Which palette to use?

One of the biggest issues with painting, isn’t so much the painting, but the infinite choices of materials and processes we face when just trying to get started. The trouble is, there are myriad artists, each with their own way of doing things, using different materials, different techniques, and ultimately with different outcomes. It’s so confusing! (Not to mention expensive if you decide to try all these different ways out to see which one fits the best.)

In the quest for efficiency, at the start of my painting journey, I had turned to other artists to see what they were using for mixing their paints. Some used palettes, some mixed on the canvas, and same just painted straight from the pot! I think I ended up trying pretty much all the methods available, and finally decided on the one that suits my practice best.

1. Stay Wet Palette

   For those of you who think that acrylics dry too quickly, or you like to mix your colours in advance first, or you live somewhere that’s not very humid, the stay wet palette option might be for you. I heard about this one from Nicholas Wilton of the Art2Life fame. It’s essentialy a tray with a wet cloth or sponge in it, followed by a waterproof sheet (baking/tracing paper), with your paints on top. The idea is that the damp from the cloth/sponge can keep the paint moist for days, if not longer. Some even come with lids.

   Result:

   I tried this one for a bit, but found the baking paper I used on top of the wet cloth went crinkly while mixing, and sometimes I would tear a hole in it by accident. Also in Queensland where I am, it’s humid here, and things like this go mouldy very fast, so not ideal for my setup.

2. Glass Palette