This has been a thing for a while, I understand. The wet palette, I mean. Great for thinning your paint - just not too much - and stopping it drying out when painting in a centrally heated room or on a hot summer's day.
I know the likes of Army Painter sell them, but making one yourself is supposedly easy. Layers of kitchen paper and some greaseproof paper/baking parchment. One guy on line recommended a sponge and a Tupperware box to stop it all drying out overnight.
I remembered that I had some foam rubber packing to spare and I reckoned it would do for a sponge. Then I prised a plastic take away box out of Mrs T's hands, and I was away.
Foam rubber cut to size...just add water and paper.
Ooh! I think that might be working!
Lid fits too. well it should do.
Updates on its utility or otherwise to follow.
Watching with interest .. do update continued use!
ReplyDeleteFirst experience very good. it kept the paint workable without making it too thin. this was particularly helpful with the Tamiya paints that have issues. Checked it this morning and paint still usable after being in the pot overnight.
DeleteCool
DeleteMade one for summer painting using kitchen roll and greaseproof paper in a takeaway container.
ReplyDeleteYours looked like there was a lot of water in it. I found it best with a very soggy kitchen roll but with any excess standing water poured off.
It works and keeps the paint workable overnight or even longer.
Any mixed colours remain useable.
Downsides I found:
It thins the paint. You will not need to add water or medium to the paint. Your coverage will be less than if you are used to painting from the pot or from undiluted paint on a palette. You don't realise this until you start painting. Suits wash style painting over layers or solid block painting.
The amount of room on a small size piece of paper is limited and you soon fill it up.Unlike a palette where it dries, it stays liquid so you have to leave room between paint blobs otherwise it mixes or bleeds into each other.
Others have reported it going mouldy. I cleaned mine out after finishing painting a batch so never got this as I disposed of the wet paper and washed container out.
Neil
I saw that a lot of people use kitchen paper, and someone I know recommended it. I thought that it wouldn't last and would need replacing a lot, so I went with sponge having seen it used on a video. The sealable container was what won me over for giving it a go as the alternatives wouldn't work on my painting desk.
DeleteThanks for the list of "cons", as mostly everyone raves about it, so it is good to have things to keep an eye on. So far the amount of thinning of the paint hasn't been and issue - in fact for some colours it has been a real boon. My box is about 4" x 6", which should do me for a week or so. Replacing the greaseproof paper isn't a big burden nor a big cost. I can see the mould issue arising, and I'll need to be disciplined on washing it out every so often. I often go for a week to a month or so without painting between projects, so that'll give me plenty of time to dry it all out and reset.
Once you start you can't stop!
ReplyDeleteI fear that may be the case.
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