Ultimate Wet Palette Tutorial: Beginner Tips & Tricks To Keep Your Paint Working

[@LylaMev]

Check out the new exemplar wet palette! gameenvy.net/exemplar Do I use metallic paint on a wet palette? I do! But I don’t use Metallic paint frequently. But whenever I have, I’ve never had a problem with metallic paint seeping into other paint.

[@ironwarmonger]

I was on the Kickstarter for the Game Envy Exemplar Wet Pallet, and in fact got three of them, Black for my self, and Green and Blue for two of my friends. The Kickstater was suppose to be delivered before Christmas, and in fact they said such, but thing happened, and I told the two friend of such, but what the gift actually was. I did not get any of mine until March. Ironically I got them on March 12th, the blue one was for a Friend who died on the 18th, I never got it to him. Not sure what I am going to do with it now. I might try to find someone to give it to. The Green one had been delivered.

[@malal6512]

Hi there I just bought a wet palette and Im a bit perplexed on how to use it, alot of the comments and "Features" stated on it are that it can keep paint wet for up to days possibly weeks if properly taken care of. But to my horror allowing the sponge to stay wet for more than a day seems to cause immediate mold to grow in it, Do you have any tips for this? If the wet palette can be used for multiple days how do I do this so Im not having to dry out my sponge every time Im done with a painting session? Should I leave it wet and crack the lid of the case to let it breathe over night? should I fully seal the lid to stop possible spores from getting in? Im rather new so my apologies for the shotgun of text for a simple question.

[@kal6351]

If you use pennies to weigh down the paper, likely that helps with getting no mold. Copper helps discourage such growth.

[@LylaMev]

That could be why I never have problems!

[@greggatesjr1301]

Finally! A good use for pennies again!

[@bettsdn]

I do this as well. I just make sure I use the old pennies that actually have copper in them 😅

[@soulcatcher521]

@@bettsdn All pennies have copper - the zinc interior or not should have no impact, because it's the surface metal that matters

[@philippheiermann93]

Can confirm, after throwing in some copper coins, no more mold and also no more moldy smell.

[@LawTaranis]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has a cat overlord when mini painting. Your masters are beautiful and lovely and I request that you pass along my humble worship in the form of head scratches. 💜

[@conmadben]

My cat does this also.

[@samuelbroad11]

I use beer bottle tops for my metallics and washes and store them in my wet palette, they can keep for days in the moist atmosphere.

[@AVspectre]

Interesting idea!

[@MichaelRozie]

I use bottle caps for that too And then when I store it forlater, i just put it in a baggy and twist till it is air tight I love doing this with my diluted airbrush colours when I mix a base for multiple mini’s

[@samuelbroad11]

ain't it perfect for liquidy runny ones!@@MichaelRozie

[@fluxxNZ]

2 best things I did for mine. 1 add a couple of drops of bleach to the water you wet your sponge with, does not do anything to the paint but helps keep mould and/or smells away. I also use filtered water to cut down on the amount of things that could grow. And 2nd, buying one designed for it, home made and even cheap ones were rubbish, grabbed a redgrass xl it was a game changer, especially as I only get a few hours a week and it's great to come back to useable paints.

[@primozimo3041]

Yeah the fridge works great, i use a home made wet pallet. Tupperware with the lid blue shop towels cut to fit, parchment paper cut to fit, cut extras so you can swap out as needed avoid any mold.

[@cordial001]

I was amazed at how much paint I ended up saving by having a wet palette. It's one of the best investments you can make, even if you don't get a fancy one.

[@HacksawsHobbyBunker]

Great info, a wet palette makes even craft paints work better. Every painter could benefit from having one in their painting arsenal. Also +1 for pesky cats. They are the best. Cheers!

[@LylaMev]

I do indeed possess the best cats

[@ElijahAtchley]

I use a slightly smaller paper (smaller than the sponge), this prevents the corners from drying and makes it easier to add water.

[@mikekloepfer7424]

The pennies work great. Thanks for the suggestion! :)

[@TheRealWelshCJ]

As a new painter and wet pallette user, this was a great video 👌🏻

[@markgnepper5636]

Great stuff friend 👏 👍 If using pennies in your pallet, use pre 1983 they are pure copper and will help reduce bacterial growth in the pallet ie.. the smell

[@sleestack2723]

I wasn’t even fully listening in the opening when you said “hey it’s Lyla” i literally just responded “Hi lyla” out loud at work in a quiet room. Well done, great guide!

[@LylaMev]

Thank you!

[@pawelp4732]

Hi Lyla, love the tips! One thing I found about dehumidifier. Water from it is actually very nice and pure, ideal for painting and mixing. If you'd compare it to tap water it lasts much longer, I even risked premixing some thinned varnishes for pigment fixing. It doesn't go green or smell funny after even a month if kept sealed. I'd recommend trying :D

[@mudawott]

My friend gave me a wet palletee since she wasnt going to bbe painting minis at the time and now im dragging her into it with me and got her a wet pallette. All these tips are super helpful! Thank you, sending to her now

[@scotthorvath5146]

Thankkk you!!! I’ve been so overwhelmed, just got into Star Wars legion and have gotten soooo much stuff but zero artistic ability these types of videos are so helpful!

[@Tabletop_Crafting_Cave]

i'm in this hobby now for about 1 year or so. And i do own a wet palette - (gifted from a friend of mine) but i never used it. But damn... seeing this video makes me use it right now. So happy i found you in here. Greetings from Germany. *new subscriber enters the battlefield* :)

[@BobWilson-fz8rj]

New to your channel but recognized you from Paint Wars. Flagged all the tutorials for late night viewing while I’m relaxing. Just signed up to buy the Exemplar and heading over to Patreon shortly. I’m a cat lover and those two were the hook for me… LOL!!!

[@LylaMev]

Welcome aboard!

[@B4MBI72]

I have used homemade wet pallets of various designs but I have been using a commercial one for over a year now, homebrew works fine, but having a nice well designed commercial pallet is much nicer. One thing I have found is that baking paper works much better (for me) than a lot of the papers sold for commercial pallets, its also an order of magnitude cheaper :-) Not tried Exemplars they may be different, I must say I hadn't heard of them before and it does look like a very nice bit of kit.

[@Winterydee]

The issue with the paper used in most wet palettes (barring the newer lines developed specifically for miniature painters) is that they are designed for full/heavy body acrylic paints used for canvas artwork.

[@stiffk666]

I totally agree with the baking paper. I also made my own with a double layer of thick kitchen paper and an airtight sandwich box I had, literally the size of a large thick sandwich!!, and I found a 5m roll of silicone baking paper specifically for lining around tins for £2 that fits perfectly. So if anyone is worried about the cost or wants to try before committing the £2 was all I spent and it works brilliantly.

[@hanemaru95]

I’m painting professionally for months and never got a commercial wet palette, just a diy one, what brand baking paper/parchment paper you use?

[@Winterydee]

@@hanemaru95 I just use Reynolds.

[@stiffk666]

@@hanemaru95 I used kitchencraft non stick cake tin liner, literally a couple of quid. It's the perfect size for my small sandwich box. I did find that parchment wasn't as good as silicone paper though.

[@thebaldgm882]

Thanks for the great info. I cannot wait till I get my GameEnvy Wetpalette and try it out. I do have a little tip for when your paint is getting to thin: add a little Vallejo Retarder. It is thick gel-like substance, and I add it only to thicken my paints (when needed).

[@LylaMev]

WHY HAVE I NOT THOUGHT OF THAT.

[@benjaminargus9563]

Fridge I found awesome for keeping mine good, I live in a very hot humid environment and the fridge helps avoid mould and keeps paint better

[@lancelehman1105]

That idea of using pennies to hold down the corners is an excellent idea. Very dry here and the corners like to dry and raise in my wet palette. Thank you.

[@Ainalom]

Ive been using Parchment paper and it has been by far the best, easy to replace, fantastic working surface

[@Maccrack2]

This is so timely, I just got a wet palette !! Thanks so much for making this :)

[@LylaMev]

May your paint be the perfect consistency!

[@HMSGamer]

@@LylaMev Is this the artsy way of saying "May the force be with you"? 🙂

[@billstubbles2398]

Thank you for this video. I just picked up an Sta-Wet after using a home made wet palette for several months, and I've been checking out tutorials to make sure I haven't picked up any bad habits.

[@RogueWraith909]

Got my wet palette recently and oh wow is it a game changer... it's given me time to take time while I figure things out because I'm not experienced with the whole miniature painting thing... and it feels like a massive challenge, but it really isn't. I'm learning but I'm already lightyears ahead of where I was when I attempted my first ever miniature several years ago.

[@alicemursteinlesbefaen666]

thank youuu, ive just gotten into mini painting and im def gonna buy a wet palette soon

[@LylaMev]

Welcome and good luck!

[@B4MBI72]

Try a homemade one before spending hard earned cash, plastic box with a lid, flat sponge and some baking parchment, if you like it get a nice well designed one like the one in this video. Honestly, they are a game changer, especially if you get interrupted in you painting sessions by grow up things like making the kids dinner etc..... :-)

[@MaskedRiderChris]

Dang, Cardamom well and truly was all up in your business this time, now, wasn't he? On point, I'm currently using the Army Painter wet palette and find it works really well for my purposes. But I'd forgotten about the refrigerator trick--I may have to try that. I live in a part of TX that is relatively dry most of the time, so getting a wet palette (starting with a Masterson's palette I found wasn't cutting it after a while) was a game changer for me. I can't live without it now!

[@hacknslash318]

The air is drier in a frig since it is cooler, so it kept your paint from getting wet from condensation. Good idea to solve that problem.

[@beneisen6982]

A lot of good information for someone looking to start using a wet pallette. Also, I love your cat's cameos in the video. Both of mine tend to avoid my paints, though one has tried to get at my unpainted minis (so I changed where they were stored) and the other has chewed on my knitting needles.

[@natchoroom.]

Thank you very much for the great Tips. I have followed you step by step now my painting is much better.🥰🥰🥰

[@nikolakraljic330]

More cute cat stuff please 😍

[@mr.duffield142]

Can’t watch the full video now so commenting to help algorithm and such. Looking forward to watching this 12 times and thinking “yeah I should watch it again incase I missed some detail.”

[@bluesnickaloaf772]

Lots of great info. I'll have to try the fridge technique

[@BlackKara]

I live in the driest of dry. I've never even heard of half the problems you listed here. Its super interesting to see what humidity can do. I wish for those problems lol.

[@LylaMev]

I wish I had the dry climate problems!

[@JakeDogg-RIP]

My travel wet pallet is my army painter one… well my army painter one is my only wet pallet right now, but I have ordered an everlasting wet pallet from the latest kickstarter, so when I get that’s that one, being bigger will be my main one, and my army painter one will be for travels 🥰🐶

[@williamscarvie4498]

As a painter with multiple cats, you can guess my favorite parts of your videos. The little scamps. That said, the rest of your videos are terrific too. So many great tips. Thank you!

[@h8uall66]

Wow, glad you did this video. There are tons of wet pallet out there now and not enough information on how to properly use them. Pennies on the corners is such a simple but obviously good idea that I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it much less thought to do it on my own. I’ve definitely been putting mine in the fridge and besides giving you an extra day or two it also prevents mold from growing in the sponge. Gotta try washes with a wet palette, I’ve been too worried it wouldn’t work but you’ve shown me otherwise. Great video!

[@brantibrooks]

I see a lot of people saying you can’t use Metallics on a seer palette, but I’ve been doing it for about two years with no noticeable issues. I even reuse my paper if too much paint hasn’t dried on it. I can usually get a few sessions out of a piece of paper before it starts to break down.

[@nikot.9920]

Super insightful! I just got my wet pallete this week and these tips came at the best time. I always appreciate your videos Lyla 🙏

[@57redleg]

You are absolutely the best mentor for mini painting! Thanks for your fun, approachable and practical style.

[@LylaMev]

That means so much!

[@GarryWButler]

I backed the Exemplar Kickstarter, can't wait to get my new pallet. I love the Masterson's wet pallet, it was a great starter pallet.

[@LylaMev]

It’s definitely an upgrade!

[@GarryWButler]

@@LylaMev Also I bought the hobby holder from them back in March thanks to you.😉

[@LylaMev]

@@GarryWButler I swear by the hobby holder!

[@Walboro]

I’ve been using The Army Painter’s wet pallette for just over a year and I’d really struggle to live without it now. I’m gonna be picking up the redgrass xl for Christmas. Awesome content as always Lyla. #NotificationSquad

[@LylaMev]

Thank you!

[@davidmccurdy8911]

So I have had problems with the Redgrass red pallette with mould and I think the seal is too good and then its whatever is in your water. I tried boiled water and adding flow improver but the old penny trick worked best (I think pre 1987 in the uk) for the copper content. That worked but made weird bumps so order 20cm of copper strip from ebay for a couple of quid, cut it in 4 and a piece along each edge. one year later zero mould!

[@ElPaviano]

Today I started painting my first mini with a wet palette. I still have a lot to learn, in my last video I made the goblins without, I hope that I get the transitions now a little cleaner. Thanks for your valuable tips.

[@bretts2356]

Great vid- I have been using a wet pallet for 3-4 years now and I never heard about putting pennies on top of the paper to keep it from curling! under the sponge to keep it from getting funky because of the copper, yes- but never on top. Gonna try that! Also, I have heard a lot of people (even in some comments here) say that metallics should not go on a wet pallet but I have never had any issue with them and use them on mine all the time.

[@LylaMev]

I've never had an issue with metallics either!

[@Teyl1]

I'm definitely taking the pennies trick. I use distilled water to keep my pallet happy, but the pennies won't hurt. Thanks for the tips!

[@leegtracer3763]

Can't believe not a single person has mentioned de-ionised water. I have the army painter pallette and haven't had any mold since owning it for over two years and even forgetting to dry it out leaving it in a box for a month after a house move. I've only just found this channel not sure how I've missed it, have subbed 👍.

[@ianfredrick383]

I love that your cat is as mischievous as mine. Always adding extra challenge :D

[@tomcollick8111]

What is the 4 E's product you put the pain on at 6:39?

[@korenn9381]

My wet palette consists of: A small tray that we had laying around, a water absorbing window cleaning cloth that had been lying unused in the packaging on a shelf for a few years, and some parchment paper from my wife's sowing kit. Total cost: a few minutes of time with scissors to make it fit. Works like a charm!

[@thomasloveridge3284]

I found this video at the perfect time, my first ever wet palette is being delivered soon and this tutorial seems like it will be really helpful to refer back to in order to get the most out of it, great video.

[@MrAlexReady]

Hi! Could someone please recommend, how should i store wet pallet after painting. Do i need to dry the sponge?

[@ianlacey6588]

Led to wet palettes by Uncle Atom. Bought £5.00 of components from a supermarket. Then a friend got me a Redgrass wet palette. Never looked back. Good to know that inks work ok. I did wonder whether or not they would seep straight through. Metallics I keep on a dry palette, and the same when dry brushing is common sense. Mould? Not been a problem. I too give the sponge and tray a wash when necessary. If I am following a recipe/painting guide I mark off squares and write in pencil so I know what each paint blob is. This is because I often have to go away for days between sessions so when I come back I don’t have to start afresh.

[@Telon1984]

7:02 which app are you using to make notes and setup color schemes?

[@cbradquillen]

I've had four ginger tabbies from boyhood (Tiger and Yellow Jacket) through adulthood (Ixim and Mr. Squee). Every one of them has been absolutely wonderful.

[@LylaMev]

Cardamom is a sweet golden Prince. A very high maintenance golden Prince.

[@cbradquillen]

@@LylaMev That description matches Ixim. He was killed by a deer. Alas, alas, the grief. His ears were copper colored.

[@metastophles]

This was super helpful! Thanks so much for making resources like this.

[@BulldozersTravel]

Love your video! :) Thanks Had a huge problem this last week end with my daughter and I continually having our paints dry out... I found a preorder for the exemplar set but it wasn't easy... Apparently it was a Kickstarter and there a multiple waves of fulfillment. Have a good one.

[@Lamefoureyes]

Absolutely perfect timing, I was just hoping to find some advice on this.

[@Lamefoureyes]

Also once again your editing is super snappy, the title cards are great, and you have some awesome B roll haha

[@LylaMev]

My goal for 2021 was better b roll!

[@solarisdevorak]

Just getting into more advanced painting and this was SUPER helpful! Subbed and will dive more into your vids!

[@davidballantyne7431]

Great video, and I love the cat moments!

[@Greywolf1066]

Excellent! And love your cat!

[@LylaMev]

My cats are perfect

[@jocruzf]

I lya! Thanks 4 ur vid! What about contrast paint?

[@patrickd1968]

Always telling the joy.

[@tonybennett7145]

Thank you Lyla for your great info and help withy painting hobby.

[@runraggedrhino]

If you use washes on the wet palette, is it safe to assume you also use contrast paints on it too? Any issues there?

[@Io_Wreck]

Thank you for the tips. I've been trying to learn how to use a wet palette and was having a hard time finding the balance between too much or little water.

[@Mark-sc4bu]

Hi Lyla, great channel and content! Do you use metal paints on your wet palette? I’ve heard the flakes can screw up the sponge; have you experienced any issues like this?

[@milosh5050]

Hi all and sorry for most probably a dumb question😉 but should the surface of the paper be wet itself? I make my pallete at home, but any kind of baking paper I use (tried like 6 different kinds), it keeps the water under the paper only, the paper is well stuck on the foam, but basically dry on touch. Is this palette only about the moisture around? Or should the surface be wet itself? Sorry once more and thanks!😊

[@chemgeektim]

Just waiting on my wet palette from Game Envy to ship!

[@paintingbyminions8360]

Yaaas. I feel like most people really don’t realize the goal of a wet pallet is for that session. It’s not said enough. It’s hard to get mold if you don’t leave something soggy for days.

[@TheBattleRabbit860]

This is an awesome video, thank you for posting these tips! I have been scale modeling (tanks, warplanes/jets, and the figures that go along with those) for years now; I just finally got a wet pallet. Do you have any experience with the Army Painter brand pallet? I have been getting mixed information on the sheet. Some say to get both sides wet, others tell me I'm doing it wrong. No matter which way I go, I seem to have either liquified paints or paints that dry out and don't thin as they should. EDIT: I freakin' love your cat. Cats love to go exactly where they're not supposed to go.

[@caseyhand668]

Omg pennies on the corners of the paper.!!! Brilliant. I was sticking them in the bottom

[@C42ST3N]

I like to lay down the paper into the wet palette and than turn in around and lay it down again starting in the middle. Then i remove the water on top with a paper towel. This gives me a nice moist paper without thinning the paint down to much.

[@AeromatterYT]

Just discovered this channel. Great work!

[@Christopher_Gibbons]

I am accustomed to thinning my paints with flow aid or retardant, will they get in the way of using a wet pallet? I ask because I started using a wet pallet but I am not seeing any difference from just using pallet paper.

[@annereynolds7930]

Fantastically useful video as always, Lyla!

[@LylaMev]

Glad you think so!

[@unclestickysstories6887]

Love watching your videos. Learned a ton from you. I also like the cat action . I have 3 and love the hell out of them. Keep up the tutorials and thank you

[@timstinies9519]

What’s the red paint brush and water pot there on the side?

[@dennisfoulds3941]

Thanks, I had all of the above.

[@ogrokun]

Tip from vince venturella: a piece of copper wire under the sponge helps avoiding bad smell and mold

[@ImperialArmGaming]

great video, I noticed at 7:02 your using an tablet to work out color schemes I assume, what program do you use or what programs do you recommend

[@LylaMev]

procreate!

[@ImperialArmGaming]

@@LylaMev thanks

[@joninorth3585]

thank you

[@ayomashavre]

If your wet palette coz some liquefying pb it might be because of the paper ? I know that a french youtuber did some test on different papers (the kitchen one, the kitchen that is "ciré" (don't know the english word for it) and the redgrass (which is the same kind as the 2nd one) and they do act differentely as the property of each paper isn't the same and allow water to pass trough)

[@LylaMev]

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to experiment!

[@ayomashavre]

@@LylaMev you are welcome ! Keep up the good work o/ that's the vid I was talking about kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4GzZpxsrqqXqJY dunno if there is some english subtitles

[@Elfhelm]

Great video! Question about mixing washes on wet palette - won't moisture/water seeping through paper actually change property of wash and stop it from going to recesses as well as they should? Probably not in a short run, but that part left me wondering

[@LylaMev]

Definitely in the long run!

[@janetcameron4652]

Thanks. Very helpful.

[@kitswithkaren5003]

Very useful information on wet pallets 🐻🤗👍

[@Wombles_Wanderings]

The paper that comes with wet palettes doesn't seem to work as well as baking paper (UK) could you show us a video on how to thin the paint with that paper? it seems a bit pointless having a "proper" wet palette but not using the paper that comes with it. Thanks

[@alexandrefernandes6286]

Learn so much from you. Thank you Lyla!

[@jc7997aj]

Did you put windsor newton oil paints on the wet palette? Coulda swore I seen you do that with one of the tubes.

[@LylaMev]

That was winsor Newton artist acrylics

[@distanceyaself8975]

I got a wet palette before watching videos about wet palettes and just seen you setting up yours thinking dam her palette looks more cool then mine 😂

[@hydecleese8877]

I'm finally buying a weet palette, so thank you for the tips. I've also heared that you shouldn't use metalic paints on a wet palette because if the metalic particles get into the sponge it could ruin it over time.

[@LylaMev]

I've never heard of metallic paints getting into the sponge. I would think you should be able to wash it to avoid that problem?

[@Derekthetau]

@@LylaMev I haven't been able to wash out the metallic stains in my sponge. however I haven't noticed my regular acrylics turning metallic either so I'm not sure how much of issue it really is.

[@shari9721]

@@Derekthetau someone in another comment said they put their metallics in a beer cap and set the cap in the wet palette and can keep for days in there .

[@HoboMeow]

Thank you!

[@TheOznark]

Just some off topic thing I have to leave a comment here. I live in a desert like place, have being purchasing new humidifiers annually, but never search any dehumidifier product in my life, and right after this 5:30 timestamp, a Midea dehumidifier machine popped up in my Amazon recommendation.

[@PureBrawler]

I've heard metalic paints can get into the sponge and corrupt it for future jobs, have you found this to be true?

[@Thumperor]

Thanks for this! This is the stuff I was missing!

[@williamphillips9494]

Some great tips here!

[@Jonas_Fox]

I've never had smell issues even after days but I use distilled water to fill my palette and I don't lick my brush or put my fingers in the sponge. I'm thinking, if you keep the bacteria out, it can't grow on your palette.

[@zwenkwiel816]

What about metallic paint? I saw in another video that you shouldn't use them cuz the particles can get into your paper/sponge and end up in your other paints.

[@LylaMev]

I've never had that problerm

[@zwenkwiel816]

@LylaMev yeah I looked into it some more and I don't think it's an issue. (Red grass even mentions using metallic paints on their wet pallete)

[@stinkyham9050]

I'm not an expert on wet pallets (I struggle with mine constantly) but I am an expert on humidity and air quality. If anyone thinks the air in their paint area is the issue you can measure the "relative humidity" or "RH" with a meter you can probably get on Amazon for $30 - $40. The air temperature in your area will probably be fairly consistent year round assuming you have AC and heating (I can't imagine anyone not having this) but your RH will change dramatically on the time of year. I have no idea what the perfect RH would be in the air for wet pallets painting but if you find a time of year that's perfect you could measure it. Then replicate that RH by using a humidifier or dehumidifier depending on your needs.