How to Choose a Watercolor Palette - Your First Watercolor Palette 3/3

In this new mini-series, I'm going to guide you through how to put together your first palette (or any other palette). In this final episode, we talk about palettes - different kinds of palettes, the pros and cons of each type and which ones I recommend
* Watch the whole 3-part mini-series on how to put together your watercolor palette: • Your First Watercolor ...
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** Products shown in this video **
+ A Gallo Signature Set
+ Jackson's 28 Well Plastic Palette (my favourite) bit.ly/33mD3Ss
+ Metal Palettes bit.ly/3NDGx3U
+ Plastic Palettes bit.ly/3yxh6wx
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She’s a wonderful editor and is open to working with other channels.
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[@annettefournier9655]

Lol. I write on my full pans; brand , color and pigments. Then I make 2 swatch sheets ; one pallet sized and one in my swatch book. So by the time I use my mixed brand pallets, I've written the info 3 times and know exactly what they are without having to look at the info ever again.😉🤗

[@PaintinHiding]

even though i'm not trying to put together my first palette, i'm really enjoying this series. thank you Oto! 😆

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you, so glad you enjoyed it!

[@OhJodi69]

Beginners should know that the metal palette has metal tabs next to each pan. Press the metal tabs towards the center of the row, then "snap" the pans into it to secure. I've seen people online use glue to secure the pans, which you never want to do. I also like the large plastic folding palettes, myself. You can even add half pans to it, either directly into a well by using blue tack, or add several to the area next to the thumb hole thing. Be sure the palette will close properly before securing the pans......the wells and dividers from the top can interfere with the bottom. ALSO, some versions of that palette have "gutters" along each large mixing area (as the one in the videos show). These gutters are very useful as additional small mixing areas.

[@OtoKano]

thank you for pointing out this very useful info! 👍

[@emmahaslam1905]

You could use a white bathroom tile as a mixing palette with a non beading surface alongside some other little dishes for when you need to make deeper puddles for washes. You could put your paints in large or small pans, stick some magnetic tape on the bottom of each one so you can easily pop them in and out of any tin for leaving the house with. At home you could just keep your pans in your favourite order in a row attatched to a metal ruler and pop another ruler on top when you want to cover them.

[@LindsayKitson]

I change my palette colours constantly, so the metal tins are great for me. I have no trouble remembering what colours I have in there, though I do have all the pans labelled, because I'm constantly fussing over what pigments I want to include. I'm a pigment nerd, and trying new ones makes me happy :)

[@Yzabell0M]

I actually use a 7 pan "flower" ceramic palette for travel/plein air. It's small and so not very heavy. I have attached a thin metal sticker so it sticks to my magnetic portable easel from Stablo.

[@grannieannie1371]

I use corelle by corningware white plates for mixing. They are light, don't break easily, relatively cheap and plentiful in my studio. Combined with the bit that removes from the metal palettes with Roman szmal watercolours. They are store in a big travel pallette then I select what colours I want to use and put them in the smaller one for the duration of that painting.

[@trisha4797]

My first water color teacher, never talked about palettes. I too prefer porcelain.

[@B1ackDahlia767]

I do too. I'm hoping to get some of the little stackable ones at some point. 😉

[@trisha4797]

@@B1ackDahlia767 I keep looking at those butcher trays!

[@jrm2716]

@@trisha4797 I find them at thrift stores. Actually all my porcelain and ceramic pallets come from there too.

[@amiefrisch]

I love my metal pallette because I can remove the smaller set of colors I'm going to use for a painting and have them together.

[@catherinelevison3310]

Coincidentally, my Jackson’s porcelain palette arrived today (your dream palette) and I had a lot of fun planning, filling, and swatch-mapping in it. I do have a huge desk. I also have a lot of $4.00 ceramic plates too. For new people…you can rewet and use the paint that dries on palettes, so having a lot of surfaces means not wasting any paint. (Jackson’s has the palette on sale for $37.00 USD right now-August of 2022)

[@OtoKano]

ohhhhh you're tempting meeeee

[@TarotLadyLissa]

I use superfine sandpaper on my plastic pallets to keep them from beading up. Just lightly buff the surface and then clean with alcohol. Acetone works too, but can degrade the plastic if you’re not careful.

[@jasminekuo656]

I love all your videos! Hope you keep making them nonstop 🎉Definitely going to use your Jackson’s affiliate link to support you❤️

[@VeretenoVids]

Great series! In the US at least you can often get plain white ceramic plates very inexpensively in restaurant supply stores. They turn up in thrift stores and dollar stores as well. I love them! If I break one I just smash it into small pieces and use it when potting up house plants. For a folding palette I prefer metal because they can be recycled as scrap at the end of their lives (once cleaned).

[@existentialcrisistime]

Really enjoying this series! Pro tip for removing staining from metal palettes though - put a bit of undiluted washing up liquid on it, let sit for a few minutes, and then scrub off with a stiff brush and rinse with water, it works well for me!

[@grannysmithart]

my favorite palette is plastic, by Mjello (other companies sell similar one). I own two of these with 18 slanted wells, they have a lift out tray to mix on as well as the lid, the lid has a gasket so very little leakage during travel; i also have one of the same style with35 wells. They are currently around $10 (Amazon) so i can have a floral palette, teaching palette and the large one for general use.

[@petiteflower5259]

This is my preferred palette too, I have 2 that I keep on my desk because I like having lots of colors easily available :) Lots of mixing space and easy to clean. A little scrub with an old toothbrush and toothpaste before using it will keep the paint from beading up while mixing.

[@UraniaOfTheGalaxy]

I love your idea of using a flat ceramic plate for mixing, instead of mixing on my regular palette. I'll be doing this from now on, thank you.

[@inkonapin]

I second the cheap folding plastic palette as a good place to start. I have a Mijello 18 well which I love(d) but last night my cat knocked it off my drafting table and it broke at the hinges, as well as having multiple paints dislodge. I think I can recover it, but I think if it had been the lighter-weight style it wouldn't have been damaged at all. Probably still would get loose paints. By the way, that might be a discovery, when you want to change your paints in a plastic pallet with wells you fillled, just bang the plastic pallet against the floor. 🙃

[@melissaaldosari8024]

Or get your cat to help removing colors! Lol!

[@melissaaldosari8024]

My favorite is a ceramic or porcelain mixing pallet. It’s so easy to mix on and see what the colors are going to look like on the paper. Thanks Oto!

[@CLOUDSINTHEKITCHEN]

I have the Naturalle 24. Very earthy tones.

[@aliirelan]

Well I just watched all three videos and I just have to say thank you! As someone who is trying to put together my first palette I really appreciate this video series!

[@StudioGPG]

I bought white ceramic plates with separated compartments (for cheese or veggies and dips) bought at thrift store like 50cts each.

[@FaithAnnNB]

I totally relate to your comment about making palettes being one of your favourite things about watercolour. I LOVE creating palettes… for home, for travel, for working from a desk, or working from my lap… I find it so interesting to think about the colours I’ll need and how I’ll be using them. Although they’re very expensive, I do really like the Art Toolkit palettes for my travel palettes, although I take something else with me for mixing space as I don’t care for the mixing options. I just love the little magnetic trays, the simplicity of switching colours and how small they are. I dream of a light, ceramic/porcelain mixing space for travel lol.

[@lmac_z]

I love ceramic and porcelain to mix my colours. Some are purchased from art supplies stores, and others from dollar stores and inexpensive kitchen ware stores! As you mentioned it’s so easy to clean and the colour read is spot on. I paint colour charts to match my palettes for a quick overview but also for my full pans, write the info on the sides of the pans. Thanks Oto!! 😊

[@lark6676]

Have you ever had a bamboo palette? I just bought the Michael Solovyev palette and really like it. I don't know how it will age over time, but I am trying to find an alternative to plastic and metal. I also have a sliding top bamboo watercolor box that holds 36 colors so between those two options I'm pretty set.

[@OtoKano]

wooo no, this is news to me. I'm going to have to check it out. Thank you for the heads up!

[@schuhujin5019]

My cheapest palette version at home is second hand icecube plates for the fridge for the colors and a secondhand ceramic plate with (fondue plate) or without wells. Plates could be any size. Cheapest and smallest version for travelling or outdoor is an empty blisterpackadging for medication, with you can glue in any smal case that fits and you like.

[@marileemck]

I loved this video series because I have done so many of the beginner things you mentioned. Watercolor is not my main art expression, but I have loved watercolors since I was in high school. I started out with Winsor-Newton Cotman (knowing the WN name, and not knowing these were student grade) and I am finally at that point that I need to put together a palette of professional grade paints ( and put all those WNC half pans into a bag and sell them at a yard sale). I like the idea of a 12 color wheel palette -- I really love mixing colors. Thanks so much for sharing. ~Marilee

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Thank you so much for this series! It was so helpful 💜

[@PushpaNotes]

7:57 - Oto, I'm exactly like you. I also don't like mixing paints in those plastic palettes and messing up the palette. I've also purchased a ceramic plate to mix my paints. :)

[@OtoKano]

So glad I’m not the only one!! Thank you for letting me know.

[@maibritton2882]

I use porcelain palettes and have found small ones at craft stores, I use snack plates and found a huge platter at a thrift store. I like using porcelain because it does not absorb the pigment and you get the true color. I make color charts and glue watercolor paper to a magnetic sheet that I put on the inside of my large 9 x 12 " metal watercolor tin. The half pans are also metal as the top and bottom of the tin is lined in a magnetic sheet. very cost effective. much love.

[@awatercolourist]

Yes, putting a palette together is soooo exciting 😁😁

[@addasenta]

For a cheap ceramic pallette, go to a second hand shop and by a white dinner dish. You can put paint on the brim and mix in the centre. Very cheap too, only 1 or 2 euro pp. And for paint like Aquarius and Kraemer that is only available in full pans, the only option is a metal tray.

[@lynn_thinks]

Oto, this has been a lovely series. Thanks for putting it together. 🎨🎨🎨

[@OtoKano]

My pleasure 😊

[@InnerMagpie]

My favorite plastic pallette is La aquarelle La petite. The hand strap looks amazing, but they don’t sell it empty. ☹️

[@petiteflower5259]

Besides my Mijello folding palettes, I have my Roman Szmal pans in a plain metal tray that originally held blank watercolor postcards, I put magnets on the bottom of the pans and it's perfect. I tried using the folding metal palettes but I didn't like how everything was wobbly or sliding around inside the tray, and I also now have 25 pans that I use often so too many for one tray but not enough for 2.

[@findingagain]

I definitely agree with you Oto, I *love* using my ceramic palettes. I actually found a really thin, lightweight ceramic mixing palette specifically to put in my pencil case kit. You can find them from creator sites! Do you have any thoughts on the Art Toolkit and other similar pocket palettes?

[@OtoKano]

I use quite large brushes (size 10+) so those tiny palettes doesn't work for me. However, I think they are great for people who go painting outside and/or uses smaller brushes!

[@Drumyx]

Hello Dr , First of all i love your channel, helps a lot when choosing colors, your swatches are the best ones, but im really needing a Lunar Black by DS review please. Thanks a lot.

[@InnerMagpie]

I bought art whale 48 half pans for my beginner practice. When it’s empty I will be using better paints

[@jesstolley7193]

I have a MEEDEN metal palette (on amazon and way cheaper than name brand ones!) for travel, and a big 32-well porcelain palette on my desk.

[@mypandapaints5854]

I generally recommend either the small metal palettes which hold 12 half pans or the Mijello plastic palette. The reason for the Mijello is that it has less wells than the basic white plastic palette and it forces you to think about what color you want to put on there. Actually now that I'm saying that, maybe those would be a good second palette. After the first palette, you'll be able to see what colors you gravitate towards most and which ones remain untouched. Then you can fill the palettes with less wells with the colors you use the most. On another note, have you tried the brass palette? Is it as good as everyone says? Warrenting the wait list time? (If you get the original and not the knockoff).

[@awatercolourist]

I’d looove to visit Kyoto and buy a kikuzara. From Saiundo, naturally… sigh!

[@goat8477]

I know, not the topic... but is your hair growing crazy fast? It grew a year's worth in 6 weeks :-) Awesome! Oh, and great review and tips! :-) Happy swatching.

[@OtoKano]

lmao my hair grows fast but also, I film a lot of videos in advance and the order in which they are published is sometimes different from when I filmed them 😅

[@goat8477]

@@OtoKano Stiil - cool effect. Like I just entered a parallel universe ;-)

[@mvdum29]

Hi, do you have any plans on reviewing brands like Paul Rubens on your channel? Been interested in buying them and wondered if you had any thoughts on the brand

[@nadeanecurnuck2080]

Thank you for your wonderfully informative videos. I have enjoyed every one I have watched 🥰 Can I ask what is the beautiful lime green colour in the bottom row of the metal palette?

[@OtoKano]

if it's the one between the goldy one and the turquoisey one, it's the Fig Green by A. Gallo

[@B1ackDahlia767]

@Dr. Oto Kano, I recently found out if you coat your palette with a bit of ox gall, it helps with the paint beading up on your palette! (Easier than the scrubbing the plastic ones with toothpaste thing or using sandpaper to rough-up the surface.)

[@OtoKano]

waaaaaahhhhhh???? I am going to have to try this out! Thank you for letting me know.

[@B1ackDahlia767]

@@OtoKano of course, Oto! ❤️