots to adhere them down (for metal palettes, I stick a tiny neodymium magnet in the groove on the bottom of the pans). It works like a charm, but it IS a bit heavy when “filled,” LOL! I also use some sticky putty/a kneaded eraser if I don’t have a full lineup, just as an extra safety measure in any “open spaces” left…especially along the bottom row. So when, dear @Kimberly Crick Art, will you do a video on the Aquarius colors like Payne’s Gray (gorgeous, because it of course uses PB27, which is my Kryptonite), Pryzqlmprissk…you know the one…with PR177, or Pyrrol Orange with PO73? (And Prussian…how I WISH there was SOME brand that had a lightfast PB27…) Also, curious if you know what pigment is in “Aquarius Orange?” I got it when it said Pigment Code N/A, but have never found the actual code. It has that almost-fluorescent hue that reminds me of the Imidaz./Benza colors, but I am just not sure. Trying SO hard not to end up with fugitive colors. I love this brand, especially for their high amount of single-pigment colors, but I think I’d actually prefer giving up a few SPs for better LFs. I can’t believe I said that…I’ve spent YEARS trying to build SP palettes. It’s why the whole DS PrimaGate -piss- … er … had me so twitterpated. Would love your thoughts on any/all of the above! Hugs and hearts for all you do! 🤗💕
I'm just waiting on a few lightfast test results before doing some more Roman Szmal and other brand spotlight videos. The Aquarius Orange is best labeled as DPP for now (this form of Diketopyrrolo Pyrrole pigment has not yet been registered for an official color index code number). It was initially released as P0107 from Winsor & Newton (same as transparent orange) before being released as DPP instead since the chemical supplier didn't get it registered with ASTM. It's a very nice, reliable pigment, LFI mass LFII diluted. As far as I know only RSzmal and WNewton have it so far, but I expect it'll eventually become more common and also get assigned a new code in the future :)
GREAT! I do NOT do minimalism when it comes to watercolour, my palette is exploding with pans all squeezed in. The more the merrier! 👍👍👍👍👍
Hi, I came across your video today. I am getting a 24 full pan size curated kit in a cardboard box for Aquarius paints. I do plan to grow with them an so I found your video very informative as I do have this Paul Ruben tray pallet. So I plan to use it for my Aquarius paints and have room to add more. Do you think I can use magnets instead of double sided tape?
You would have to cut a tin metal sheet to glue inside the case to be able to use magnets, since the plastic isn't magnetic, but yes there's plenty of room in there if you'd like to use magnets. I hope you enjoy your Aquarius paints :D
Ordered! Thanks for the tip :-) I've been having a messy, STICKY time with my Roman Szmal collection in this hot, sticky weather--you say you can adhere the pans upside down with no issues??
I wouldn't take this out of the house in high heat/humidity/direct sun, but otherwise I haven't had any trouble with White Nights or Roman Szmal turning liquid enough to actually ooze out of the trays. Unlike Sennelier or MGraham tubes put into pans, the WN and RS seem to stay inside of their pans regardless of orientation. There will be an air gap between the top and bottom layer of pans, so there should never be paints touching each other. You could totally put a sheet of plastic like a film projector transparency sheet or plastic from a take-out dinner box between them just in case!
It very much depends on your local climate. I spoke to someone last week who even has glycerin/gum arabic brands running out of her palette.
😮😮😮
Curious as to how you could ever know which colour is which???That is my big dilemma ...sure you can label each pan with a sharpie, and hope it doesn't come off...but getting a pan out from the middle...or knowing where a specific pan is...yikes...The watercolour challenge!
It definitely takes a little planning. I put a piece of paper on the bottom of the tray so the whole layer of paint comes up flexibly instead of stuck to the plastic. I make a big color chart and write all the color names as I put the pans in place. All of my pans are labeled with a sharpie as well, but I dont plan to take them out. I plan to have this whole selection open on a desk with the color chart next to it. Since it's only 7 colors wide for my White Nights I haven't had any issue finding a color. You could be careful not to organize colors that look identical next to each other. I could see that being a problem if all the greens were in a row or something. I am setting up mine by top mixing colors, then favorites, then pastels, then fugitives, and colors I don't use much last. That helps me keep track :)
@@KimberlyCrick Thanks...interesting way...instead of having all greens in a row...