17-08-2011, 08:08 PM
Yesterday at the club I brought along a Wet Palette. It was something I made following instructions on some forum, and I first used it when painting up my Coryphee's for last weeks game.
So what is a Wet Palette, and why would you find use for it. Basically a Wet Palette, is a semi-pourous paper, over a wet layer of absorbant material. Its aplication, is that it will keep paints in a liquid state for longer, than a standard dry palette will. As you are all aware, once out of a pot, paints dry quite quickly and more so, in hot and humid conditions. By applying your paint to the top layer, it will slowly by osmosis, abosorb some water through to maintain its consistancy for a longer time. This allows longer paint sessions, which use less paint, as you are no longer replacing dried paint. Also when working on several models at once, it is possible to gradualy add a second colour to your previous paint/mix, giving a much more precise blend of colours. No more guessing if it was 2 parts Red Gore to 1 part Blood Red, or 5 parts Red Gore to 2 Parts Blood Red, that you just did, whilst trying to mix the same hue. It's is still there on your pad, waiting for you to add another part of Blood Red, and blend/layer away.
Now then it is perfectly posible to buy a Wet Palette such as the P3 Wet Pallete, but seeing as the more money you save on hobby materials, the more you can spend on new toys for your army, here is how I created mine.
Firstly you need a failry solid, but shallow container. I use the Lid from a Pencil sized Really Useful Box, that I purchased at staples.You can go deeper, but the depth of the lid, which comes in at around 1cm, is more than adequete for our needs. Platic take away tup lids, for instance would surfice, and its a personal preference, as to the size of palette yu want. Larger allows you to mix more colours, but takes more space in your hobby area. Next your need a material that will hold your water, and there are a couple of options. Firstly and what I use, is several sheets of kitchen paper. Cut to size they are ideal, and easy and cheap to replace should they start to deterioate. Another option is to make use of the pieces of fom that come with models. Making use of what you have to hand, will save a bit more money, and if the foams not doing anything else for you, why not do something other than throw it away. Finally you need your top layer, and for this you need some Baking / Grease Prooof Paper, but to the size of your palette. Basically it nees to be absorbant to a degree, to transfer moisture form your wet layer, to the paint, but not so aborbant that it sucks the paint into it. Being a very cheap, it isn't an issue to throw a sheet away when its fulfilled its usefulness, unlike the pad refils designed to go with the P3 Wet Palette.
Once you have created the palette, wet the absorbant layer (dont drown it if your using paper towel,) then place your top layer in the palette. Add your paint from the pot, and then its advisable, as with a dry palette, to thin your paints with water. Whilst it isn't necessary, the palette will only replace moisure lost, not thin the paint out for you, and you should be using a watered down paint anyway (watered to a 'milk' consistency, of so that it sits in the in the brush, rather than on the outside of the bristles.) Then you can mix and if necessary re-thin the paint.
Give it a try, see if it helps your painting, and any questions give me a hollar.
So what is a Wet Palette, and why would you find use for it. Basically a Wet Palette, is a semi-pourous paper, over a wet layer of absorbant material. Its aplication, is that it will keep paints in a liquid state for longer, than a standard dry palette will. As you are all aware, once out of a pot, paints dry quite quickly and more so, in hot and humid conditions. By applying your paint to the top layer, it will slowly by osmosis, abosorb some water through to maintain its consistancy for a longer time. This allows longer paint sessions, which use less paint, as you are no longer replacing dried paint. Also when working on several models at once, it is possible to gradualy add a second colour to your previous paint/mix, giving a much more precise blend of colours. No more guessing if it was 2 parts Red Gore to 1 part Blood Red, or 5 parts Red Gore to 2 Parts Blood Red, that you just did, whilst trying to mix the same hue. It's is still there on your pad, waiting for you to add another part of Blood Red, and blend/layer away.
Now then it is perfectly posible to buy a Wet Palette such as the P3 Wet Pallete, but seeing as the more money you save on hobby materials, the more you can spend on new toys for your army, here is how I created mine.
Firstly you need a failry solid, but shallow container. I use the Lid from a Pencil sized Really Useful Box, that I purchased at staples.You can go deeper, but the depth of the lid, which comes in at around 1cm, is more than adequete for our needs. Platic take away tup lids, for instance would surfice, and its a personal preference, as to the size of palette yu want. Larger allows you to mix more colours, but takes more space in your hobby area. Next your need a material that will hold your water, and there are a couple of options. Firstly and what I use, is several sheets of kitchen paper. Cut to size they are ideal, and easy and cheap to replace should they start to deterioate. Another option is to make use of the pieces of fom that come with models. Making use of what you have to hand, will save a bit more money, and if the foams not doing anything else for you, why not do something other than throw it away. Finally you need your top layer, and for this you need some Baking / Grease Prooof Paper, but to the size of your palette. Basically it nees to be absorbant to a degree, to transfer moisture form your wet layer, to the paint, but not so aborbant that it sucks the paint into it. Being a very cheap, it isn't an issue to throw a sheet away when its fulfilled its usefulness, unlike the pad refils designed to go with the P3 Wet Palette.
Once you have created the palette, wet the absorbant layer (dont drown it if your using paper towel,) then place your top layer in the palette. Add your paint from the pot, and then its advisable, as with a dry palette, to thin your paints with water. Whilst it isn't necessary, the palette will only replace moisure lost, not thin the paint out for you, and you should be using a watered down paint anyway (watered to a 'milk' consistency, of so that it sits in the in the brush, rather than on the outside of the bristles.) Then you can mix and if necessary re-thin the paint.
Give it a try, see if it helps your painting, and any questions give me a hollar.
Star Wars Legion - Rebels
Guildball - Alchemists
Blood Bowl - Lizardmen
Guildball - Alchemists
Blood Bowl - Lizardmen
