Why Should I Buy a Wet Palette?
Why is a Wet Palette an essential tool?
Ever wondered how to elevate your miniature painting from good to great? The secret could lie in the painting tools you use. Let us explain why a wet palette is an artist’s best friend and why the Redgrass V2 Wet Palette is stealing the spotlight in the miniature painting realm.
Creating a miniature masterpiece, be it for tabletop gaming or a prized display piece, is an art that demands patience, creativity, and precision. There is one miniature painting tool that can make this easier and a lot more enjoyable – a wet palette! So if you are wondering “Why should I buy a wet palette?” This article is made for you.
Why Use A Wet Palette?
Extended Paint Longevity:
Acrylic paint is the most popular kind of paint to use, but they do have a tendency to dry quite quickly, and once dried it is permanent. A wet palette is invaluable because it will keep your acrylic paints wet and usable until you have finished with them.
The hydration system in a wet palette mitigates this and keeps your acrylic paints fresh and usable for longer, which means you can perfect your art at a leisurely pace without fear of wasted paint!
Acrylic paint is water based, so when exposed to air the water evaporates. this triggers a chemical process called ‘Polymerisation’ that turns the remaining acrylic resin into a continuous flexible film of plastic, which can not be turned back into usable paint. This happens faster in warmer and drier climates, so having a wet palette in areas like this is essential!
How Does a Wet Palette Work?:
Wet palettes provide a moist environment for your acrylic paints. This is because there is a reservoir of water held in a sponge or foam under a semi-permeable membrane which you put your paints on. ‘Semi-permeable’ means it allows some water through – a good wet palette will walk the tightrope of allowing enough water through to keep your paints moist but not so much that they get watered down or diluted too much.
When taking a break in your painting sessions and when you finish for the day, all you have to do is close the lid and press down to activate the seal. The moisture will stay inside the palette, and any paint inside can stay useable and moist for hours, days, weeks and sometimes even months!
Effortless Mixing and Blending:
Paint mixing and blending is an everyday technique for any kind of painter. The hydration system of a wet palette provides a great surface for blending, ensuring your custom paint mix remains smooth and doesn’t dry out before you can finish painting your model. This saves you from needing to recreate the same shade every few minutes and keeps your desired hue ready to go for as long as you need it!
Making Miniature Painting cheaper:
Using a dry palette could be costing you more than you realise, because miniature paints come in small bottles and the wasted paint which dried before you could use it adds up quickly into many lost dollars.
By using a wet palette, the drying process is slowed considerably, so you can add as many paints to your palette as you want without fear of anything being unusable after just 5 or 10 minutes,
Travelling with a Wet Palette:
Whether you are painting on the go or sharing hobby time with friends, the Wet Palette is your reliable companion. It is very easy to remove the used membrane and drain the excess water or leave the palette open overnight so the water can evaporate. Then you can take it anywhere you wish!
Miniature Painting in Hot Climates
For those painting in warmer climes, a wet palette is vital. It allows you to work at a relaxed pace without the fear of your paints drying up after just a few minutes due to the added heat. This means your colours remain vibrant and ready to go for longer, even when sat directly under the warm sun.
Why should I buy a wet palette?
Pro Miniature painters worldwide swear by them!
"A wet palette is a game-changer for miniature painters. It allows you to keep your paints wet and workable for longer, giving you more time to blend and mix colors."
"A wet palette is essential for any miniature painter who wants to improve their skills. It allows you to keep your paints at the perfect consistency for longer, so you can focus on painting instead of worrying about your paints drying out."
"A wet palette is one of the most important tools in a miniature painter's arsenal."
Should I Buy a Wet Palette?
The answer is definitely yes, no matter how experienced you are, because of these numerous benefits.
At Redgrass, we understand how important a great wet palette is, and we have worked tirelessly to bring you the best and most innovative wet palettes on the market. There are so many advantages they bring including keeping your paints workable, cost saving and keeping consistent dilution, that there is no miniature painter who won’t benefit from using one!
Paint mixing and blending is an everyday technique for any kind of painter. The hydration system of a wet palette provides a great surface for blending, ensuring your custom paint mix remains smooth and doesn’t dry out before you can finish painting your model. This saves you from needing to recreate the same shade every few minutes and keeps your desired hue ready to go for as long as you need it!
BORN ON KICKSTARTER
The Everlasting Wet Palette v2 was created in 2021. At the time, it was the most successful Kickstarter campaign for miniature painting (and it probably still is). 13954 backers helped us make this v2 project a reality. As a result, RGG wet palettes are the most popular palettes for acrylic paints, gouache paints and miniature painting.