Having a bit of trouble with my wet palette...

[Big_Bunny]

Hey guys,

Looking for any tips on using my wet palette.

The problem I'm having is that while I'm using the palette, the paint ends up spreading out really thinly on the palette paper which means it dries quicker than it should and it makes it hard to pick up with the brush.

YouTube videos I have watched seem to suggest that you can use the same bit of paint potentially for days. Mine lasts maybe an hour at best before I have to re-apply it to the palette. That's still a lot better than no wet-palette, but it's certainly not as good as the hype.

Maybe I'm just thinning it down to much for a wet palette?

FWIW, I'm using an "Everlasting Wet Palette: Studio XL" with the paper & sponge supplied and filling it with water so the whole thing is damp without floating in water. (I basically fill the whole thing with water, let it sit a moment to soak, and then pour the excess water out).

 

[ekipage]

You shouldn't be pouring all the excess water out, so that may be your problem. The sponge still needs the excess moisture otherwise it dries out as well. I usually keep mine so the water is right about level with the top of the sponge (if it is too much over I will just take a paper towel and soak up some of the excess but still keep it where you have the water in the palette) and then put the paper down. My paints usually stay workable for at least several days and even smaller spots of paint I have thinned out more still stay workable for at least two or three days. Other option if you don't want to use a paper towel is to dampen the sponge and then have a squeeze bottle (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/7-pack-Plastic-Squeeze-Condiment-Bottles/dp/B01HAWNA5M although you don't need that many) with water in it and fill up as needed (I have one and use it to add a little water if the level is getting too low)

 

[bullfrog]

The only time I ever have issues with either the studio or painter wet palette drying out is if the weather is quite warm. During those days I do as Eki suggested and have the sponge as wet as I can just short of spilling over onto the paper. Even then the water needs to be topped up a few times a day. I use a cheap syringe or pipette. I used to mist the paint in such weather with a fine mist refillable bottle. Lately I’ve been using Liquitex Wet Palette Hydrating Spray. I find a quick mist over the paint doesn’t cause as much spreading of the paint edges as water does and does exactly what the bottle label suggests. If paint spreading out thinly is an issue make sure you don’t turn the paper over if it wrinkles up. Keep tension across the paper from diagonal edges when placing it down and smooth any bubbles out. Also when storing paint I find that if I’m not careful to keep the silicone edge seal clean and the elastic band around the palette it greatly impacts on paint storage times.