Wish I had watched this video last year when I started learning watercolor! last year I purchased a few cheap plastic palettes (& 1 not so cheap) and found them lacking for all the reasons Ashley mentioned (those are now used by my 4 yr old granddaughter). Recently I found smaller white porcelain serving platters and some small square flat bottomed tapas dishes at a discount store. They are perfect and much cheaper than ceramic palettes. Also I have been spending an inordinate amount of time learning pigment properties and color mixing, which will ultimately save me lots $ on paint and is giving me some beautiful mixes (& some not so much lol) watercolor is a fun journey
@@carladanforth1349 So glad that you've found some palettes that work for you! Mastering color mixing is such a great skill as a watercolorist (& for other mediums too). You'll continue to reap the benefits of being able to mix your own colors and manipulate them as you want to!
When I began my watercolor journey, on a tight budget, I had to get creative. I bought a cheap picture frame at Walmart. I removed that back, flipped the models picture over so the white backing was facing up and placed it back into the frame and replaced the back board. I then used my glue gun and applied glue all around the front edges of the frame where the glass meets the frame to create a seal. BINGO! I have a water proof mixing tray. Perfectly flat, unlike the Butcher tray I had wasted my money on (it was not flat). Perhaps others would like to try my hack. You could make it as big or small as you need. Happy Arting!
At home I love my multiple ceramic options, so I’m modular at my little desk. On the go, I supplement my travel palette with Yupo (or similar plastic sheet) cut to the size of my travel book or smaller. That way I have a mixing sheet specific to the project until I’m done. I have different travel palettes based on what I’m doing and where I’m heading. My mini palette only works with my very small water brush (slightly smaller than 1/4 pans). My “regular” travel kit is half pans. I also have a Pike palette, which is a joy to use, I just lack desk real estate.
This is the most comprehensive video on palettes I’ve seen so far! Thank you. I would recommend tempered glass dinner plates like the ones by Corelle or the cheap ones at IKEA for $1 especially for people who like to mix colors and keep them around until all the paint is used. They are nice and white and stack well when the paints are dry. They are more durable and lighter than porcelain or ceramic plates. The paint does not bead up either.
I keep my paints in half or full pans in metal tins but always use porcelain for mixing. Nothing fancy, just second hand dishes, everything from small saucers to big serving dishes. I found a few small dishes with different compartments that are very practical for mixing big washes.
I've been using Ice Cube trays for holding the paint from the tubes, and I use a food platter for mixing. White plastic for waters and gouache, and acrylics. Glass/porcelain/Ceramic from Goodwill or yard sales, for Oils.
This was a fun and informative exercise. Thanks! I made 2 color wheels. One was with an old Grumbacher student grade pallet from college and the other was with new tubes of Windsor Newton watercolors. It was interesting to see the differences not only in the colors but their vibrancy as well. Another plus of making the wheels was practicing my water control and mixture skills. You are a good teacher.🎈
I’ve tried just about all of these as well! My favorite surface is porcelain though... I’m going to pick up several small porcelain salad plates from the dollar store and try those (someone else’s suggestion)!
It's hard to beat a porcelain surface! :) I was first turned on to the plate idea by Sarah Simon (@TheMintGardener on Instagram). Genius! Thanks for watching! -Ashley
My favorite pallete is a porcelain plate that I found at the thrift store for $0.85!! It has little walled sections which I'm pretty sure was meant for kids to keep their food from touching on the plate (😅who else remembers being that kid). I can see why no one wanted it but it was PERFECT for a watercolor mixing surface! I highly recommend you check out your thrift stores, never know what kind of funny looking serving plates you'll find that will be super helpful to you
I have several "pallets" I use. I have a couple plastic ones similar to those shown and I have a couple metal ones, store-bought and homemade from altoid tins with half pans. They work fairly well and I endure the same issues as pointed out in the video. I use a ceramic (actually "Stoneware") dish, mainly for acrylics but cleaned, watercolors also. I also use a piece of epoxied fiberglass, similar to the stuff used for tub surrounds/stall showers, which I acquired through my work, as I'm a home remodeling contractor. I use a piece of safety glass, also acquired through work, for my oil paints. I acid etched the back and coated it with a suitable white paint and it works excellently for oils. Scrapes clean with minimal effort. I don't do much in oils these days as the prices are ridiculously astronomical so mostly acrylics and the interspersed runs of watercolors. Nice video. Thank you for sharing!
I got a sushi set a few years ago and found that I wasn't using it so I converted the set into palettes for smaller watercolor works. I have a similar palette to your Pike palette which I do use most of the time. It has a little bit of staining but that doesn't see to bother me.
Ashley, this is the best video of the pluses and minuses of the various types of palettes that i have seen!! It is very comprehensive. Do you squeeze out paint from tubes as needed or do you fill wells/spaces?
Thank you Sandra, I'm glad you enjoyed it! In the beginning I filled up the wells and spaces from my tube paints... but then as I got nicer tube paints, and was still in "experimentation mode" with my palettes, I didn't fill the wells up as much, just in case I didn't like a palette. When you're trying out a new palette, I'd suggest just squeezing out tube paint as needed, until you're sure you want to "commit" to that palette! 😂
I have over time used all but disposable .. I too favor ceramic palettes because they don’t bead up from day one. I have sizes from large serving trays down to soap dish size for in my travel bag.
Have you tried Magic Erasers to help get stains out of the metal palette? I used it on my cutting mat, which I use as my desk cover while I paint, and it removed the stains on there so maybe it’ll work on the metal palettes.
Great info. I found you by searching Large well palettes. I like to paint with large brushes. I have several palettes and way too many paints. 😬 I was already leaning towards a John Pike palette.
When you scroll to the description below the video, click "SHOW MORE" which you'll see in gray right below the description. That will allow the links to show up!
BTW. I use two palettes. A Robax palette introduced to me by Angela Fehr.. Mine is circular, it turns like a lazy susan, and I ordered the one that has 24 wells. It has a mixing area in the middle and a lid that can be used for mixing. I do not use the mixing surfaces as I prefer a ceramic surface for mixing. I j.have a ceramic palette that sits on my Robax that I use for mixing
I make my own grey pallets. I use a picture frame and than wen i get home pray it whit a grey primer paint pray. I just spray one side 3 times to get an even cote. I love these home made pallets. I got the advice from an other youtube artist. I paint whit oil and watercolours and i only use 8 colours to paint. But i love the big plastic pallet whit holes along the side for my watercolours😊👋🏾
I use a Dollar Tree ice cube tray and a white Dollar Tree food platter for my paints- Not for Oils though. I use a picture frame glass taped to a white foam board from Dollar Tree for Oils.
Typically watercolors will last a long time and you can reanimate them with water even when they start to crack. I would add water on top and let it sit a while and see if you can use them again. If they dry up in the tube, you can often cut the tube open to get the paint out and still use it as well.
@@gerrycook7566 you can squeeze out tube watercolors onto a palette and let them dry and then continue to use them by activating them with water. If you want a more concentrated color, you can use them straight from the tube.
A little tip on removing those stains from the metal and plastic palettes, use a white polymer plastic eraser, it will remove most if not all the staining. Other ideas for ceramic palettes, I use soap dishes and condiment trays. I have limited space so I use smaller palettes.
*Do you use any of these palettes? Which one is your favorite?*
Wish I had watched this video last year when I started learning watercolor! last year I purchased a few cheap plastic palettes (& 1 not so cheap) and found them lacking for all the reasons Ashley mentioned (those are now used by my 4 yr old granddaughter). Recently I found smaller white porcelain serving platters and some small square flat bottomed tapas dishes at a discount store. They are perfect and much cheaper than ceramic palettes.
Also I have been spending an inordinate amount of time learning pigment properties and color mixing, which will ultimately save me lots $ on paint and is giving me some beautiful mixes (& some not so much lol) watercolor is a fun journey
@@carladanforth1349 So glad that you've found some palettes that work for you! Mastering color mixing is such a great skill as a watercolorist (& for other mediums too). You'll continue to reap the benefits of being able to mix your own colors and manipulate them as you want to!
i use a John Pike, love it because there are so many mixing areas.
I just went through my cupboards and I pulled out my white fondue plates, thanks to this vidéo it will cost me 0$ ;) (I'm just starting out)
@@julielandry-godin4347 🎉🎉🎉 you can't beat free!
When I began my watercolor journey, on a tight budget, I had to get creative. I bought a cheap picture frame at Walmart. I removed that back, flipped the models picture over so the white backing was facing up and placed it back into the frame and replaced the back board. I then used my glue gun and applied glue all around the front edges of the frame where the glass meets the frame to create a seal. BINGO! I have a water proof mixing tray. Perfectly flat, unlike the Butcher tray I had wasted my money on (it was not flat). Perhaps others would like to try my hack. You could make it as big or small as you need. Happy Arting!
Thanks very much for all the nice infos they were very intressting.
You are very right that you dont need very many colours.😊
At home I love my multiple ceramic options, so I’m modular at my little desk. On the go, I supplement my travel palette with Yupo (or similar plastic sheet) cut to the size of my travel book or smaller. That way I have a mixing sheet specific to the project until I’m done. I have different travel palettes based on what I’m doing and where I’m heading. My mini palette only works with my very small water brush (slightly smaller than 1/4 pans). My “regular” travel kit is half pans.
I also have a Pike palette, which is a joy to use, I just lack desk real estate.
This is the most comprehensive video on palettes I’ve seen so far! Thank you. I would recommend tempered glass dinner plates like the ones by Corelle or the cheap ones at IKEA for $1 especially for people who like to mix colors and keep them around until all the paint is used. They are nice and white and stack well when the paints are dry. They are more durable and lighter than porcelain or ceramic plates. The paint does not bead up either.
Thanks, Meeko! That's a great recommendation.
I keep my paints in half or full pans in metal tins but always use porcelain for mixing. Nothing fancy, just second hand dishes, everything from small saucers to big serving dishes. I found a few small dishes with different compartments that are very practical for mixing big washes.
I've been using Ice Cube trays for holding the paint from the tubes, and I use a food platter for mixing. White plastic for waters and gouache, and acrylics. Glass/porcelain/Ceramic from Goodwill or yard sales, for Oils.
This was a fun and informative exercise. Thanks! I made 2 color wheels. One was with an old Grumbacher student grade pallet from college and the other was with new tubes of Windsor Newton watercolors. It was interesting to see the differences not only in the colors but their vibrancy as well. Another plus of making the wheels was practicing my water control and mixture skills. You are a good teacher.🎈
Thank you!
I hot glued some half pans to the rim of a white dish. They pop off after a while buy it works pretty well otherwise. Easy to glue them back on.
I’ve tried just about all of these as well! My favorite surface is porcelain though... I’m going to pick up several small porcelain salad plates from the dollar store and try those (someone else’s suggestion)!
It's hard to beat a porcelain surface! :) I was first turned on to the plate idea by Sarah Simon (@TheMintGardener on Instagram). Genius! Thanks for watching! -Ashley
My favorite pallete is a porcelain plate that I found at the thrift store for $0.85!! It has little walled sections which I'm pretty sure was meant for kids to keep their food from touching on the plate (😅who else remembers being that kid). I can see why no one wanted it but it was PERFECT for a watercolor mixing surface!
I highly recommend you check out your thrift stores, never know what kind of funny looking serving plates you'll find that will be super helpful to you
@@chaoticgood8645 great idea!!!
I have several "pallets" I use. I have a couple plastic ones similar to those shown and I have a couple metal ones, store-bought and homemade from altoid tins with half pans. They work fairly well and I endure the same issues as pointed out in the video. I use a ceramic (actually "Stoneware") dish, mainly for acrylics but cleaned, watercolors also. I also use a piece of epoxied fiberglass, similar to the stuff used for tub surrounds/stall showers, which I acquired through my work, as I'm a home remodeling contractor. I use a piece of safety glass, also acquired through work, for my oil paints. I acid etched the back and coated it with a suitable white paint and it works excellently for oils. Scrapes clean with minimal effort. I don't do much in oils these days as the prices are ridiculously astronomical so mostly acrylics and the interspersed runs of watercolors.
Nice video. Thank you for sharing!
Good day. First You Tube video? Great job. Very thoural, concise, and detailed. Continued luck and success.
Thanks so much Michele! :)
Amazing tips
Thank you!
You can useally remove stains from palettes by using a white eraser.
I got a sushi set a few years ago and found that I wasn't using it so I converted the set into palettes for smaller watercolor works. I have a similar palette to your Pike palette which I do use most of the time. It has a little bit of staining but that doesn't see to bother me.
I use one of those glass plates that goes in the bottom of a microwave. I found it at a thrift store, and I painted the underside of it white. 😊
Such a creative use!
i have the John Pike Pallet, i really like.
Ashley, this is the best video of the pluses and minuses of the various types of palettes that i have seen!! It is very comprehensive. Do you squeeze out paint from tubes as needed or do you fill wells/spaces?
Thank you Sandra, I'm glad you enjoyed it! In the beginning I filled up the wells and spaces from my tube paints... but then as I got nicer tube paints, and was still in "experimentation mode" with my palettes, I didn't fill the wells up as much, just in case I didn't like a palette. When you're trying out a new palette, I'd suggest just squeezing out tube paint as needed, until you're sure you want to "commit" to that palette! 😂
I have over time used all but disposable .. I too favor ceramic palettes because they don’t bead up from day one. I have sizes from large serving trays down to soap dish size for in my travel bag.
Have you tried Magic Erasers to help get stains out of the metal palette? I used it on my cutting mat, which I use as my desk cover while I paint, and it removed the stains on there so maybe it’ll work on the metal palettes.
I haven't! Sounds like it would be worth a try!
Magic erasers will erase stains from plastic palettes 😊😊
Wish you were still posting.
Great info. I found you by searching Large well palettes. I like to paint with large brushes. I have several palettes and way too many paints. 😬 I was already leaning towards a John Pike palette.
The John Pike palette is a good one! Hope you enjoy it 😊
Left brained-analytical! That’s me! But I’m left handed so doesn’t that mean I’m in my right mind? 🤣
Do you have links for your classes, like the one you mentionned at the end of the vidéo 😊?
When you scroll to the description below the video, click "SHOW MORE" which you'll see in gray right below the description. That will allow the links to show up!
Thank you so much
BTW. I use two palettes. A Robax palette introduced to me by Angela Fehr.. Mine is circular, it turns like a lazy susan, and I ordered the one that has 24 wells. It has a mixing area in the middle and a lid that can be used for mixing. I do not use the mixing surfaces as I prefer a ceramic surface for mixing. I j.have a ceramic palette that sits on my Robax that I use for mixing
The spinning feature sounds nice for easy access to your colors. And you're right, it's hard to beat ceramic for mixing!
I make my own grey pallets. I use a picture frame and than wen i get home pray it whit a grey primer paint pray. I just spray one side 3 times to get an even cote. I love these home made pallets. I got the advice from an other youtube artist. I paint whit oil and watercolours and i only use 8 colours to paint. But i love the big plastic pallet whit holes along the side for my watercolours😊👋🏾
The Masters Brush Cleaner gets any paint stain off of your palettes.
I use a Dollar Tree ice cube tray and a white Dollar Tree food platter for my paints- Not for Oils though. I use a picture frame glass taped to a white foam board from Dollar Tree for Oils.
It doesn't have to be expensive to work great!
I use my old pizza pans or ones I find at Goodwill for oil. Going to look at plates for WC pallets
@@kathleenalarid1150 Plates are usually pretty easy to find at Goodwill too. Good luck!
What do you do with your watercolors that dry up and crack?
Typically watercolors will last a long time and you can reanimate them with water even when they start to crack. I would add water on top and let it sit a while and see if you can use them again. If they dry up in the tube, you can often cut the tube open to get the paint out and still use it as well.
Thank you for the info. Which watercolors can’t be put in a pallet and need to be used straight from the tube
@@gerrycook7566 you can squeeze out tube watercolors onto a palette and let them dry and then continue to use them by activating them with water. If you want a more concentrated color, you can use them straight from the tube.
magic erasers cleans all the stain from Pike Palette
A little tip on removing those stains from the metal and plastic palettes, use a white polymer plastic eraser, it will remove most if not all the staining.
Other ideas for ceramic palettes, I use soap dishes and condiment trays. I have limited space so I use smaller palettes.
Great tip, Brian!
Magic Eraser also works well on staining.
There highter in the center by design to drain blood from meat