Basics #22 - Three ways to keep your watercolors from beading up on a plastic palette

[@madeleinegrace714]

I tried all of these methods and wanted to share what worked for me. I tried the sponge alone, then the glue. Neither worked. What DID work TREMENDOUSLY was making a paste out of baking soda and water. The ratio is really important. You want it to be on the thicker side, not watery or runny. If it gets too runny keep adding baking soda to the mixture so that it's thick, but not dry. I scooped the mixture into my palette, then took a DRY green and yellow sponge and worked it in really well. I scrubbed it for a couple of minutes in each well to make sure I covered the whole surface. With a wet paper towel, I removed the residue, then followed that with a dry paper towel. That's it! I hope that works for somebody! It made such a huge difference for me! :)

[@hankvana2149]

The two reasons paint/water beads on a pallet are because the surface is too smooth and there may be an oily mold-release agent (from the manufacturing process) present. If the surface is very smooth the surface tension of the water will over power the friction to the surface and cause it to bead up. If you added a bit of soap to the paint (not recommended!) it would weaken the surface tension and the beading would be eliminated. I don't recommend adding any sort of contamination to the pallet as a clean. MATT surface is the best. To prepare the pallet, wash it with warm soapy water to remove any mold-release then remove the shine from the plastic. As suggested by BuschcraftOnFire, an abrasive sponge will remove the shine. I prefer to use 0000 steelwool to remove the shine without scratching the pallet. Put a good puddle of water in the pallet and lightly buff the surface (circular motions) with a pad of steel wool until the surface is an even matt finish (when dry). The whole process will only take a couple of minutes. 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper or an abrasive cleanser will also work, just be sure to keep the surface good and wet. Hope this helps.

[@YongChen]

Hank Vana2 thanks for sharing your experience and research.

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

Yes steel wool was going to be my suggestion. I confess I hadn't thought about mould release agents. It might not take more than a touch of liquid detergent to give a desirable effect. In fact maybe a drop rubbed over then totally wiped off like the glue stick might work.

[@bellavita2005]

Thank you so much for taking your time to share that with us!

[@songbird60thompson14]

I bought a new pallet today and used toothpaste but the 600 wet or dry sandpaper used under running water worked like a charm. Thanks!

[@redparrot53]

Something that I found works really well is baking soda, put it on dry and use a damp paper towel to work it in , then rinse...works great! It also works great for removing stains off palettes..

[@hummerlady54]

A touch of olive oil rubbed on stains will remove them too.

[@ClariceAust]

Do you need to use it prior to each time you want to paint, to give a matte surface on the plastic palette surface?

[@theoneforhimnow]

I bought a ceramic textured white spray paint from the hardware store and taped off any areas of my palette I didn't want painted, then spray painted all of the largest mixing well area with a light coat of the spray paint. Let it dry completely then you're ready to paint. It works wonderfully!

[@ItsNessaTho]

Lisa Makhoul ^

[@clairebourbonniere6937]

Do you sand the plastic first so it will adhere to plastic ? I checked the Rust-Oleum multipurpose enamel paint but it specifies for metal, wood and concrete.

[@lmessenger4171]

You are an inspiration for me to keep painting and learning. I love your technics and you’re attitude to relax

[@IHaveNoLaifu]

Thank you sooo much. I always assumed that the beading on my pallets either meant I need to mix my paints with more water or that my paints are just awful quality. Good to know there's a fix for this.

[@rYiOkUn]

Thank you for this video! I never knew that the beading was something I could get rid of. Thank you for giving us so many examples!

[@BushcraftOnFire]

Thanks for an informative video Yong.. A thought that has worked VERY WELL for me.. virtually no beading at all.. Use a "Magic Sponge" It has an abrasive that takes the finish off the plastic palette but doesn't scratch it. After cleaning with the sponge.. there is virtually no beading.. and if there's any staining color it will easily come off.. leaving your palette looking brand new.

[@YongChen]

Thanks for sharing.

[@BushcraftOnFire]

Thank YOU for the terrific videos Bro

[@OneTrueWord1988]

BushcraftOnFire: Do you use the magic sponge wet or dry? Thanks for your help!

[@ItsNessaTho]

OneTrueWord1988 ^

[@jewelldean3775]

Just add just a brush of SOS works pretty good

[@chachiwahi]

I just used the anti-fogging liquid used for diving/snorkeling masks on my plastic palette wells. I smeared a few drops over the surface of the palette with my fingers, wiped off excess with a tissue and let it dry for a minute. It worked well to prevent beading.

[@lori_bain]

Thank you so much for these tips! I tried the glue stick method, and it worked perfectly on my new Mijello plastic palette. Wonderful!

[@YongChen]

:)

[@DRBEE66]

Can i ask you something? After you apply the glue and put the pidment wont it be mixed with the glue? (same for toothpaste)

[@sy-zu4uz]

@@DRBEE66 you have to clean it after putting toothpaste and glue stick.

[@DRBEE66]

@@sy-zu4uz οk ty!!!!

[@chrisbingham5665]

I was recommended to use baking powder/bicarbonate of soda. Just scrub some in with a drop of water and leave for a few minutes. Very useful for cleaning burnt food from pans and dishes too,just put a teaspoon over the bottom and fill with cold water and leave for about 20 mins. Wipes off easily. Very cheap if bought in tubs instead of sachets.

[@junitasatibi]

Is it work with metal palette?

[@chrisbingham5665]

@@junitasatibi possibly not as the surface is harder. I would only use something white so you can see the colour better and I use a ceramic one now.

[@jennifer_mertens]

Very informative video. Thank you for also showing what did not work. It saves a lot of guess work. I'm always trying to figure out the "next best" way to season my palettes. You have saved me a lot of time and aggravation. Thank you!

[@fred_hearts]

Dude when I saw the paint on the ceramic pallet my mouth dropped. I literally never knew that ever and that was so helpful honestly.

[@claudiahennessey3160]

Thank you for sharing this with me it teaches the viewers how to keep their palettes clean. Keep up the good job teaching . B

[@sherrybeasley7412]

I have struggled with the paint beading problem on new palettes, too. I tried the glue option you suggested and it worked very well. I use baking soda for many cleaning projects. Since it is mildly abrasive, I made a paste with water, then scrubbed and rinsed a new plastic palette. It worked great, too! It may be more permanent than the glue option. Only time will tell. Thank you. I just found your videos and love them!

[@navahx9406]

Incredibly helpful, thank you. I plan to buy a ceramic palette at some point, but I am so excited to make my plastic surface more useful first!

[@MsPbUTUBE]

I'm so glad I tuned into your video on plastic palettes. I bought a few of them and never used them because of the beading up of the paints on the mixing surfaces. I'm eager to try the glue stick solution so that I can use the new palettes. Thank you very much. I'm enjoying all of your videos.

[@music-sc7eg]

Thank you for all your work on this but it does raise the question - why do the manufacturers not make their palettes fit for purpose? I have a plastic palette from 30 years ago which has a textured surface which works - easy solution..

[@william123-asdf]

This.

[@KaustavMukherjeeFineArt]

Thanks very much for sharing. I work mostly in oils. But recently I got an idea to work outdoors with a small molesking sketchbook, with brush pens and a small watercolor set to produce watercolor sketches for myself only :) I have a small perfect size watercolor box for 24 years. Only problem was that the plastic lid (mixing area) was red and colors could not be judged at all. So, I put acrylic gesso on that mixing area and used water and soft brush to smoothen the surface. The colors now do not clump anymore and mixing is possible.

[@YongChen]

Kaustav, thanks for your sharing.

[@michelfries8307]

That's a great tip! Thank you for sharing this Yong!

[@jaclee6]

Thanks for sharing the tips. I tried the magic eraser, and it improved quite a bit. I then used a paste of baking soda & water, and that really did the trick. I suspect if i just use the magic eraser a bit more, it would achieve the same results.

[@YongChen]

Happy New Year!

[@thehartofthegalexi8433]

Very helpful. Thank you for all the examples. Happy art!

[@jackgunther7169]

Jack Gunther. Several years ago I solved this problem. If you want to make watercolor to lay down flat is to touch it with the smallest amount of gum arabic. You will be amazed. I put some gum arabic in one of the compartments of my palette and let it dry. Then all I have to do is touch it with my wet brush and then stir the paint on my palette. It lays down FLAT.

[@MoMaryR]

Good tip, thanks

[@divamagpayo6377]

This was super helpful! Thank you! All your videos are so informative and encouraging!

[@penneynoss9552]

Just wondering do you need to reapply the glue stick or just the one time?

[@StoneMonk909]

I used the glue technique technique today, it worked better than expected!

[@michelleflick1937]

Thank you for these helpful tips.

[@YongChen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@torquewrench7]

Thank you Yong for this informative video. This will be a great help to me.

[@YongChen]

:)

[@SheilaLandry]

Thank you for the video. I just did my own showing my using very fine sandpaper very lightly to gently take the slickness out of the surface of my palettes - both porcelain and plastic. I prefer this method because it does not introduce any foreign agents that could chemically react with the paint or interfere with it in any way. As you mentioned in your video - the key is to use a very light touch and a very fine paper. The difference it made is notable. :) Great comparison here. :)

[@halibut1249]

Thank you Young Chen for your research. This is an issue watercolorists always encounter with plastic palettes. I thought you were going to suggest spray painting the surface with enamel paint. In time a new plastic surface will hold the paint better, without doing anything to the surface. The watercolor molecules probably bond to the surface over time and break down the slipperiness of the plastic. You showed an improved result on one of your seasoned (used) palettes. Thanks for your vid!

[@gorway7]

Saliver will work as well - divers have been using it for years to stop their masks fogging. Just rub it on, let it dry then do it again. A bit of brush soap works too - rub it on and wipe out with dry tissue. Abrasives tend to make staining more of a problem but if you need to go down that route, use a damp "Magic Eraser" (Melamine Foam) - it does much less damage.

[@YongChen]

Thanks for sharing your tips.

[@anitaventon346]

Peter Sobocki I

[@clairebourbonniere6937]

Won't it contaminate the paint ?

[@celestesource9460]

Wouaaaaw, I ' ve try the glue and it's works as well as your demonstration. Thank you very much for all of your sharing... 🙏🏻 💕

[@YongChen]

:) thanks.

[@puffyjo]

mr clean magic eraser will do it the first time simple and easy

[@mb3938]

Puffy Jo it didn't work for me

[@minamii2349]

How did you do it with your palette? Did you scrub it for a long time?

[@puffyjo]

@@minamii2349 no i didn't want to damage it

[@andfarr2]

Thank you Yong. Very good and well presented video !

[@deannadent8111]

I just used a used bit of sandpaper. And it worked great

[@cinallsup]

I just used the fine sand paper and the magic eraser removes any staining you might get. I have the Pike and the Mijello bulletproof glass palettes. The glue is certainly a easier option.

[@YongChen]

:) thanks

[@samantharankinstinamisan5583]

Fabulous! The exact information I was looking for. Thank you.

[@sunshinemishasmommy5352]

A very informative video..I am new to watercolors and I enjoy learning these tips..thank you 😊

[@elaineg60]

Omg…and I’ve spent hours scrubbing the danged things..😂. Going to go glue my 2 new palettes. THANK YOU! MOST of my most used palettes are ceramic, but I wanted a few more portable solution since my best friend and I have been going out to local parks. We live in the Poconos, and while I highly doubt I’ll plein air our winter wonderlands, the Fall trees on the mountains around our valley are breathtaking!

[@mtcart4]

Hi Yong! Thank you so much for your videos. Another artist recommended Rust-oleum Matte Clear Enamel spray. I purchased the spray but like the idea of the glue stick and will try that first. Thanks again.

[@YongChen]

Yes, I will try the glue stick first, it works for me.

[@juliearmymom7807]

Terry Carter The spray enamel worked well for me. Gloss worked better than matte.

[@raggedyroad]

I am fairly new to watercolor so all my palettes are new and most are plastic. Even my tin palette beads up like the plastic ones. I have one of those little ceramic flower shaped palettes that I love but just doesn't provide enough mixing surface for most projects and they are pricey for what you get. I own 2 of the Mijello palettes that you are using but the beading has been so frustrating that I was going to return the newest one that hasn't been used yet. I will try this before painting again. Thank you for taking the time to provide this valuable information.

[@YongChen]

Thanks for sharing.

[@charitygoldart]

Kim, you can use any white porcelain for mixing watercolour; a cheap dining plate will work just as well as an expensive porcelain palette from an art supply store.

[@heidicook2211]

Thank you for showing this. It's very helpful.

[@ConnectedConcepts]

All interesting tips. In my experience the same product that is excellent for removing color staining to keep the plastic white also eliminated beading and helps to "age" the surface. That product is called Soft Scrub Cleanser. Just use the plain version not the one with lemon scent or bleach added. It is a micro abrasive that will not damage the surface but will remove pigment staining and prep the surface for color mixing too.

[@YongChen]

:) thanks for sharing.

[@ConnectedConcepts]

Thanks for creating your content.

[@sreihart]

Also a product called Barkeepers Friend, which is a stainless steel cleaner, micro abrasive also. I'm going to give that a try because I have some in my kitchen.

[@merebrillante]

In household cleaning, I substitute a mid of liquid soap (Dr. Bronner’s) with baking soda until it forms a paste. I might try that on my plastic palette. Thanks for the tip!

[@eugenia.z.art.3789]

Thank you very much! Its really helpful!

[@questioneverything3632]

Murphy’s oil soap works perfectly! Wipe it on straight from the bottle, then wipe it off with a dry paper towel. Great for cleaning paint brushes also.

[@bonniegoogleuser117]

Great ideas! Thanks!😊

[@bretking1978]

Toothpaste worked very well for me! Thanks for the advice!

[@YongChen]

I am glad. thanks for sharing.

[@OneTrueWord1988]

Thank you so much for this video - it has helped me so much! Your videos are always excellent, and I enjoy them very much! :)

[@YongChen]

:)

[@marjo-riittareinikainen9740]

Thank you for the tips!

[@VanessaPatricio]

Thank you! I'll try the glue tip!

[@awatercolourist]

Thanks for the advice.

[@macer-music]

Hello, thank you for the tip, it's what I was looking for! And for the videos, you do some amazing videos, really love your style. I'm subscribing!

[@YongChen]

Welcome to my channel :)

[@karendirmish2696]

Amazing lesson, I have 2 new plastic paint holders and I will try you method of glue stick, but perhaps the best is to use ceramic, white dinner plates! Always looking for knowledge! Thanks I learned a lot! Karen Dirmish

[@xTK421x]

I just used a green meanie 3M scrubby thing after 3 or 4 back and forths plastic workes perfect. I even use two of the same 18 well plastic wallet style containers. they are my go to.

[@6862211]

Very great information!

[@YongChen]

:)

[@eagrinstead1]

Yes, water soluble Glue stick and rubbing it around with fingers!!! Hands down the best way to prep plastic surface! Thank you!!! I'd have saved so much time if I'd only seen this before rubbing an hour with both magic eraser and then scrub sponge. Glue stick prepared all areas that were still beading. My pallet was new and unfilled. I ran the whole thing under hot water to rinse the glue stick. Afterward, the paint still did not bead.

[@KaustavMukherjeeFineArt]

The gum technique works!

[@YongChen]

:) thanks.

[@Glutenfreebreadloaf]

thank u alooooot u just made my art life easier

[@YongChen]

Glad I could help!

[@predragdjokic3761]

I watched so many videos from start to end this last 2 days since i found your channel sir Yong and i learn more and more and more what an wonderful human being you are.Thank you so much for sharing this i didn't know about this and i will try it first thing tomorrow before i start painting..One question is this the one time only when you prepare the new plastic palette where you apply glue or toothpaste or i need to do this from time to time? Thank you sir Yong God bless you

[@naomia4614]

I've been looking for these answers for so long, thank you!

[@azzuparis]

Thank you Yong, I do have beeding problems with my plastic palettes and this video is going to help me a lot :)

[@YongChen]

You are welcome. Also read other comments on this page, other friends here offered their tips.

[@quiltknit]

Thank-You! I have listed your video with an artist on SkoolYard! I recommend your explanations because of your excellent Demos! Thank-You!

[@susanjerrell9220]

Thank you so much!! I just dabble in watercolor, nothing as great as you. But it has irritated me the way colors act on plastic. Now I know what to do. I watch as many of your videos as I can and have learned more from you than maybe anyone else. I guess you may tie with Louise de Masi for the amount of information that I personally have used. I cannot say how grateful I am to artists such as yourself who load videos on You Tube free of charge. I have no money to buy lessons so from me, please accept my deepest thanks.

[@YongChen]

Susan, you are welcome.

[@johnnyrbattaglio6943]

Thank you this information is awesome 👍

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

I wish my high school watercolor teacher knew this!

[@YongChen]

:)

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Yong Chen One of the palettes you've shown was the same one I remember using there (with the big round sections). Back then we were using Cotman watercolors for our paintings as well as W&N's Galleria for acrylic.

[@skywalkerfullong6697]

Toothpast is working, but gluestick only working at first time. It is true that toothpast make the surface rough to increase adsorption. Glue layer change the surface more sticky and the paint also have glue, so that more pigment can be adsorbed. The glue must be dispersible in water or not worked.

[@YongChen]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@fredlatimer9106]

Try this: 1) sand with 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper. 2) Spray with Pastel Fixative OR Unscented hair spray. Wipe dry with paper towel.

[@renmuffett]

I had to smile at this. I have tried everything for plastic paletttes! LOL! Even tooth paste. I really cannot stand the staining of palettes either so end up cleaning with the Mr Clean magic eraser. Then I get beading again. But at least its clean. I have given up and only use porcelain or ceramic now.

[@petermorffew9851]

I have never used plastic palettes. Plastic repells water and is not ideal for water colours. I have two metal palettes which have never given me any trouble when mixing colours. One palette is about 50 years old and is still giving me good service. It is a Reeves Tempera palette which is still available via Ebay. This Reeves palette is my main one for working on largish watercolours. The other palette is a small Winsor and Newton travel palette which has given me some 30 years of service but some of the metal work is rusty. I use this palette mainly for sketching. Even so I have used this for largish paintings when travelling around New Zealand. The metal palettes are slightly more expensive and can be a bit inhibiting when looking at the price but metal palettes last a long time and are weighty and will not get blown over when painting out doors. If you can get hold of a Reeves Tempera palette I would highly recommend buying one and it will last you several decades. I mix my colours in the lid which has three recesses. There are 12 rounds for the colour tablets. I would recommend getting rid of these and fill them with your colours.

[@danielmcgowan4970]

Three good tips to prepare your pallet. May I add another. Use White Acrylic Paint, leave it to dry overnight. The next day, it should be ready to use.

[@abenitrotter4377]

Thank you for making this video! :)

[@KaiTakApproach]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@zoeclearwater]

I have used the 2 sided magic eraser. Worked pretty well. Same idea don't wash after use both sides of sponge. This will result in a film left on surface.

[@YongChen]

Thanks for your input!

[@mb3938]

It doesn't work on metal palettes

[@veystone2580]

Two questions: 1. After a painting, if you go ahead and clean your palette, do you have to do the process again to paint again? 2. If you are painting a lot, mixing and mixing, won't that take away the glue or toothpaste, while you are still painting?

[@renmuffett]

If the glue is water soluble, some will lift up into the pigment, wont it? I use a Mr Clean Magic eraser.

[@YongChen]

:) thanks

[@jspohl]

It's the only thing I've found that lifts pigment stains from egg tempera on a plastic or plexiglass palette easily. I never thought about it for this use. Thank you.

[@Angie-pl3uw]

I love using the glue stick. It always works!

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

I use a product called softscrub....it is a fine grit scouring agent. You have to use it and rub, and rub. It isn't something use use without elbow grease but it gives a fine rough surface when used correctly. I still use ceramic as often as possible. Corian dishes work pretty well also.6

[@winniebaker575]

Hi Yong, thank you for the tips. QUESTION: does using the glue affect the watercolours at all. It seems when I have wiped the wells after the glue application, a thin film remains. Just wondering if this will affect blending or paint applications in any way.

[@srabastibasu2]

Thanks so much for this trick! Please tell me whether this trick will work for metal palette too??

[@YongChen]

Srabasti, I have not tried it on metal palettes. Please share your experience after you try. Thanks.

[@jennisalyers]

Your palette that you didn’t test on that didn’t bead really from use, how often and how long did you use it for before it stopped beading?

[@romanovrex]

Thank you!

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

Does the glue stick treatment result in the palette being difficult to clean?

[@milen748]

A drop of any liquid can't make the layer of water color you want because the difference between the surface tension water/surface. The plastic is not puling the water out of the drop shape enough. I think you had a great idea by trying to change the properties of the surface. I'm not sure but I think maybe if you lower the water tension that could help too(?

[@YongChen]

Thanks for sharing.

[@virginiarparker9503]

Very good, thank you.

[@michelleflick1937]

I am going to try the toothpaste and glue stick. I am wondering if shaving cream would work because it stops glass from fogging up.

[@angeles4831]

It will not affect the finish of the paint? Once it's dry?

[@deborahmeyers7839]

Thanks soooooo much appreciated

[@groovyyaya737]

Will the glue mess up your painting once your painting dries?

[@labamba871000]

Nice tips!!🤗🤗 but what would it happens if you tried all 3 of them at the same time one on top of the other...does it make a difference?

[@bblmd8001]

The only thing clean and really effective is to rub smoothly fine sand paper on the mixing area of your palette. It does not damage your palette and give best results.

[@deblucas6199]

Do you have to apply prior to each picture?

[@lindas.martin2806]

Dragon fly studio video suggests a drop of ox gal in your water, it seemed to work extremely well.

[@joanadarctrigueiro1602]

Thank You Very Very much.

[@YongChen]

Joana, you are welcome :)

[@soongloege3241]

What kind of glue stick is? Thank you 🙏 🙏👏👍👍

[@soulsisterssurvivorssister8463]

Does this work on the metal ones? I have a new travel palette and hate it because of the colors beading up.

[@ignaziomonti5416]

Hai provato la pasta abrasiva, quella che usano i lattonieri per lucidare la vernice delle automobili?

[@gitikaasiwal6746]

I tried the toothpaste one, it worked but only for once, the next time I used the same palette it was beading. Do I need to prep my palette before every use?

[@pipesmokercowboychris]

Use some sandpaper. That will roughen up the surface. I've tried that and seemed to work. Now however I use sandpaper in the medium grit. I don't know if the rougher grit would be to rough.

[@Turbogittan]

Thank you very mutch for your videos 😉 Awesome 👍 I shall juse glue to my new palette. I don´t recommend the Magic Eraser, it´s scrabb the palette!!!! I have subscribing 😉

[@YongChen]

:)

[@BR-lo1pi]

I used the toothpaste method (but not this way- you’re supposed to use white paste toothpaste and rub it around hard, then wash it off). It’s an abrasive, so it roughens the surface. It works well, but now my palette stains badly... I feel like I ruined my palette now because I don’t like working on stained surfaces.