After watching your video on making paint swatches, which was so incredibly helpful, I watched this video, which is also *so*incredibly*helpful*!! Thank you so much for going slowly and showing all the detail. I learned so many things I didn't know before, like: (1) shake your tube before squeezing out your paint (2) mix your paint once it's in the palette (3) label each color using an alcohol based permanent marker (4) tube squeezers are a thing (5) here are some colors Jane Blundell might put in a palette (6) here's what those colors actually look like when squeezed out of their tubes, and (7) here are some good uses for toothpicks and porcupine quills! :D Thank you so much for making this video and for all you do to teach people all over the world about watercolors.
I’ve only been painting since last year and your website has been invaluable in helping me choose Daniel Smith paints for my new palette. Thank you so much!
I'm so happy to see you on youtube Jane! I've followed your blog for quite some time and enjoy your mixing information and consider it invaluable! I hope to see many more videos on your channel here on youtube....much love to you ❤
That was a very helpful video, I'm a beginner and have just bought the same palette, I was wondering how to layout the palette colours. I assume it's top colours are warm and bottom colds? Thanks for the tips as well.
Hi Natasha, I’ve always worked in water colour and love it for character and effects but have struggled to understand cool/warm and colour theory in general so the last couple of months I’ve done some research and found Stephen Quiller, loads on utube and I bought his book; colour choices, making sense out of colour theory (yes this is the whole title 🧐) verrrrry good, not my art style but the colour info brilliant, I don’t feel so lost about colour anymore. And I’ve been looking at Jane Blundell, I’m going to get her book; the ultimate mixing palette, a world of colours (another mouthful) and Daniel smith do her palette, she covers warm and cools too. Hope you find this interesting 🤗
It’s a hole for your thumb so you can hold the palette open with one hand and paint with the others. I’m not sure about the small holes but my guess allows air to flow thru palette when closed so the paint pans and surfaces dry.
I wish you would write a book on just color, with similar info about pigments/colors/brands like you have on your blog. I really believe in using 6 primaries, with a warm and cool of each...but I just keep buying other colors, and have been doing so for years, especially in the last few decades as local art supply stores started going out of business and had really low prices on high end brands.
I have a book called 'The Ultimate Mixing Palette: a World of colours' that you can read about on my website. It shows all the possible 2-colour mixes and many of the three-colour mixes you can create using my recommended 15-colour palette. My website also gives alternatives from different brands, where possible.
I make sure I stir the paint into the wells so it fills the space. And I use artist quality watercolours. So they shouldn't fall out. If one does at any stage, you just add a drop of water (distilled if possible but not essential) to the well and press the block of colour back in. If you have glycerine you might add a drop of that too to really 'glue' it into place.
Not necessarily - you still need to open a new tube with care. If it has been exposed to high pressure or heat, or if the tube has been squeezed, it can explode or pour out quickly so have your fingers ready to give the base (near the crimped section at the bottom of the tube) a little squeeze to force the paint back in if it does start to explode out.
*I'm curious. Even when dried, doesn't the paint from the top wells, fall to the bottom, when the palette is closed? I'm looking into buying two of these palettes, both for watercolors and gouache, but I'm concerned that my paint will become a mess once it's closed. Thanks in advance :)*
I've been setting up these palettes for my students for 20 years using Daniel Smith and sometimes da Vinci watercolours and don't have a problem. Of course you don't close them with the paint wet, and after a painting session you allow to dry. With those brands you don't need to spray the colours with water before use so they are not getting really wet anyway. With some brands, and with gouache, you need to add glycerine when you set up the palette to stop them drying out and with some brands you can only set up with very small amounts of paint due to high honey content. Each brand is slightly different. If a chip of dried watercolour does ever fall out, I would simply put a drop of distilled water and a drop of glycerine in the well and place the watercolour chip back in place. Give it a little time to soften then press back in to wedge into place.
A new palette will bead up for a while, especially plastic ones, but I find it best to just keep using them. Some people clean them with a cleaning agent but be careful about that - it can scratch the surface. I find the best cleaner is the Masters Brush cleaner and conditioner - while great for brushes, it is also good for cleaning palettes.
Hi Jane, your channel is so helpful, thanks! Can I ask if you would use a palette filled like this to paint en Plein air? I have been looking at buying a set with pre-filled pans as I thought it would be more convenient but your method seems very versatile.
Yes you certainly can. It is a very portable palette with good brush access. You just need to let the colours dry before folding it up and putting it away!
I have chosen to add some script rather than talking as I have many deaf students. It is fine if you watch on a computer screen but yes it is more difficult on a smaller screen.
@Jane Blundell I love your videos and your blog. Both have helped me a great deal on my water color journey. Thank you for the reply, and all your hard work!
I took a look at your website, do you ship to the US as well? I also like Da Vinci and DS paints, I have a few, but this looks so much easier for a beginner like me
Shipping to the US is not very reliable at the moment. Consider getting the new Daniel Smith 24 colour half pan palette - that is a great colour range to get started 🙂
Jane Blundell thank you very much for the tip. Unfortunately, it’ll be a while till we’re able to do things the way we use to do them, if ever. However, there aren’t any barriers for the internet! I like how you set up the palettes for your students which makes it easier to paint along with you online from any part of the world
Really love your video! I'm always scared to use tubes because I don't draw very often. How long is it okay to keep the pigments in the pallet like this? Can you keep it there for like five to ten years?
Yes you can. Once dry, the pigments will remain the same for years. Just make sure you allow them to totally dry before you close the palette and store them - putting away damp watercolours for a long time can sometimes cause mould to form.
@@weiqiuyou9402 Some watercolours have oxgall added to them, but it is a product you can buy if you want to increase the dispersion rate of the colour. I don't use it and I certainly don't need to add it to Daniel Smith watercolours.
@@janeblundellart I see! Thank you so much! I might buy the Daniel Smith 24 half-pan set, but it's reassuring to know these if I want to add more paints from tubes to the empty tin. :D
@@janeblundellart Thank you ever so much for your amazing videos where you teach so much! What an inspiration. i am new to watercolor and am trying to decide what I should use for paint. I wonder if you might be able to tell me if paints with a honey base can tend to mold due to their high moisture content?
Hello. I’m super new. I have one of these palettes. I’ve never put anything in it because it isn’t air tight. Does that matter? I had some gauche one time dry out and crack in one not air tight so it made me skiddish. Maybe that because it was student grade?
Gouache is not necessarily the same as watercolour. It often has a chalk in it to make if more opaque, which means it won't dry in a palette and re-wet the way watercolours do. Some gouache is basically the same as a very highly pigmented watercolour - M.Graham, Da Vinci and Schmincke - so they will re-wet in a palette more easily. Others are best used fresh. I don't like the idea of watercolours staying wet in a palette - the ideal conditions for mould to form. So I allow the watercolours (or gouache) to completely dry before closing the palette when I fill it and each time I use it. If you set up a palette and the colours crack, try adding a drop or two of glycerine and mixing it well. It will help the paint stay together in the well and re-wet more easily.
It doesn't need to be air tight for watercolour. I actually like my watercolour palettes to dry before I close them so they don't risk going mouldy. If you want to set up a gouache palette, it is bet to add a little glycerine to each colour as you set them up. Just one drop in each well if you are filling this palette, and stir. Ideally choose professional gouache colours that don't have any filler or chalk, such as Da Vinci, Schmincke, M.Graham or Winsor & Newton. I've made a post about my gouache palette here janeblundellart.blogspot.com/2018/10/gouache.html
They will be touch-dry over night but I like to set up palettes and give them a couple of days to dry before I take them out anywhere. Sometimes the paints shrink a bit so another top-up is useful.
Once the paint is dry, yes you certainly can. It takes a couple of days to totally dry. When using the palette, there is no need to spray water into Daniel Smith paints, as many people do with watercolours. Use the paints as normal and allow to dry again en plein air then close and pack away.
Thank you! It has been almost 48 hours since I filled my new pallette. I shook the tube before applying in the well. Then, I used toothpicks making sure the paints were spread into the corners. This morning, they have not dried. Should it take this long? The temperature in the house is around 73. Any suggestions? Thank you for your video!😘👍💖
This is super helpful! I've always just placed my color from the tube into the palette and off I went. However, that's not the easiest thing when you want to travel. Also, my colors get really dirty which leads to loads of paint getting wasted. Your technique is much better. Can you show us what you do to clean up the palette after a painting seesion so that the colors & mixing trays return to a clean state without losing a lot of paint? Thanks! Rhonda
Once you make your palette, allow to dry fully - so it will be portable - then add water to use. With Daniel Smith watercolours you only need to use a damp brush to reactivate the colours. With some brands, especially student watercolours, it is helpful to add a drop of water to each colour you are using to help to soften them.
I write in a permanent pen so it takes a lot to wash it away. You can even use that space in the colour for creating puddles of colour if you wish with no problems.
I've done many demonstrations exploring a range of different triads - you can see some of them on my website in the tutorials and resources section. In watercolour, the closest to a CYM would be a mid yellow such as hansa yellow medium, Quinacridone Magenta (called quinacridone Lilac in Daniel Smith but made with PR122) and phthalo blue green shade. I prefer to use quinacridone rose rather than magenta - you can see that triad on my blog here janeblundellart.blogspot.com/2018/07/da-vinci-triad-cool-triad-for-northern.html. I also prefer to use ultramarine rather than phthalo blue, but you can certainly create an incredible range of colours with just three well chosen primaries. You just need a lot of mixing space!
I chose not to add sound as I was using so much X2 or X4 to show the process. Also not everyone watching speaks English so I try to make the visuals more universal. However I'll keep your comment in mind.
After watching your video on making paint swatches, which was so incredibly helpful, I watched this video, which is also *so*incredibly*helpful*!! Thank you so much for going slowly and showing all the detail. I learned so many things I didn't know before, like: (1) shake your tube before squeezing out your paint (2) mix your paint once it's in the palette (3) label each color using an alcohol based permanent marker (4) tube squeezers are a thing (5) here are some colors Jane Blundell might put in a palette (6) here's what those colors actually look like when squeezed out of their tubes, and (7) here are some good uses for toothpicks and porcupine quills! :D Thank you so much for making this video and for all you do to teach people all over the world about watercolors.
Thank you for this video -- I really didn't know the right way to set up a palette with tube watercolors and now I do!
Glad it was helpful!
I’ve only been painting since last year and your website has been invaluable in helping me choose Daniel Smith paints for my new palette. Thank you so much!
Great to hear!
Wow! I learnt a lot from this... I didn’t realize that you had to shake the tube... or stir the paints. Thanks for the video. 😊
Thanks Jane, your responses to peoples questions are very helpful also.
I'm so happy to see you on youtube Jane! I've followed your blog for quite some time and enjoy your mixing information and consider it invaluable! I hope to see many more videos on your channel here on youtube....much love to you ❤
Thank you :-)
As a complete beginner to the medium this was very helpful thank you, subscribed.
Really enjoyed the tips in this video. Thanks for a great job
That was a very helpful video, I'm a beginner and have just bought the same palette, I was wondering how to layout the palette colours. I assume it's top colours are warm and bottom colds? Thanks for the tips as well.
I’m glad I found your blogs ❤️awesome work
Welcome aboard!
I just found your website today and am so glad to find it! Just love this channel and have subscribed!
Thanks for sharing it was really helpful..!just reading text is a bit difficult can u use a bold text and a colour which can be seen easily..😅
Hi Natasha, I’ve always worked in water colour and love it for character and effects but have struggled to understand cool/warm and colour theory in general so the last couple of months I’ve done some research and found Stephen Quiller, loads on utube and I bought his book; colour choices, making sense out of colour theory (yes this is the whole title 🧐) verrrrry good, not my art style but the colour info brilliant, I don’t feel so lost about colour anymore. And I’ve been looking at Jane Blundell, I’m going to get her book; the ultimate mixing palette, a world of colours (another mouthful) and Daniel smith do her palette, she covers warm and cools too. Hope you find this interesting 🤗
Hi! I have the same palette. What is that weird opening tab for and the circles underneath it? Thank you!
The opening tab is to put your thumb in it and hold the palette better, and I think the holes are for holding brushes and pens
It’s a hole for your thumb so you can hold the palette open with one hand and paint with the others. I’m not sure about the small holes but my guess allows air to flow thru palette when closed so the paint pans and surfaces dry.
I wish you would write a book on just color, with similar info about pigments/colors/brands like you have on your blog. I really believe in using 6 primaries, with a warm and cool of each...but I just keep buying other colors, and have been doing so for years, especially in the last few decades as local art supply stores started going out of business and had really low prices on high end brands.
I have a book called 'The Ultimate Mixing Palette: a World of colours' that you can read about on my website. It shows all the possible 2-colour mixes and many of the three-colour mixes you can create using my recommended 15-colour palette. My website also gives alternatives from different brands, where possible.
I'm just beginning with this soo i have doubt that won't they fall off after drying
They won't, I tried it :0
Thanks for help dude ☺️
I make sure I stir the paint into the wells so it fills the space. And I use artist quality watercolours. So they shouldn't fall out. If one does at any stage, you just add a drop of water (distilled if possible but not essential) to the well and press the block of colour back in. If you have glycerine you might add a drop of that too to really 'glue' it into place.
First time I’ve seen anyone shake a tube first. Does that help stop the paint from exploding out ?
Not necessarily - you still need to open a new tube with care. If it has been exposed to high pressure or heat, or if the tube has been squeezed, it can explode or pour out quickly so have your fingers ready to give the base (near the crimped section at the bottom of the tube) a little squeeze to force the paint back in if it does start to explode out.
*I'm curious. Even when dried, doesn't the paint from the top wells, fall to the bottom, when the palette is closed? I'm looking into buying two of these palettes, both for watercolors and gouache, but I'm concerned that my paint will become a mess once it's closed. Thanks in advance :)*
I've been setting up these palettes for my students for 20 years using Daniel Smith and sometimes da Vinci watercolours and don't have a problem. Of course you don't close them with the paint wet, and after a painting session you allow to dry. With those brands you don't need to spray the colours with water before use so they are not getting really wet anyway.
With some brands, and with gouache, you need to add glycerine when you set up the palette to stop them drying out and with some brands you can only set up with very small amounts of paint due to high honey content. Each brand is slightly different.
If a chip of dried watercolour does ever fall out, I would simply put a drop of distilled water and a drop of glycerine in the well and place the watercolour chip back in place. Give it a little time to soften then press back in to wedge into place.
@@janeblundellart Some great information that I was TOTALLY unaware of! Thank you so very much!
What do you do so paint doesn't bead up and your mixes stay spread out on the mixing area of your palette? thank you in advance for your help :)
A new palette will bead up for a while, especially plastic ones, but I find it best to just keep using them. Some people clean them with a cleaning agent but be careful about that - it can scratch the surface. I find the best cleaner is the Masters Brush cleaner and conditioner - while great for brushes, it is also good for cleaning palettes.
Hi Jane, your channel is so helpful, thanks! Can I ask if you would use a palette filled like this to paint en Plein air? I have been looking at buying a set with pre-filled pans as I thought it would be more convenient but your method seems very versatile.
Yes you certainly can. It is a very portable palette with good brush access. You just need to let the colours dry before folding it up and putting it away!
@@janeblundellart thanks Jane!
Do you have a list of th Daniel Smith colors you use?
You can see my palettes on my website here www.janeblundellart.com/my-palettes.html Most haven't changed at all for many years.
I've gotten helpful information from the comments - the white words you include in your video are hard to see against the white pallet.
I have chosen to add some script rather than talking as I have many deaf students. It is fine if you watch on a computer screen but yes it is more difficult on a smaller screen.
Is it easy to wipe off the written in names if you decide to change the color? I was thinking of doing this for my own palette when it arrives.
@Jane Blundell I love your videos and your blog. Both have helped me a great deal on my water color journey. Thank you for the reply, and all your hard work!
The names are written in a permanent pen that can only be fully erased with alcohol so they stay in place for a long time.
I took a look at your website, do you ship to the US as well? I also like Da Vinci and DS paints, I have a few, but this looks so much easier for a beginner like me
Shipping to the US is not very reliable at the moment. Consider getting the new Daniel Smith 24 colour half pan palette - that is a great colour range to get started 🙂
Jane Blundell thank you very much for the tip. Unfortunately, it’ll be a while till we’re able to do things the way we use to do them, if ever. However, there aren’t any barriers for the internet! I like how you set up the palettes for your students which makes it easier to paint along with you online from any part of the world
Really love your video! I'm always scared to use tubes because I don't draw very often. How long is it okay to keep the pigments in the pallet like this? Can you keep it there for like five to ten years?
Yes you can. Once dry, the pigments will remain the same for years. Just make sure you allow them to totally dry before you close the palette and store them - putting away damp watercolours for a long time can sometimes cause mould to form.
@@janeblundellart Thank you so much for your reply!! I heard that some people add oxgall? Is that actually needed?
@@weiqiuyou9402 Some watercolours have oxgall added to them, but it is a product you can buy if you want to increase the dispersion rate of the colour. I don't use it and I certainly don't need to add it to Daniel Smith watercolours.
@@janeblundellart I see! Thank you so much! I might buy the Daniel Smith 24 half-pan set, but it's reassuring to know these if I want to add more paints from tubes to the empty tin. :D
@@janeblundellart Thank you ever so much for your amazing videos where you teach so much! What an inspiration. i am new to watercolor and am trying to decide what I should use for paint. I wonder if you might be able to tell me if paints with a honey base can tend to mold due to their high moisture content?
Hello. I’m super new. I have one of these palettes. I’ve never put anything in it because it isn’t air tight. Does that matter? I had some gauche one time dry out and crack in one not air tight so it made me skiddish. Maybe that because it was student grade?
Gouache is not necessarily the same as watercolour. It often has a chalk in it to make if more opaque, which means it won't dry in a palette and re-wet the way watercolours do. Some gouache is basically the same as a very highly pigmented watercolour - M.Graham, Da Vinci and Schmincke - so they will re-wet in a palette more easily. Others are best used fresh.
I don't like the idea of watercolours staying wet in a palette - the ideal conditions for mould to form. So I allow the watercolours (or gouache) to completely dry before closing the palette when I fill it and each time I use it.
If you set up a palette and the colours crack, try adding a drop or two of glycerine and mixing it well. It will help the paint stay together in the well and re-wet more easily.
It doesn't need to be air tight for watercolour. I actually like my watercolour palettes to dry before I close them so they don't risk going mouldy. If you want to set up a gouache palette, it is bet to add a little glycerine to each colour as you set them up. Just one drop in each well if you are filling this palette, and stir. Ideally choose professional gouache colours that don't have any filler or chalk, such as Da Vinci, Schmincke, M.Graham or Winsor & Newton. I've made a post about my gouache palette here janeblundellart.blogspot.com/2018/10/gouache.html
Hi! How much time should you let your paints dry?
They will be touch-dry over night but I like to set up palettes and give them a couple of days to dry before I take them out anywhere. Sometimes the paints shrink a bit so another top-up is useful.
Can you close the palette with paint on both sides?
Once the paint is dry, yes you certainly can. It takes a couple of days to totally dry.
When using the palette, there is no need to spray water into Daniel Smith paints, as many people do with watercolours. Use the paints as normal and allow to dry again en plein air then close and pack away.
Jane Blundell thank you 😊
Thank you! It has been almost 48 hours since I filled my new pallette. I shook the tube before applying in the well. Then, I used toothpicks making sure the paints were spread into the corners. This morning, they have not dried. Should it take this long? The temperature in the house is around 73. Any suggestions?
Thank you for your video!😘👍💖
I always allow a few days for the paint to completely dry. I often slightly underfill the first time, let dry and then top up some more.
This is super helpful! I've always just placed my color from the tube into the palette and off I went. However, that's not the easiest thing when you want to travel. Also, my colors get really dirty which leads to loads of paint getting wasted. Your technique is much better. Can you show us what you do to clean up the palette after a painting seesion so that the colors & mixing trays return to a clean state without losing a lot of paint? Thanks! Rhonda
Nice
I have been searching eveywhere to know if we should add water to them after making our DIY palette??
Once you make your palette, allow to dry fully - so it will be portable - then add water to use. With Daniel Smith watercolours you only need to use a damp brush to reactivate the colours. With some brands, especially student watercolours, it is helpful to add a drop of water to each colour you are using to help to soften them.
Hey Jane! Great tips.
I liked this video and I subscribed.
I am also an artist. I create art tutorials and other stuff!
Do you have to be pretty careful that your paint doesnt cover the names? Im not that careful pulling paint from my palette….
I write in a permanent pen so it takes a lot to wash it away. You can even use that space in the colour for creating puddles of colour if you wish with no problems.
same like my
I have a question , did you ever try the CMY palette,
I've done many demonstrations exploring a range of different triads - you can see some of them on my website in the tutorials and resources section.
In watercolour, the closest to a CYM would be a mid yellow such as hansa yellow medium, Quinacridone Magenta (called quinacridone Lilac in Daniel Smith but made with PR122) and phthalo blue green shade. I prefer to use quinacridone rose rather than magenta - you can see that triad on my blog here janeblundellart.blogspot.com/2018/07/da-vinci-triad-cool-triad-for-northern.html. I also prefer to use ultramarine rather than phthalo blue, but you can certainly create an incredible range of colours with just three well chosen primaries. You just need a lot of mixing space!
Where's the sound to go along with this video ? It really sucked !!!
I chose not to add sound as I was using so much X2 or X4 to show the process. Also not everyone watching speaks English so I try to make the visuals more universal. However I'll keep your comment in mind.