I like how porcelain helps the mixing of color and doesn’t stain. So, I use butcher trays and various white porcelain plates I’ve found at thrift stores. Also use small Pyrex cups for larger mixes. On the hunt for more white porcelain every time I see a thrift store - I feel better when I re-purpose. And the bonus is I can use the $ saved on great quality paints, paper & brushes.
I have several ceramic and tin palettes plus the enamel thing which I love. and still needed more for mixing. My husband has about 25 Pyrex baking pie dishes. I’ve nabbed 3 so far. He doesn’t even notice and who needs all those pie dishes?? Are we a bakery? We’ve only ever made two pies at once....fun to mix in the pie dish
I use white seashells (clams mostly). Definitely novel, but there are micro ridges that act like a washboard and really help get the water dilution dialed in. Some of them (the bigger ones) have a small pocket on the top where I can put my pure color, then bring it down to dilute or mix, works really well! Oh, but they do stain, so there's that.
I've just discovered this series and am binge watching. Thank you sooooo much! I'm an "intermediate" watercolor piddler stuck in an area with NOOOO classes or groups nearby and this series is a real pleasure.
I've been using a plastic palette for years but it's like you said; overtime the plastic will begin to turn yellow and stain. So I am looking into getting a ceramic one. I found one on Jackson's website that I have not see anywhere else and it's just perfect for me. Thank you for making this video ❤️
Alfonso Dunn is one of the best authors and artists in pen and ink today. I have both his books, and each is an amazing resource. Add in the videos, and you are blessed with an excellent teacher. Alfonso, if you are reading this, thank you! And, Steve, as well, your channel never fails to inspire me as a watercolorist! Thank you, too!
Thanks, I was going to buy a palette but now I can save a few bucks by using some square white serving dishes I only use at Thanksgiving. You're the best! (You're also kinda cute, too!)
All good tips! Thank you! One quick note about Styrofoam plates... They tend to move because they are so lightweight. And if you try to use them outdoors, the wind can blow them away. The quick easy cheap fix is, TAPE. I use duct tape, but any tape works if you use enough. Just roll a length into a circle, sticky-side OUT. Put that on the bottom of the plate and it won't move or blow away. Another benefit is, the wad of tape tilts the plate. Since water runs downhill, place the pigment on the uphill side of your tilted plate. That gives you plenty of real-estate for mixing big washes, and allows more concentrated dark values near the high-side.
I truly enjoy your videos. They WOW me on many levels. You have opened a whole new world of FUN art for this Grandma. Thank you, Steve, you're an awesome teacher!
Corelle Vitrelle plates are cheap as dirt, so lightweight, basically indestructible, and never stains. I rinse them off then throw them in the dishwasher to eat on since they’re also our only dinner plates. Better than paper plates for picnics, too. And they’re microwave safe. The white is so classic and multipurpose and so lightweight I can grab 5 at once when emptying my dishwasher. But most of the time I just use my plastic Portable Painter for mixing. I have pink/red/orange, green, and blue in the bigger mixing sections and 2 of the smaller separate sections for purples and neutral
VERY HELPFUL VIDEO. Amazing how it would seem simple to pick a palette, but for the beginning watercolorist, there is much to consider. Instead of going through the expense associated with trial and error, your video has simplified decision-making. I say BRAVO!
I like the John Pike tray for keeping a set palette and I have used one similar to that. Mine is plastic. I like that I can leave mixed colors as I work through my painting. It is easy to clean and closes up nicely. But it is hard to take on our camping trips in the trailer. I love to paint in the mountains and on vacation. I recently discovered the idea of use the half pan method and found a great 53 paint pan tray that has two lids that serve as trays that close to one small metal container. I really love trying new paints and using the old ones in my stash. this container will work so well at the picnic table and anywhere else I can see myself using it. It really helped to go through the different colors as I set up the new container. I am working on a very difficult flower composition, bearded irises. The colors are so unique and light. Even too light for watercolors. I found some great mixes and colors to try. Everything you offer up on TH-cam becomes so important and is so worth the effort to show. Thanks for all your great insight and inspiration.
You can clean your Plastic palettes including your John pyke palette white like new by using totally Awesome from the dollar store. It works like magic. It cleans plastic white. Gets rid of all stains.
I was just going to say the same about Awesome. I tried cleaning some paint once on a plastic palette, and it took some effort. Then using Awesome, By the time I sprayed it and put the bottle down, it was already dissolving! The stuff is great for anything! It doesnt stink, it doesnt burn you skin, and can even be diluted! Ive recommend this to anyone I see cleaning things. If you have a vinyl privacy fence like I do, it in a year or two starts discoloring from mildew from the trees and whatever. I just spray a mist all over each panel , one at a time, take a wash mitt and bucket of water and just wipe it off easily, then blast the excess off with a hose! Simple! Spray your tires with it and watch to brake dust just melt off the rubber! This cleaner is for everything! You have to try it , if you havent already!
I agree! Over the years, I have collected every palette you mentioned. I also have a few John Pike palettes that are 40+ years old and I still use them. If you buy the Mr. Clean scrubber you can remove the stains.
I like using those little solo shot cups for mixing larger amounts or if plan on pouring paint. I really like how stackable and cheap they are. The perfect accessory to a big flat pallete lol.
I have a metal tray from my grandmother, I need to ask my dad to flatten the bottom because it curves up, and it bugs me (halfway through the video I realized that the tray is supposed to be that way) so thank you for saving me from ruining it!)
Re. glass: If you look around, you can find glass (kitchen) cutting boards. The edges are smoothed, and they can usually take a lot of abuse without breaking. The top is often textured, but just pry the rubber feet off the bottom, smooth side, and use that side up. You can put adhesive white drawer liner (comes in rolls) underneath, if you want to see white under your mixes.
I personally love anything ceramic for watercolor palettes: easy to clean, not staining & heavy enough so that they don't move around on the table when mixing. My only problem is finding one that meets my criteria. I don't have a lot of space to work with, so I'm thinking about just going to a thrift store & finding some plates to use OR taking a ceramics class at the community college so I can make a 100% custom ceramic palette!
Stephanie Harris Agree completely on the ceramic advantages. The porcelain enameled butcher tray artists palette is about the closest I know of. Not ceramic but the enamel coating is pretty much the same.
I use a fondue plate to mix on. It's a plate with individual sections/wells ( 8€ on ebay). Doesn't stain either and it's cheaper than a designated porcelain palette one can buy online.
I recommend one looks for the “clip” frames if you do want to try glass palettes. The clips might seem annoying but because the edges of the glass are designed to be exposed they should be sanded or safer than normal. Provided no one breaks the glass. You could remove the glass from the board it’s clipped to and use the tape method shown here. Again those edges shouldn’t be as sharp!
Here's a suggestion about your used and abused John Pike pallet...Thanksgiving is coming and you can use it for carving the turkey and then by placing some Primaries and Secondaries in the corners, you can have very colorful seconds the next night, and then when done, cover it with the top when you put it away in the fridge! Taa-Daa!
I remember when this first came out. The porcelain dish suggestion was brilliant. They don’t stain, they go in the dishwasher, great. I dislike the Pike palette because it stains. It’s August, I am going through all my supplies that I dislike or don’t use and they are going to the local elementary school. Art teachers never have money. It’s clean up time Minders. Help the schools.
I am thinking of picking up a plain white ceramic tile from the hardware store. I could always run hot glue around the edges to create spots for paint. If I can't find cheap plates
Your ideas on palettes closely follows my ideas. I like bright white, non-staining, and large palettes. Several of my studio palettes have sealable lids to keep my paints moist and dust-free. Granted, I can re-moisten the paint should it dry out, but getting dust and dirt out of the paint can be an issue. For long-term storage of watercolor paint from almost empty tubes (when I am trying to regain space on my shelves) I use the egg wells in a white styrofoam egg carton. If you get the right ones the inside of the lid makes for a good place to mix paint. The styrofoam allows for one to use a ball point pen to label each well with the name and manufacturer of the paint in each well. I’ve kept some paint several years in one of these egg cartons and ended up using them for a field palette when painting plein air. I have been following your videos for some time now. Never tire of watching and listening to what you have to say and teach. Thanks again for this one. As you can probably see, I am trying to go back to the beginning of your videos and learn from past works. - OkieSketcher1949.
Thank you for the review and reasoning, much appreciated. For those who like small rounded wells they could consider dollar store escargot dishes - white, ceramic, easy to clean, and inexpensive. Due to their weight they are much easier to use than the plastic crafter's pallet though they don't have as many wells.
It has become abundantly clear, over time, that nobody has put any serious thought into creating a watercolor palette that makes sense. It's almost as if anyone who is into manufacturing has never done a watercolor. None of these are even close to what would work best for most serious watercolorists. Just look at the comments and ask, "Are people innovating all over the place, just to compensate for the massive shortfalls of every single design to date?" Yes they are, and in major ways, right out of the box from the first brush stroke. Perhaps there is a marketing person in the industry who would like to discuss this and make a ton of money by actually making a palette that can do the job it's supposedly being made to do.
Of all the videos in my opinion yours is the best and most informative. Most of the video tutorials do not explain how or what they are doing and why. Your explain it all and you also put a little life and humor in it. Thanks for the video. Please keep them up.
Thank you I always enjoy your videos!! Also, thank you for taking your time to teach us ideas!! I just started watercoloring in January and have learned so much from your channel. Yes I did subscribe!! Have an awesome day!!
Hi Steve - I was just thinking about picking up a new pallet for my gouache work and did a google search, of course your channel and this video popped up!!! What was I thinking, this channel should always be my first stop. Thanks Steve.
A very nice introduction . I think that in times of pollution and trying to make as little waste as possible I think porcelan is best or tin. The rest is not realy degradabel an poluts the enviornment. I have been looking for a tin with wells many Greetings from Christiane Berlin Germany 😊
I have so many types of plastic palettes and the thing that always bothered me was that they stained very quickly. I like my palette to be white, fresh and clean each time I use it. I just ordered 2 porcelain palettes after watching this video. Hopefully they won't disappoint me. Thanks for the tips.
I snatched a plate from my mum's kitchen and use it as a pallete. It's great, because the paint flows nicely and doesn't puddle as it likes to do on cheap plastic palletes. Well, you can scratch the pallete with a sandpaper but I don't bother with that. If I can't use the pallete ritght away it's not worth my effort. I have also some other palletes, like plastic (it serves as a paintcase and the top is a great pallete) and my watercolor travel kit (which I use at home lmao). You just gotta try and pick what you like.
I like to use the palettes designed for travel that close up like the Mijello bulletproof or Fusian ones or the generic white ones with the little hole for your finger. They are easy to pack up to keep dust out. They can be pulled out whenever you need them and some of them open up to be quite large. The metal ones like the empty Schminke tins are supposed to be good too because they are coated in enamel paint.
Great video Steve! Up and watching your channel for years and somehow never saw this one. It's so funny, I've used paper/ Styrofoam plates for years with acrylic paints but have never even thought to use them for watercolor for some reason!? Thanks for the advice, I'm climbing gonna break down and buy one of those big palettes with also sealable Wells!
I like porcelain palettes, and teacups (when the ones at home get chipped, I give them a retired life as my art supply.) I have a large porcelain tile as a mixing surface, and a sandwich plate (rectangular) as my go to palettes; when I travel I take the sandwich plate with for my colours, because it's small enough not to be cumbersome.
I’ve got so many porcelain palettes it’s sick! They’re so alluring and they speak to me when I see them and they beg me to take them home! I just got the Robax(GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY😇😘❤️🔥🥇)
There are literally tons of palettes available but most fit into these categories I've shown in some form or another. Have fun picking your palette then lets get painting!
Large square porcelain tray from thrift store works great for me to mix watercolor. I hoped to find out about what you and Reese think about paper palette on this video. Somebody recently told me paper palette is good for watercolor. Soon I will have a pad of paper palette included with a vintage artist briefcase I purchased online. Will update my comment to let you know how it worked. Many thanks to you and Reese!
Thank you for your presentation on pallettes. I have used all of them at some time, except the glass..(ouch). I found the styrofoam helpful for children just learning. I love the travel pocket paints from Winsor Newton for smaller paintings (have you heard of these?) and the porcelain is wonderful for keeping the color clean. Tom Lynch puts out a large porcelain pallette that is very heavy. I was able to purchase this at one of his workshops, but find it hard to carry around...So I appreciated your insights. Depending on the job needed, there is a palette for the occassion. Blessings and thanks for the verse at the end! Loved it.
About glass pallets - in thrift stores you'll sometimes fine glass cutting boards - horrible for knives but but great for mixing paints. I use one for acrylic's. Easy clean up.
thank you for preventing me from buying a plastic palette! Your porcelain dishes look so nice! I'm restarting this hobby and your videos are helpful and entertaining!
At a hospitality supplies place I found some nice porcelain and some melamine square sauce dishes that stack vertically__good for pouring or for mixing for washes or just putting paint in. In addition to these I found some square porcelain dinner plates at K mart. I place the sauce dishes around the outside of the 2 dinner plates placed together, which allows for about 16 dishes__plenty of colour and lots of mixing space. If I want to keep some of the colour mixed on a dinner plate , I just add another plate and put that one aside. It all stacks up quite compactly when finished.
I’ve been spending a lot of time the last few days watching your videos; they are so good. Even though I’ve done a number of paintings now (mostly acrylic), I don’t really understand how to set up a palette. I end up with probably too many different colors at some point, and I’m definitely disorganized. It looks like you are usually following the color wheel, but you said on another video that you didn’t always. I did a search, and there are lots of different videos on this subject, and it looks like a lot of variations.
My preferred way to set up a palette is color wheel order. Its easier to remember when the wells get all sloppy and you can't tell what color is what. I keep a swatch card too of the exact location and name of each color in that palette. My perfect palette is about 18 colors (24 max). Its preference of course, but more than that becomes confusing and overwhelming from a mixing standpoint. I'm not the type that believes in 48+ color palettes just so I can have every subtle hue. Colors start to become very similar after 24.
Thank you! This afternoon I got out ALL of my watercolors and painted a square of each so I could see what I actually had. Now I’m working on a color wheel and trying to figure out which Red, Yellow and Blue! I’ve done some water color paintings (floral) that are actually pretty good, but I never did much mixing. (I did quite a bit with acrylics.) I always want to jump in and start painting, but now I want to work on the basics, and you have lots of videos that are helpful, easy to follow, and make sense.
Thank you for the videos and for the discussion about pallets. I am new to watercolor, well to painting, and could never really get excited about any of the pallets I see in stores. After seeing your video I see why! Off to buy some ceramic or porcelain plates. :)
This was avery practical and interesting session. So many choices, but if you do not have a good set-up the smaller palettes must do the job. I had not considered a permanent pallette, very sensible with onging works. The "white facter" was an interesting aspect/ thought. Thanks for your advice Steve.
Thanks for showing us all those different palettes. I have one not shown: the oblong blob with thumb hole. It does its job well enough, but it QUICKLY became too small as I've gained some confidence. Sadly, my perfect palette doesn't exist as far as I have found. If anyone knows where I can find a lightweight rectangular palette with (at least five) large but divided mixing areas with many deep square paint wells (as on the Pike palette), please let me know! :)
Keep looking Jen. I see new types all the time. The oblong type you mention is designed for oil or acrylic painters but as you've discovered watercolor works with just about any palette. I've become very fond of palettes with no wells. It seems to make mixing very flexible.
Thanks, Steve. I am using a butcher tray with permanent palette slant trays. The slant trays fit inside the butcher's tray and still leave a little mixing area or I can easily remove them for a larger mixing area. Love your videos, thanks again.
Hi Steve, that was a good selection of palettes.....I like the look of the Jack Pike one and found that it's sold over here too, so maybe I'll treat myself to one...😀
Mary J Glad it was a help. Don't feel bad. I have drawers full of unused art stuff. Sometimes you just have to try something to know it won't work for you.
Do you always designate one pallet to one type of paint? Or is it ok to mix different brands of paint on one pallet? A favorite tip you gave in a past video, was to use a Magic Eraser pad to buff off the shiny surface on a new plastic pallet. That way the new pallets won’t bead up when mixing a puddle of paint.
Definitely ok to mix brands. I keep them separate because of how I review and compare colors for my videos. For everyday painting circumstances its not necessary.
@@mindofwatercolor Thank you for the reply 😊. Also, I learned that I have to immediately label what I have put into my pallet. Otherwise it’s difficult to figure out later what color (and it’s character quality) I have on my pallet.
@ Ariane - Sounds good! If you're on Facebook, post a picture of the palette to my page some time (smitchelldesign). Might be an idea others are interested in.
Porcelain plates, saucers or platers looks like a great way to go... I'm off to the Good Will & Salvation Army... they're loaded with this stuff for pennies on the dollar. Thanks, Steve & Reese!
Exactly what I was thinking. In fact, I have picked up some plastic poached egg plates (circle of "cups) with a flat center to mix) that I currently use. I like the porcelain idea and will keep my eye out for white plates.
I've got a few palettes that I like, but for my birthday this year I'm going to get one that's similar to your John Pike after watching this video. Thanks for the advice :) Happy Arting!
I love this video about picking the correct palette. It's selecting the correct watercolors to place IN the palette that has eludes most of us. Everyone says selecting colors is a personal choice. Isn't it easier to suggest a low staining palette (to help new us correct mistakes early on), with warm and cool primary colors, and neutralizing colors to balance the whole thing out? I've held off asking this question because I hate to seem too ignorant. As much as I enjoy using phthalo watercolors, and other high staining choices, they seem to discourage rather than encourage. Is there such a list out there that would work? Could you suggest a video you've already produced that would answer this need? Hope so!!! Thanks!!
My experience is that beginning watercolorists worry way too much about making the exact “right” color choices. I’m not saying it doesn’t matter at all but there are loads of great examples of workable color selections online and in watercolor books. Non-staining colors wont help with correction as much as you think. Don’t have a video that addresses your specific concerns unfortunately.
@@mindofwatercolor I appreciate your comment and quick response. Maybe we do worry too much about making the correct choices and I sense our biggest fear is failure OR feeling ridiculous. When I started playing golf, I discovered taking lessons and practicing was far more important than spending huge amounts on the most expensive clubs. Your helpful video on paper quality being the MOST important was certainly useful. Studying the several books I've purchased, reviewing multiple videos, and pushing myself to practice helps immensely. I have personally found greater frustration when using deeply staining colors for now, though I love them. I'm crawling now, learning to blend the primary colors into magnificent shades, neutralizing, building color charts, color wheels, determined to learn to create and not just color (if that makes sense). Again, thanks for the help.
@@VanmeterFL Thanks Becky. Over time colors do become a preference so the staining issue is held by others too. Its not a factor for me so I don't think about it much. Non-staining colors can still stain just not quite as deeply and staining colors can still be lifted to a lighter value so the categories are not absolutes by any means. If you're on Skillshare, you might consider taking Denise Soden's classes on color mixing and customizing a palette. Very good info in both. www.skillshare.com/user/denisesoden
Want to know something really strange? Almost all the cars and trucks driving on the road in the background of the video are white... weird. Now for the subject at hand: I used to use plastic palettes until 2 things happened: 1. I've decided not to use plastic (for anything) if I can help it and 2. I got tired of trying to scratch all those surfaces with toothpaste lol ..
Lol, I just love your sense of humor!😁
I like how porcelain helps the mixing of color and doesn’t stain. So, I use butcher trays and various white porcelain plates I’ve found at thrift stores. Also use small Pyrex cups for larger mixes. On the hunt for more white porcelain every time I see a thrift store - I feel better when I re-purpose. And the bonus is I can use the $ saved on great quality paints, paper & brushes.
I remove the color mixing stains from my John Pike Palette with a Mr. Clean eraser, and it comes right off!
I have several ceramic and tin palettes plus the enamel thing which I love. and still needed more for mixing. My husband has about 25 Pyrex baking pie dishes. I’ve nabbed 3 so far. He doesn’t even notice and who needs all those pie dishes?? Are we a bakery? We’ve only ever made two pies at once....fun to mix in the pie dish
I use white seashells (clams mostly). Definitely novel, but there are micro ridges that act like a washboard and really help get the water dilution dialed in. Some of them (the bigger ones) have a small pocket on the top where I can put my pure color, then bring it down to dilute or mix, works really well! Oh, but they do stain, so there's that.
+Richard Sears Thats a pretty cool idea! Thanks for the input.
I’m a newbie but have heard of olive oil removing watercolor stains.
Can’t see it hurting a shell or two.
I've just discovered this series and am binge watching. Thank you sooooo much! I'm an "intermediate" watercolor piddler stuck in an area with NOOOO classes or groups nearby and this series is a real pleasure.
+Helen Springer Glad to hear it, thanks for watching!
I've been using a plastic palette for years but it's like you said; overtime the plastic will begin to turn yellow and stain. So I am looking into getting a ceramic one. I found one on Jackson's website that I have not see anywhere else and it's just perfect for me. Thank you for making this video ❤️
Alfonso Dunn is one of the best authors and artists in pen and ink today. I have both his books, and each is an amazing resource. Add in the videos, and you are blessed with an excellent teacher. Alfonso, if you are reading this, thank you! And, Steve, as well, your channel never fails to inspire me as a watercolorist! Thank you, too!
Thanks, I was going to buy a palette but now I can save a few bucks by using some square white serving dishes I only use at Thanksgiving. You're the best! (You're also kinda cute, too!)
Thanks for the tip, Steve. Picked up a 10" square porcelain dinner plate at Wal-Mart for $6. Works fantastic as a mixing palette..
All good tips! Thank you! One quick note about Styrofoam plates... They tend to move because they are so lightweight. And if you try to use them outdoors, the wind can blow them away. The quick easy cheap fix is, TAPE. I use duct tape, but any tape works if you use enough. Just roll a length into a circle, sticky-side OUT. Put that on the bottom of the plate and it won't move or blow away. Another benefit is, the wad of tape tilts the plate. Since water runs downhill, place the pigment on the uphill side of your tilted plate. That gives you plenty of real-estate for mixing big washes, and allows more concentrated dark values near the high-side.
The little plastic artists cups are wonderful. Super simple, you can use them for lots of different stuff, store easy, and super easy to clean.
I truly enjoy your videos. They WOW me on many levels. You have opened a whole new world of FUN art for this Grandma. Thank you, Steve, you're an awesome teacher!
Corelle Vitrelle plates are cheap as dirt, so lightweight, basically indestructible, and never stains.
I rinse them off then throw them in the dishwasher to eat on since they’re also our only dinner plates. Better than paper plates for picnics, too. And they’re microwave safe. The white is so classic and multipurpose and so lightweight I can grab 5 at once when emptying my dishwasher.
But most of the time I just use my plastic Portable Painter for mixing. I have pink/red/orange, green, and blue in the bigger mixing sections and 2 of the smaller separate sections for purples and neutral
VERY HELPFUL VIDEO. Amazing how it would seem simple to pick a palette, but for the beginning watercolorist, there is much to consider. Instead of going through the expense associated with trial and error, your video has simplified decision-making. I say BRAVO!
I like the John Pike tray for keeping a set palette and I have used one similar to that. Mine is plastic. I like that I can leave mixed colors as I work through my painting. It is easy to clean and closes up nicely. But it is hard to take on our camping trips in the trailer. I love to paint in the mountains and on vacation. I recently discovered the idea of use the half pan method and found a great 53 paint pan tray that has two lids that serve as trays that close to one small metal container. I really love trying new paints and using the old ones in my stash. this container will work so well at the picnic table and anywhere else I can see myself using it.
It really helped to go through the different colors as I set up the new container. I am working on a very difficult flower composition, bearded irises. The colors are so unique and light. Even too light for watercolors. I found some great mixes and colors to try. Everything you offer up on TH-cam becomes so important and is so worth the effort to show. Thanks for all your great insight and inspiration.
The black edged porcelain reminds me of bakeware our grandmas used to use!! Thank you so much for this.
You can clean your Plastic palettes including your John pyke palette white like new by using totally Awesome from the dollar store. It works like magic. It cleans plastic white. Gets rid of all stains.
I was just going to say the same about Awesome. I tried cleaning some paint once on a plastic palette, and it took some effort. Then using Awesome, By the time I sprayed it and put the bottle down, it was already dissolving! The stuff is great for anything! It doesnt stink, it doesnt burn you skin, and can even be diluted! Ive recommend this to anyone I see cleaning things. If you have a vinyl privacy fence like I do, it in a year or two starts discoloring from mildew from the trees and whatever. I just spray a mist all over each panel , one at a time, take a wash mitt and bucket of water and just wipe it off easily, then blast the excess off with a hose! Simple! Spray your tires with it and watch to brake dust just melt off the rubber! This cleaner is for everything! You have to try it , if you havent already!
ALWAYS LEARNING from your channel... very informative... LOVE REESE!!!!
I agree! Over the years, I have collected every palette you mentioned. I also have a few John Pike palettes that are 40+ years old and I still use them. If you buy the Mr. Clean scrubber you can remove the stains.
Thanks! John Pike is a great palette. Mr. Clean doesn't remove all the stains unfortunately or yellowing from age.
I like using those little solo shot cups for mixing larger amounts or if plan on pouring paint. I really like how stackable and cheap they are. The perfect accessory to a big flat pallete lol.
Why is it that I always end up coming to your channel 🤣 I think it’s the way you break everything down. Also, you love M Graham paint
Your bits with reese are so funny 😂
Thanks for liking :')
White ceramic charger plate has been my favorite palette.
I have a metal tray from my grandmother, I need to ask my dad to flatten the bottom because it curves up, and it bugs me (halfway through the video I realized that the tray is supposed to be that way) so thank you for saving me from ruining it!)
Re. glass: If you look around, you can find glass (kitchen) cutting boards. The edges are smoothed, and they can usually take a lot of abuse without breaking. The top is often textured, but just pry the rubber feet off the bottom, smooth side, and use that side up. You can put adhesive white drawer liner (comes in rolls) underneath, if you want to see white under your mixes.
I never thought of using a piece of glass. I love my glass palette for my acrylics. I’m going to have to try making a watercolour one.
I personally love anything ceramic for watercolor palettes: easy to clean, not staining & heavy enough so that they don't move around on the table when mixing. My only problem is finding one that meets my criteria. I don't have a lot of space to work with, so I'm thinking about just going to a thrift store & finding some plates to use OR taking a ceramics class at the community college so I can make a 100% custom ceramic palette!
Stephanie Harris Agree completely on the ceramic advantages. The porcelain enameled butcher tray artists palette is about the closest I know of. Not ceramic but the enamel coating is pretty much the same.
I have the John Pyke Pallette and the porcelain try like you to mix in.. I am using the MGraham paints and the Silver Black Velvet Brushes.
your videos are helpful to me because i love painting with watercolours but a beginner
I use a fondue plate to mix on. It's a plate with individual sections/wells ( 8€ on ebay). Doesn't stain either and it's cheaper than a designated porcelain palette one can buy online.
I recommend one looks for the “clip” frames if you do want to try glass palettes.
The clips might seem annoying but because the edges of the glass are designed to be exposed they should be sanded or safer than normal. Provided no one breaks the glass.
You could remove the glass from the board it’s clipped to and use the tape method shown here. Again those edges shouldn’t be as sharp!
Here's a suggestion about your used and abused John Pike pallet...Thanksgiving is coming and you can use it for carving the turkey and then by placing some Primaries and Secondaries in the corners, you can have very colorful seconds the next night, and then when done, cover it with the top when you put it away in the fridge! Taa-Daa!
I remember when this first came out. The porcelain dish suggestion was brilliant. They don’t stain, they go in the dishwasher, great.
I dislike the Pike palette because it stains.
It’s August, I am going through all my supplies that I dislike or don’t use and they are going to the local elementary school. Art teachers never have money. It’s clean up time Minders. Help the schools.
I am thinking of picking up a plain white ceramic tile from the hardware store. I could always run hot glue around the edges to create spots for paint. If I can't find cheap plates
If you haven’t discovered, “magic eraser” will take off many stains on plastic.
I have too many palettes but I’m researching the John Pike now.
Your ideas on palettes closely follows my ideas. I like bright white, non-staining, and large palettes. Several of my studio palettes have sealable lids to keep my paints moist and dust-free. Granted, I can re-moisten the paint should it dry out, but getting dust and dirt out of the paint can be an issue. For long-term storage of watercolor paint from almost empty tubes (when I am trying to regain space on my shelves) I use the egg wells in a white styrofoam egg carton. If you get the right ones the inside of the lid makes for a good place to mix paint. The styrofoam allows for one to use a ball point pen to label each well with the name and manufacturer of the paint in each well. I’ve kept some paint several years in one of these egg cartons and ended up using them for a field palette when painting plein air. I have been following your videos for some time now. Never tire of watching and listening to what you have to say and teach. Thanks again for this one. As you can probably see, I am trying to go back to the beginning of your videos and learn from past works. - OkieSketcher1949.
Well, if I save my money, I might can afford the Styrofoam plates.
Central Scrutinizer lol!
Thank you for the review and reasoning, much appreciated. For those who like small rounded wells they could consider dollar store escargot dishes - white, ceramic, easy to clean, and inexpensive. Due to their weight they are much easier to use than the plastic crafter's pallet though they don't have as many wells.
Thanks for the input! 👌
It has become abundantly clear, over time, that nobody has put any serious thought into creating a watercolor palette that makes sense. It's almost as if anyone who is into manufacturing has never done a watercolor. None of these are even close to what would work best for most serious watercolorists. Just look at the comments and ask, "Are people innovating all over the place, just to compensate for the massive shortfalls of every single design to date?" Yes they are, and in major ways, right out of the box from the first brush stroke. Perhaps there is a marketing person in the industry who would like to discuss this and make a ton of money by actually making a palette that can do the job it's supposedly being made to do.
i saw a ceramic deviled egg platter at target once, it's been a great palette if you like to use wells!
Famous artist Susan Harrison Tustain uses that too I believe. Great palette!
Ordered my 12 "well" egg plate from Amazon. It's a great palette!
Excellent. Practical
Good information-as always 😊
Of all the videos in my opinion yours is the best and most informative. Most of the video tutorials do not explain how or what they are doing and why. Your explain it all and you also put a little life and humor in it. Thanks for the video. Please keep them up.
+Agrimony glad it was helpful.
Thank you I always enjoy your videos!! Also, thank you for taking your time to teach us ideas!! I just started watercoloring in January and have learned so much from your channel. Yes I did subscribe!! Have an awesome day!!
Hi Steve - I was just thinking about picking up a new pallet for my gouache work and did a google search, of course your channel and this video popped up!!! What was I thinking, this channel should always be my first stop. Thanks Steve.
Cool, thanks buddy. I saw that Wet Paint reopened their physical store. Good for them!
@@mindofwatercolor Yep and they are doing well again.
love the dishes
My recycling bin contains a great deal of plastics, glass and metal I can re-use in the art room.
Reduce, re-purpose, re-use.
A very nice introduction . I think that in times of pollution and trying to make as little waste as possible I think porcelan is best or tin.
The rest is not realy degradabel an poluts the enviornment.
I have been looking for a tin with wells many Greetings from Christiane Berlin Germany 😊
I love your humor! You make me laugh every day!
I am so excited to have found your water color channel.
I have so many types of plastic palettes and the thing that always bothered me was that they stained very quickly. I like my palette to be white, fresh and clean each time I use it.
I just ordered 2 porcelain palettes after watching this video. Hopefully they won't disappoint me. Thanks for the tips.
I think you'll be happy. Never had mine stain at all.
Thanks so much, love your channel ❤️🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨
I love using a metal tray box by Schminke, it’s big enough for my main pallet, and not too big for travel and use outdoors!
Thank you Steve
I snatched a plate from my mum's kitchen and use it as a pallete. It's great, because the paint flows nicely and doesn't puddle as it likes to do on cheap plastic palletes. Well, you can scratch the pallete with a sandpaper but I don't bother with that. If I can't use the pallete ritght away it's not worth my effort. I have also some other palletes, like plastic (it serves as a paintcase and the top is a great pallete) and my watercolor travel kit (which I use at home lmao). You just gotta try and pick what you like.
Paulina "Noches" Warmowska Definitely a preference thing. :-)
I like to use the palettes designed for travel that close up like the Mijello bulletproof or Fusian ones or the generic white ones with the little hole for your finger. They are easy to pack up to keep dust out. They can be pulled out whenever you need them and some of them open up to be quite large. The metal ones like the empty Schminke tins are supposed to be good too because they are coated in enamel paint.
+neikaplay I have the Bulletproof and the Fusion. Good choices both.
I could never find one for me... so I finally made my own. Bought acrylic sheets and hinges and voila. :)
Great video Steve! Up and watching your channel for years and somehow never saw this one. It's so funny, I've used paper/ Styrofoam plates for years with acrylic paints but have never even thought to use them for watercolor for some reason!? Thanks for the advice, I'm climbing gonna break down and buy one of those big palettes with also sealable Wells!
I like porcelain palettes, and teacups (when the ones at home get chipped, I give them a retired life as my art supply.) I have a large porcelain tile as a mixing surface, and a sandwich plate (rectangular) as my go to palettes; when I travel I take the sandwich plate with for my colours, because it's small enough not to be cumbersome.
Arielle Lavecchia Sounds good, I love porcelain palettes!
I like the picnic plate that has about 6 sections you can use as wells.
I’ve got so many porcelain palettes it’s sick! They’re so alluring and they speak to me when I see them and they beg me to take them home! I just got the Robax(GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY😇😘❤️🔥🥇)
You are a great teacher. Thanks so much!
There are literally tons of palettes available but most fit into these categories I've shown in some form or another. Have fun picking your palette then lets get painting!
Large square porcelain tray from thrift store works great for me to mix watercolor. I hoped to find out about what you and Reese think about paper palette on this video. Somebody recently told me paper palette is good for watercolor. Soon I will have a pad of paper palette included with a vintage artist briefcase I purchased online. Will update my comment to let you know how it worked. Many thanks to you and Reese!
Love the opening eye blinks! Made me smile. Oh the palettes video was helpful as well.
Great tips...I found the white, square porcelain ones...love them for my watercolors!
+linda baum 👍
Thank you for your presentation on pallettes. I have used all of them at some time, except the glass..(ouch). I found the styrofoam helpful for children just learning. I love the travel pocket paints from Winsor Newton for smaller paintings (have you heard of these?) and the porcelain is wonderful for keeping the color clean. Tom Lynch puts out a large porcelain pallette that is very heavy. I was able to purchase this at one of his workshops, but find it hard to carry around...So I appreciated your insights. Depending on the job needed, there is a palette for the occassion. Blessings and thanks for the verse at the end! Loved it.
About glass pallets - in thrift stores you'll sometimes fine glass cutting boards - horrible for knives but but great for mixing paints. I use one for acrylic's. Easy clean up.
+LindieLee Yep, glass palettes are great.
thank you for preventing me from buying a plastic palette! Your porcelain dishes look so nice! I'm restarting this hobby and your videos are helpful and entertaining!
Anja Meurer Glad this was help! Thanks for watching.
You eye blinked...I subscribed 😜😂
At a hospitality supplies place I found some nice porcelain and some melamine square sauce dishes that stack vertically__good for pouring or for mixing for washes or just putting paint in. In addition to these I found some square porcelain dinner plates at K mart. I place the sauce dishes around the outside of the 2 dinner plates placed together, which allows for about 16 dishes__plenty of colour and lots of mixing space. If I want to keep some of the colour mixed on a dinner plate , I just add another plate and put that one aside. It all stacks up quite compactly when finished.
+Alba Whiteman Cool! thanks for the input. Good sourcing ideas!
I’ve been spending a lot of time the last few days watching your videos; they are so good. Even though I’ve done a number of paintings now (mostly acrylic), I don’t really understand how to set up a palette. I end up with probably too many different colors at some point, and I’m definitely disorganized. It looks like you are usually following the color wheel, but you said on another video that you didn’t always. I did a search, and there are lots of different videos on this subject, and it looks like a lot of variations.
My preferred way to set up a palette is color wheel order. Its easier to remember when the wells get all sloppy and you can't tell what color is what. I keep a swatch card too of the exact location and name of each color in that palette. My perfect palette is about 18 colors (24 max). Its preference of course, but more than that becomes confusing and overwhelming from a mixing standpoint. I'm not the type that believes in 48+ color palettes just so I can have every subtle hue. Colors start to become very similar after 24.
Thank you! This afternoon I got out ALL of my watercolors and painted a square of each so I could see what I actually had. Now I’m working on a color wheel and trying to figure out which Red, Yellow and Blue! I’ve done some water color paintings (floral) that are actually pretty good, but I never did much mixing. (I did quite a bit with acrylics.) I always want to jump in and start painting, but now I want to work on the basics, and you have lots of videos that are helpful, easy to follow, and make sense.
Thank you for the videos and for the discussion about pallets. I am new to watercolor, well to painting, and could never really get excited about any of the pallets I see in stores. After seeing your video I see why! Off to buy some ceramic or porcelain plates. :)
thanks for these easy to follow ideas.
Love your pallette talk i agree ,permanent 😢pallette,mines small i liked it for s bit but yes well said 👏 I need more bigger 😀
This was avery practical and interesting session. So many choices, but if you do not have a good set-up the smaller palettes must do the job. I had not considered a permanent pallette, very sensible with onging works. The "white facter" was an interesting aspect/ thought. Thanks for your advice Steve.
👍
I use a big piece of plexiglas. It's safer than regular glass and it's big enough to put my paper on one half and paints on the other. Double duty :)
+nanagaga2001 Absolutely, should work great!
Thank you so much for the advice
i really love the humor. I used my mom's account to place a comment. I chose my meduum already, WATERCOLOR! Youre one of my inspirations. :*
+Maricris Conti Cool, thanks!
Thanks for showing us all those different palettes. I have one not shown: the oblong blob with thumb hole. It does its job well enough, but it QUICKLY became too small as I've gained some confidence.
Sadly, my perfect palette doesn't exist as far as I have found. If anyone knows where I can find a lightweight rectangular palette with (at least five) large but divided mixing areas with many deep square paint wells (as on the Pike palette), please let me know! :)
Keep looking Jen. I see new types all the time. The oblong type you mention is designed for oil or acrylic painters but as you've discovered watercolor works with just about any palette. I've become very fond of palettes with no wells. It seems to make mixing very flexible.
Thanks, Steve. I am using a butcher tray with permanent palette slant trays. The slant trays fit inside the butcher's tray and still leave a little mixing area or I can easily remove them for a larger mixing area. Love your videos, thanks again.
Sounds good, very flexible. Thanks for watching!
This was really helpful thank you!
Congrats to ur talents 😉😁🌵😄
Thanks learnt a lot really enjoy watching your videos!
Glad to here it!
I don't know why but the part about the styrofoam plate made me laugh so hard! Awesome video, really helpful!
+Natalie Gardner 😃
Thank you once again
Hi Steve, that was a good selection of palettes.....I like the look of the Jack Pike one and found that it's sold over here too, so maybe I'll treat myself to one...😀
Glad this was helpful! Have fun with it.
Very helpful...wish I would have watched this before struggling through all the palettes you've shown!
Mary J Glad it was a help. Don't feel bad. I have drawers full of unused art stuff. Sometimes you just have to try something to know it won't work for you.
Thank you ,very helpful.
Appreciate !
Oh, you are talking my language! I've even used bottle lids.
Do you always designate one pallet to one type of paint? Or is it ok to mix different brands of paint on one pallet?
A favorite tip you gave in a past video, was to use a Magic Eraser pad to buff off the shiny surface on a new plastic pallet. That way the new pallets won’t bead up when mixing a puddle of paint.
Definitely ok to mix brands. I keep them separate because of how I review and compare colors for my videos. For everyday painting circumstances its not necessary.
@@mindofwatercolor Thank you for the reply 😊. Also, I learned that I have to immediately label what I have put into my pallet. Otherwise it’s difficult to figure out later what color (and it’s character quality) I have on my pallet.
@ Ariane - Sounds good! If you're on Facebook, post a picture of the palette to my page some time (smitchelldesign). Might be an idea others are interested in.
Porcelain plates, saucers or platers looks like a great way to go... I'm off to the Good Will & Salvation Army... they're loaded with this stuff for pennies on the dollar. Thanks, Steve & Reese!
Exactly what I was thinking. In fact, I have picked up some plastic poached egg plates (circle of "cups) with a flat center to mix) that I currently use. I like the porcelain idea and will keep my eye out for white plates.
Will watch this again! Thank you very useful
I've got a few palettes that I like, but for my birthday this year I'm going to get one that's similar to your John Pike after watching this video. Thanks for the advice :) Happy Arting!
Its a great palette!
I love this video about picking the correct palette. It's selecting the correct watercolors to place IN the palette that has eludes most of us. Everyone says selecting colors is a personal choice. Isn't it easier to suggest a low staining palette (to help new us correct mistakes early on), with warm and cool primary colors, and neutralizing colors to balance the whole thing out? I've held off asking this question because I hate to seem too ignorant. As much as I enjoy using phthalo watercolors, and other high staining choices, they seem to discourage rather than encourage. Is there such a list out there that would work? Could you suggest a video you've already produced that would answer this need? Hope so!!! Thanks!!
My experience is that beginning watercolorists worry way too much about making the exact “right” color choices. I’m not saying it doesn’t matter at all but there are loads of great examples of workable color selections online and in watercolor books. Non-staining colors wont help with correction as much as you think. Don’t have a video that addresses your specific concerns unfortunately.
@@mindofwatercolor I appreciate your comment and quick response. Maybe we do worry too much about making the correct choices and I sense our biggest fear is failure OR feeling ridiculous. When I started playing golf, I discovered taking lessons and practicing was far more important than spending huge amounts on the most expensive clubs. Your helpful video on paper quality being the MOST important was certainly useful. Studying the several books I've purchased, reviewing multiple videos, and pushing myself to practice helps immensely. I have personally found greater frustration when using deeply staining colors for now, though I love them. I'm crawling now, learning to blend the primary colors into magnificent shades, neutralizing, building color charts, color wheels, determined to learn to create and not just color (if that makes sense). Again, thanks for the help.
@@VanmeterFL Thanks Becky. Over time colors do become a preference so the staining issue is held by others too. Its not a factor for me so I don't think about it much. Non-staining colors can still stain just not quite as deeply and staining colors can still be lifted to a lighter value so the categories are not absolutes by any means. If you're on Skillshare, you might consider taking Denise Soden's classes on color mixing and customizing a palette. Very good info in both. www.skillshare.com/user/denisesoden
@@mindofwatercolor Thanks, that's very helpful!
Oh Steve, you make me laugh. I love your videos.
Enjoyed watching this vid. Great job. Wonder what Reese is thinking 🤔😁
Want to know something really strange? Almost all the cars and trucks driving on the road in the background of the video are white... weird. Now for the subject at hand: I used to use plastic palettes until 2 things happened: 1. I've decided not to use plastic (for anything) if I can help it and 2. I got tired of trying to scratch all those surfaces with toothpaste lol ..
Egg cartons in white styrofoam can be very useful as watercolor palettes.
+Elizabeth Wallace I used to do that a lot with acrylic?