What's on Your Palette? (Second Sunday Live Demo for Aug 2020, re-recorded)

Reconstruction of a live demo from Aug 2020 (original file was lost).
One of the most common questions I get, but I never answer, because it's always changing! In this demo, I explain why I don't list the colors on my palette, and how I decide what is on my palette. I hope some of you find the strategy described in this demo helpful in making color mixing easier.
00:00 intro
00:40 why I don't list my colors
02:00 my strategy for building a palette
03:18 what is a limited palette?
05:45 limited palette vs. "base" palette
06:00 starting a base palette from a primary palette
12:17 balancing tinting strengths
16:18 other properties to consider
22:18 what's a split-primary palette?
25:32 why a split-primary palette may not be a good starting point
31:36 what if I already bought a 24-, 36- or 48-color palette?
32:23 the assumptions behind most palette recommendations vs. for the base palette strategy
34:55 deciding when to add colors
36:15 some examples of other base palettes
37:07 base palette for landscape
43:30 a colorful example
44:57 a muted, quieter example
48:12 options for physical palettes
1:00:15 Q&A for this demo
For the handout, go to dragonflyspiritstudio.com and follow links for Learn - Collections - Second Sunday Live Demos - What's on Your Palettte? (Aug 2020)
For Watercolor Jumpstart and its supply list: Learn - Self-Guided Courses - Watercolor Jumpstart
For info on my travel palette: Learn - Collections - Second Sunday Live Demos - Get Ready for Plein Air Painting (Mar 2019)
For the video on dealing with mold: • Dealing with Mold on a...
For folding plastic palettes with gaskets, search for "folding plastic watercolor palette with gasket". I don't make specific product recommendations or do affiliate links or keep track of brands of things I use. Can't recall what the brands are on mine, so please don't email me to ask. I'll just respond, "I don't remember." :)
My studio notebook: I use lots of different ones. I don't care for spiral binding, so mine tend to be Stillman & Birn beta series softcover, Etchr Lab watercolor sketchbooks, or Handbook hardbound watercolor sketchbooks. The one in this video is Etchr Lab. (Again, please don't ask me to do product recommendations or reviews of any of them. Not my thing.)
I also don't do any color comparisons or brand reviews of watercolors. There are plenty of others who love to do that, and many of the manufacturers have channels where they discuss properties of their paints in detail. Go to the experts, please! :)
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For a wealth of watercolor how-to info, project templates and reference photos and watercolor courses (much of it free), visit my website at
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Thanks for watching!