"If mold appears over night, you first must identify if it is green mold or bug spores, the particular invasive mold determined by placing a slice of pepperoni into the palette and waiting a few hours if the pepperoni is gone then you have one of the above, and you can determine which is which by yelling "Green is da kolour of kowads" if the mold hisses at you, its bug spores, if it screams back insults in broken english in a British accent you have green mold.
*holds steak over eye* What do I do if it krumps me in the eye and starts taking apart all my good stuff to make... I dunno what it is, but it's big? Like, really big. And loud. He keeps looking at my teeth. Send help.
I began painting when I picked up my copy of Blood Bowl almost 2 and a half years ago. My progress was slow and labored. Much of the speed came after watching the first wet palette video, and the paint spread over more of the area than just working with the dry palette I fashioned. Humorously enough, you could say that the wet palette re-energized my work and led to unexpected results. Not only did I finish the human team faster than normal, but the Orcish team was no problem at all. Also during that time, my girlfriend found out about my painting. She's now my wife, hehe. We're now on our way into Age of Sigmar this year. Even as I write this, my wet palette is still in front of me, paint at the ready. Your instruction on the subject has been invaluable. Seriously, thank you so much for making these videos!
Your original wet palette video completely changed my hobby game! My wife is also wondering where all her parchment paper went... Thanks for the update video.
Your original wet palette vid helped me go from literally zero painting or miniature skills or experience. So happy to see an updated tips. Also, have to comment on how nice these production values are. I'm sitting here wondering what you're using to get such clear audio and video contrast.
Your wet palette video was probably one of the first of yours I ever watched! Ah, memories. It changed my painting and hobby life. Sure, there was some trial and error, and I gradually realised it wasn't meant to keep paints forever, but a week or so later was good enough! Thanks again for all your awesome advice over the years :)
I'm literally standing here at my paint space about to do my first paint job ever, literally scratching my head about whether I need to thin these Army Painter paints that just arrived this evening... and BAM! Uncle Atom to the rescue again. Lucky this vid got suggested when it did, I hadn't discovered it the few time I've scrolled through the channel. UPDATE: Turns out I DID need to thin those down. Thankfully I'm practicing on some dollar store army men (thanks for that tip as well, Uncle Atom) and I need this "learning-through-error" experience one way or another.
@@samuelsanfratello4617 Of this I'm aware lol. Got hooked on the gaming side a couple years back when I was on a lore kick and found out my roommate had an old 2nd edition set in his closet. Took me a month to learn it then teach it to said roommate. He hadn't touched it in decades and had been more on the hobby side as a kid. I suspect I'll be a bit more about the gaming but I gotta get these dudes painted and I dont want them to look like TOTAL garbage if I can avoid it.
My daughter and I painted our first miniatures today. I haven’t tried since I was her age, and mine were terrible back then. Lol. The wet palette seems nice, and I can see the advantages. Now if could just see those small details well enough.... haha
I have found your channel thanks to the wet-palette-making video. It was shortly after I started painting and it helped me a lot! I think I am still putting too much paint on my palette but at least it doesn't go dry while I am painting. I never really had much trouble using the wet palette and the paint is usable even 2-3 days later, sometimes longer. Some colours last really well. Plus I don't have the biggest paint collection so I mix paints regularly and wet palette helps with that a lot.
Regarding mold in a wet palette: I'm not a scientist, but... I do keep tropical fish when I'm not painting minis and playing games, so I've paid considerable attention to what's in water over the years. The key may have to do with what kind of chlorine treatment your local water supply uses. Two forms of chlorine are in common use around the US: pure chlorine, and chloramine, which is a mixture (compound? solution?) of chlorine and ammonia. Pure chlorine dissipates from water in a few hours; chloramine is many times more stable, remaining present and effective in open water for many days. My local water supply has chlorine, not chloramine, and I will find mold starting to appear on the wet palette sponge after it's been set up and left for a couple of days. On the other had, if you use tap water with chloramine, you might not see mold for several weeks, as the chloramine remains active in the water in your palette. It's also worth noting that I never saw mold in my palette when I was still using a sandwich box and paper towels, which got replaced almost as often as I replaced the parchment paper. The mold only started when I got a "real" wet palette that came with a sponge, which I rinse and reuse over and over again. As an experiment, I may take the sponge out and try paper towels in the real palette for a while. If that eliminates the mold, I'll figure that mold was becoming established in the sponge, and was not removed when the sponge was rinsed out. It's quite likely that disposable paper towels are a better moisture reservoir for a wet palette than a reusable sponge.
I microwave my (wet) sponge as part of cleaning my palette and I haven't had any mold issues so I think you might be on the right track there. I also am using distilled water as our well water will leave mineral deposits on things very quickly.
I would recommend also allowing your wet pallet to breath. Add some holes to the lid and it will allow the humidity to leave the box. you have to add water when you get back but it helps reduce that closed environment for the and still doesn't dry your paint out. it will stop your paint from separating over night. You can also hang your sponge out in the sun after you wash it. The UV from the sun will kill the bacteria in the sponge. You need direct sunlight for the best result. If you have a smell maybe vinegar. But i never got a smell on mine. Honestly if you need to vinegar it I would chunk it and get a new one but not everyone has those options.
I hadn't even heard of a wet palette before watching your video on it earlier this year; now I use one all the time (with the exception of dry brushing, as you point out!) and it's revolutionized my painting life, especially as I mostly use Citadel paints. I also spend less money on paint now, as those little pots will dry out in a hurry if you work straight from them, or have to keep loading up a dry palette every five minutes. So thank you for all the wonderful content, humor, and helpful advice, Uncle Atom!
Wet Palette is an essential. And Yes Uncle Atom was my influence for its use; as I just recently got back into minis after a LONG hiatus. I will be looking into the Army Painter Model this X Mas, but I use distilled H20 and a touch of Alcohol, never had a mold issue..
Hehe... I'm returning home today from 6 weeks of radiation therapy in another city. My wet palette has served me well, but I'm expecting a bit of a mess in there when I return home. There was one when I got here, at least. Uncle Atom, you introduced me to the wet palette about a year and a half ago, and I've used it pretty much daily since then. Thanks for all the great content!
I’m glad to hear you’re heading home again. Here’s hoping to a non-moldy wet palette when you get home, or at least a quick cleaning job. Thanks for watching!
I just started using a wet palette a few months ago and I can’t imagine ever not using one. It saves paint and makes everything you said in the video so much easier. It also makes me hate GW pots lol.
Definitely improved my painting and paint waste. I was guilty of dumping huge puddles of paint on my dry pallet and wasting it all two hours later, saved sooo much money. Deff helped my minis look better and less “paint caked” then before 👍
Can confirm; my wet palette has made a huge difference in my painting game, and I made my first after watching your video on the subject. After watching your first video, I made one using paper towel and parchment paper in a cheap sandwich box. After a few months, I upgraded to an air tight leftover container with a thick sponge and parchment paper. I absolutely love it, and it's all thanks to you, Uncle Atom. I've never had mold issues with mine. I use a thick, antibacterial, cleaning sponge and distilled water. I've gone as long as 3 weeks without cleaning out the palette. If you use water from a municipal source, i.e. chlorinated water, that would likely help prevent mold growth.
started using a wet pallet after your wet pallet video,made my own,my painting has improved so much.never had a problem with mold I change my paper towels every 2 weeks. thank you uncle Atom.
I just got back in to the hobby a few months ago, and seeing your original video about wet pallettes totally upped my game - luckily I saw it before I'd painted most of my new army so it really helped. Starting to mix colours and blend a bit more now. Thanks for the tips!
Hey uncle Adam, after about a 17 year break, a friend and I have decided to get back into the hobby and start painting and playing some minis. It’s exciting to get into age of Sigmar after getting started in fantasy, and watching your back catalog of videos has really helped getting things started. So thanks a bunch! Happy holidays!
Okay this isn’t related to the video but i need to say this!. So i ordered some stuff from GW and my delivery was late so i sent them an email about it and a few days later i received it but before i could tell them anything they had already sent me a new delivery free of charge which is on the way right now!!. This is probably the best early Christmas gift ever lol. I just started painting and playing warhammer 40k so i ordered a painting handle a starter kit (the one with the paints) and a kit of brushes and now i’ll get them again and i couldn’t be happier :)
I started using a wet palette yesterday. I love it!, i live in australia and due to the extreme hot weather my paints where trying faster than i could use them on a dry palette i got a small square container might of been better getting an rectangle one for more space to mix colours i also need to remember not mix colours all over the place keep in one small area lol having said all of that i will use a wet palette from now on as its helped me greatly so far
I bought a wet palette online, it is awesome. Im fairly new into the hobby and painting anything in general, and it has drastically helped with paint waste.
Both your videos about wet pallets are great! I've switched to a wet pallet and I don't know if I'd say it's improved my painting, but boy do I go through MUCH less paint. Where the wet pallet will get me through a session with one or two dollops of paint, the dry pallet would constantly dry out and force me to pull more paint out of the pots. And I use Citadel and these things aren't cheap! Saving time and money has made me never look back. I'm glad you pointed out the separation that occurs with the paint. I was surprised when I first went back to it the next day and noticed that this had happened.
I made a wet palette after watching your video and it improved my painting a huge amount. Just being able to control the way the paint flows for longer is amazing. My mum bought me a Frisk palette for christmas but it isn't radically better then the home made one.
Thanks for answering most of the follow-up questions I had after watching your old video. Your videos (and the GW let's paint) are the reason I've gotten back into 40k after 10 years. Thanks for making tabletop wargaming more accessible!
I just made the jump to wet palette and I'm getting ready to try it out for the first time. I made my own and just threw some pennies in there. Looks like they actually changed the pennies in 1982. Thanks for all of the info, love your channel!
I started using a wet palette after watching Uncle Atom’s other video purely to stop my paint drying out pretty much immediately & it’s an amazing thing. It keeps my paint useable for the duration of my painting session & I’m happy. Paint isn’t cheap. The other benefits are a bonus!
During the current world crisis I have come back to this hobby for a "something to do" after a break of about 18 years. Watching and reading about wet palletes I thought..... Yeah right. However, now having tried one and the change in methods is really surprising. I used to use and old shower tile which worked well as a dry pallete. I thought about buying one but everywhere was sold out so saw a few vids on making your own and took the plunge. Here is one old painter who won't be going back. Your comments about the wet keeping the paint right for each session now makes sense as I thought, having watched others, that the paint would be right for months. Your observations/advice makes sense. Thank you sir
I bought a wet palette a few months ago, heard they were great, but wasn't sure of all the nuances of what they are meant for. Appreciate you clearing that up for me. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thanks for this video, I thought I was crazy and screwing up on my end. I typically use Vallejo paint and thought a wet palette would help with my limited time to paint each night but the next day it was always separated. Now I know why and I can adjust my expectations a bit.
He’s absolutely correct. A wet pallet completely changed the quality of my painting. It is an inexpensive addition to mini painting but still worth every penny. If you haven’t gotten one, get one
i use some spare copper clad bare PCBs (FR4). they come in loads of sizes and I just stick it under the sponge. never had mould problems. Or tigers. No tigers either.
I use my orginal ziplock container I got after your first video, still use the clothlike paper towels and clean it after each project with soap and throw away the towel, never had mold. Thx again adam!
Good advice from Uncle Atom. I use a home-made WP; a smaller, A5 sized tray with a loose-fitting lid and a 5mm thick household-cleaning synthetic-sponge, and quality parchment (tracing) paper bought from an art store and cut to size (smaller than the area of the sponge because it will expand when wet). I buy a huge A1 sheet and spend time cutting my sections so I always have a sheaf ready to go. Baking paper can work, but in my experience, too many of those shop brands have silicon added, which actively prevents the penetration of water, or are so thin that the physical action of the brush gently rubbing against the surface while I mix paints causes the paper to break down and ball up leading to fibrous crap getting onto the surface of my mini. I use tap-water with zero additives or tricks and have never had a problem with moulds. But then using a smaller palette means you must change the surface more regularly. I always store in a fridge overnight and would never expect a palette to last more than three sessions (days). When I change my palette I clean the tray and sponge in warm soapy water and then rinse the detergent out the same way I would with any bit of crockery or cutlery I use to eat with. You don’t need to go for sterile conditions, sanitary levels of cleanliness will suffice as long as long as you clean regularly. And finally, if I know I’m not going to use the sponge for a while I let it dry over a convection radiator overnight. As for paints separating, all acrylic brands will break down to some degree eventually. In my experience off-whites are the worst offenders. The only brand that universally remains intact is Warcolours.
Thanks to your video, I actually started painting with a wet palette, so THANK YOU!! I've found that as long as I have a good amount of paint on the palette, I can get a few days worth of painting out of it without needing to use different spots. I do thin with glaze medium and thinner medium for the most part rather than water, though, which may make a difference. I also paint on and off pretty much all day just about every day, mixing the separated paints with a wooden skewer. I also use tap water and have yet to see any mold, but I've only been painting for about a month and I tend to change my paper and rewet weekly.
Great video Uncle Atom! Masterson's= best wet pallete. I'm often out of town for a week at a time. When I get back my blends are generally intact. You can definitely pick from them to continue working. If they get a little clumpy instead of shaking the pallet I can smooth them out with a wet brush. Masterson pallets require you to boil the paper that goes on top of the sponge for some reason, but it seems to work. Contrast paint and most washes seem to slip right through the paper, but most other paints even Vallejo air thin pants seem to sit on top no problem. Thanks for the deeper dive! Arie watch these videos all the time when I'm out at work and can't access my hobby room.
I just bought a Masterson last Saturday. Last night I realized that I hadn't checked on it since using it on Sunday and was worried because I'd heard you shouldn't leave more than a day or two without adding water. I didn't think to check the paints themselves, but the paper was still the appropriate dampness. The instructions for mine say that the water should be the hottest I can get out of the tap, not boiling.
Yup I noticed my would dry out after a day it wasn't making it more than 24 hours which I thought wierd because I made the home made one that uncle atom made in a previous video and my paints were staying g dry for 3 day easy....i also learned if you gently scrub the surface of your pallet papper with a tooth brush you can clean your pallet papper fairly easy. I'm new to the wet pallet too and just thought these tips might help...seriously I think I lake the parchment papper 100× more than the pallet paper....give it a try and let me know your thoughts, personally I thought it a bonus because I dont have to buy the pallet papper replacements now because a I know I can clean my wallet paper and B. P.P. works so much better really
@@wolfling_conceptions415 I've heard others say parchment paper is better, too. Apparently the parchment paper is more porous and is therefore better suited for miniatures paints whereas the paper supply by Masterson's is designed for artists' acrylics. I want to have a feel with the standard paper before trying the parchment.
I couldn't agree more explore your product thoroughly because honestly you might find you like the pallet papper beter... hope you have a great morning boss
I get about a day or two out of my wet palette, maybe a little longer if I store it in the fridge. Never had mold. That was the first video I watched of yours. Helped me decide to join Patreon.
This was super helpful, especially the bit about maybe not needing to thin with a wet pallet (something I, a beginner, have been struggling with). Thanks for the video, and *pachow* here's a like.
Thanks to your original video on the wet palette, my painting has improved and the experience is just a lot more fun. I use tap water and have never had mould. I wash the palette and sponge maybe once a week/fortnight.
I really like my wet palette. It's made me better if for only because I'm spending less trips to the palette so I can get quicker, smoother coats. Let's trips means I can have more paint in the brush and don't have to keep moving my hands and eyes away. Totally worth it. I've tried the home made ones, but now with the army painter one and how cheap it is, I'd buy that in a heart beat
I have found that my wet palette will grow mold after 7-10+ days, but I use a pretty basic setup with paper towels below the parchment paper so I just started cleaning it with a mold/mildew bathroom cleaner (scrubbing bubbles) and start with new paper. By that point my points have separated enough that I need to load new paint anyway. I can honestly say that without the wet palette I wouldn't be nearly as functional as I am with this hobby. Thanks for the original video!
Great topic! Warcolour (perhaps because of their Gel base) have lasted the longest for me without separation. On a side note I would also add don't use metallic paint on a wet palette. The small shards of mica in the paint will dissolve into your water, being absorbed by the rest of your colors already on and added to your palette.
Very informative vid. I'm a BIG fan of a "dry" pallet. Living in AZ...no mold issues here. I've learned to squirt out the amount paint needed for a paint session. I use Vallejo paints exclusively.
I watched your original video and made my first wet palette about a year, year and a half ago. It worked.. somewhat. I always suspected that I just wasn’t using it right. Thanks for this-
I'd use a mix of 1:4 distilled vinegar to water in the pallet to reduce the mold situation, cheap and shouldn't impact your paints. But the best advice is just to clean it properly, and if you're using a sponge rather than papertowel take extra care because perhaps it's got mold spores in the bubbles.
Copper is a heavy metal and kills most living cells easily. Zinc will do the same. Silver is used in colloidal silver to kill skin cells in the same way.
Re: tap water. I've had the opposite experience. When I use tap water in my palette, it seems to go moldy much faster than if I use distilled water. It may be a regional thing. I'm in the Mid-Atlantic, where we've got swamps, insane pollen levels, and lots of humidity, and therefore lots of mold.
My biggest wet pallet issue is using too much water! At least here in Washington, I’ve learned to ring it out well. Never had mold, I use distilled water because that’s closer than a sink. Great video!
"I don't know... fluoride, chem-trails, whatever" XD you killed me xD BTW Distilled Water is, yes, purified from any organic (spores, bacteria and such) and inorganic (salt and minerals in solutions) residue. Choosing it over Tap Water surely helps from getting mold but, unless you have very dirty and clogged water pipes, you want notice much difference. Mold prefers humid and calm areas to grow, but mold spores are dragged by wind and get on our clothes and skin daily and we "release" the spores when we touch things. The best way to prevent molds from the palette or any deperable material such as bread, cheese and food in general, is to wash our hands throughly (with soap obviously) before manipulating any object and, if our sponge gets moldy, wash the sponge and the palette with warm or hot water and soap (or run it in the dishwasher). The only reason I would choose distilled water over tap water is if I want consistency of dilution, since tap water may have different mineral composition and therefore different hardness, which sometimes may change how some paints will dry or form blotches (especially washes)... but it is a diminutive difference still. BONUS: I know it varies from state to state (I live in italy, so our regulamentations about water are somewhat different from the once in the US) but the chlorine added to acqueduct waters is supposed to prevent bacteria or mold proliferation in the water. In italy the water is analyzed on a daily basis and the amount of chlorine added depends on the results from the analysis, so if the observation suggest an increased bacterial count, the district usually issues an increase in chlorine for a few days; this makes the water safer but it might taste/smell like a swimming pool (it is still in EMA/FDA safe to drink) but if you choose it over distilled water in that period it will have a lower chance to develop molds.
His point was actually the opposite in that the tap water contains fluoride and chlorine which will kill or at least dramatically reduce any bacteria trying to grow.
Concur with the advantages of a wet pallette especially when your using a lot of the same paint if you are painting in a production line fashion. Paint left after a few days is still useable you just have to be careful with its consistency, dilute it if required. I put an old UK penny in mine and it staves off the mold for quite a while. But its always a good idea to clean it our regularly :)
Well i started using a wet palette thx to u, and i did so on the 4th or 3rd mini i ever painted, so rather early, but its so much better for the sole reason i can take time to paint, and also not be forced to have a huge goup of paint so it doesnt dry and i have to get some back
Wet palette definitely improved my painting. Mould was a problem for me too but I was using tap water, now I add a couple of drops of Tamiya x-20a thinner and no more mould.
I make home brew thinner that is equal to Tamiya's and much less expensive. By volume: equal parts distilled water and 91% alcohol, plus a small amount of acrylic flow enhancer and a few drops of paint retarder. Works like a charm for thinning Tamiya (and similar) acrylics and cleaning brushes. Even smells like the original!
With my wet palette I seem to have better luck with distilled water rather than tap water. I used tap water from my local hobby shop recently and it had mold within a week on a new palette. I had been using distilled water, but ran out and had never had issues with it before. But I definitely agree that wet palettes are the BEST!
Wet Pallet is a life saver and a wallet saver, so much more use out of each paint. As mentioned the only real trouble is the paints over diluting over time. I've had a sealed pallet in there for probably 6 months plus when moving and never had an issue with mould, just using tap water if that helps anyone.
another thing that can cause problems on a wet palette are metallic paints, those microparticles can pass through the paper and mix in the water below, be aware with metallics!
Yep i use a litte slab of plastic for washes and metallic, so they don't get everywhere in the wet pallet. But it shows you how quickly stuff dries compared to the wet pallet.
yeah i live in SA and we just got a 40+ degree week coming up and even with a wet pallet i wouldnt paint in that type of weather but for the normal 20-30ish degrees its a treat. im using the old sponge/take away container and baking/greaseproof paper.
Hi. Also SA trying to get as much painting done before the 40s. Any Aussies have any tips for the pallet paper? I'm using Multix Bake atm and have tried a couple of other baking greasproofs but the paint doesn't seem to behave like the youtube vids I've seen.
I'm usually able to mix up a separated color on the palette with the blunt end of a paintbrush or a sculpting tool, and it works pretty well. It doesn't work with metallics or heavily-separated colors, but lots of them will mix back up fine.
Some suggestions on Wet Palettes: If you lick your brushes, and use a wet palette you will introduce bacteria into the wet palette. Then if you sit it up a day or two, it will get funky, and may produce cultures which can be mistaken for mold. Turning your wet palette into a petri dish. This maybe what some people are experiencing. In wetter climates, like the northwest coast and the Gulf Coast Delta/Swamps, or the south eastern US in general, mold is nearly unavoidable. The air permeates with it. One solution, don't store paints for more then a few days (which you mentioned), clean your palettes often with hot water and dish soap, followed by a rubbing alcohol or ammonia rub down. additionally for some, the humidity of these places can change the qualities of both wet palettes, and any water based paint. Slowing drying times, and making acrylic paint seem more watery. As can super dry places, like the South Western US. Where water based paints dry super fast, and wet palettes need constant re-wetting. Finally, the copper penny trick. You want pennies from 1981 or older. The 82 to 83 was the phase out year, so its hit or miss, pennies of 84 and after are not pure copper. I have heard of the penny trick before, but I have never used it, so I don't actually know if it works. I collect pennies, and copper items (its my fav metal). I also have never used distilled water, only tap. I have never had a problem, other then those of my own making. Like forgetting to clean one of my many Tupperware wet palettes and letting them set up for as much as 10 weeks. That is some funk, for sure!
The other paints that I don't use in the wet palette are metallics. The suspended particles separate out quite quickly and, apparently, can soak into and contaminate your sponge if you're using one, finding their way into your other paints. So I use a dry palette for metallics, shades/washes, drybrush, contrast and technical paints. Wet palette for all 'normal' paint. Never had a palette go mouldy, but then mine never sits there in a soggy state for ages. I also, periodically, give my sponge a good rinse in hot water, press the water out and allow it to completely dry in good airflow. (I use a home-made wet palette with baking parchment, but I bought Redgrass' sponges).
Had mold once, but I leave for work two weeks at a time. But my wet pallet is just paper towl and parchment paper in a dollar store sandwich container. So I just tossed the innards and put the container in the dish washer.
@ In fairness, I work out of town for 14 days at a time. I think the pallet had sat for over a month un opned by this point. So happening once, and never again, I am also thinking something else may have got into there.
Metallics and inks are also ones I don't use in a wet palette. Inks will soak up a lot of water and metallics will break down quickly and deposit the ground mica or aluminum onto the palette and into the water. I keep those out of mixing with my regular paints.
I think that's my issue. I just finished my first models last night, the Exalted Scythe box, and I think my paint was too dry. I used the wet pallet and figured it was enough to thin the Citadel paints. The models didn't turn out horrible, but it was definitely a learning experience for the future
When I was a wee nipper 2 decades ago I used paint straight out of the pot. No thinning with water at all and I cerated the usual garish paint jobs you usually relate to inexperience. Now that i have gotten into the painting hobby again and found out about wet palettes and thinning paint my miniatures look leagues better. Still not amazing (I never expect to win any golden daemons!) but I can truly say I am proud of what I have accomplished. I think Santy Claus is bringing me a proper wet palette for christmas, but making one out of a tupperware box, a sponge and parchment was definintly the right way to go. Unless I am specifically mixing up washes or contrast paints I will always use a wet palette from now on. I do wonder if using something like methanol or ethanol will work as a cleaner? It should kill anything in the palette and if you use the right stuff it shouldn't leave anything in it as it evaporates. I would say if you lick your brushes, make sure that any alcohol cleaning agents you use do not have benzene in it. that probably wont all evaporate and you don't want to be ingesting any amount of that!
This is all very helpful thankyou , I'd watched the previous video on how to make a wet palette and found it helped so much when doing long painting sessions. I see what you mean about not needing to thin some paints as I have a mix of GW and Vallejo and the latter is so much thinner.
After having one that was left out smell like mold once, I refrigerate my homemade wet palette at the end of every painting night. Never had any issue with that afterwards. I also use the outside of the top of my sealing plastic container as a dry pallete for washes and metallics.
After all the brilliant tutorials leading up to the wet palette, I was introduced to...Vallejo Liquid Gold, at which point I to have to have at hand rubbish brushes, palettes of some other form (back of blister packs), and sweep water away from the painting area completely. Uncle Atom’s home-made palette, all components sourced from my local supermarket, served very well, and then the flgs started stocking a commercial product so I traded up. Mould...might this be because of the word ‘everlasting’ ? Mind you I fill up my palette so quickly I change out the paper and clean the tray/sponge quite frequently.
Only one time have I ever had mold in my wet pallet. I had forgotten to clean it out before taking like a month off of painting. It was a homemade pallet (I learned it by watching you okay!?) so I just chucked it and started with a fresh one. My Army Painter Wet Pallet arrived today and it is supposed to have antimicrobial properties to the bottom portion. This should help eliminate that issue all together. I also always use tap water and have never seen an issue. Of course I'm not a great painter so maybe I can use that as my excuse when things don't turn out well.
I had mold issues in my palette one time but it was left for weeks because I forgot to clean it. After I saw this video I went to find the notes from my palette paper. According to Masterson it can be water quality. They recommend using distilled water and a spritz of peroxide to combat mold or smell issues. And brush licking is the most likely culprit other than the water quality.
Aye. I had left paints in the container over night (I use Citadel paints) and can continue the next day. I clean mine out once a week. And I thank you again, it sure helps with my painting. Cheers.
I've gotten mold with tap water. The chlorine might help, but it's not a universal mold prophylactic. But I haven't gotten mold in years ... ever since I stopped using the sponge and went to several layers of paper towel. Works just as well as the sponge for me and when I fill up the paper with paint, I throw everything out, clean the palette box, and start over. Fixed the problem entirely for me.
I can’t imagine painting on anything other than a wet pallet. I don’t need to worry about mold because I use paper towels which I change out every three days.
To combat mold you can also 1) Keep the sunlight away from your wet palette, 2) Keep it in a cool place, 3) a little rubbing alcohol in the water you use to make it wet. I have had 1 time a wet palette went moldy on me, it was sitting on my desk in almost direct sunlight and I had left it a few days between painting projects. Since I started putting alcohol in the water no issues, and I also make a point of keeping it out of the light.
I use distilled water and keep a couple of old pennies in the bottom of my wet palettes. That works pretty well for day-to-day use. I also have a spritzer bottle of hydrogen peroxide that I use to mist the sponge when I change the palette paper. Still, I eventually found some mold or mildew in one of my palettes that sat unused for a while. It wasn't a big deal, I just cleaned it all out.
The quality of old wet palette paint always makes me nervous. I usually avoid it. To be fair, I don’t drink milk after the expiration date, either. Thanks for watching!
@@tabletopminions Depends on the paint. I've noticed that the metallics don't keep overnight, and to a lesser extant, thick paint doesn't keep as well either.
Yes, it will mold after a month or two if ignored, even when using distilled water only. I've added alcohol and it helps. However, what I do is buy those yellow chamois (Shamwow anyone) and replace the pad under the palette paper when it gets weird. Works wonderfully and my big palette actually came with chamois inside.
Wet palettes are great for batch painting or just a few minis at a time. When I'm done my group, I wash the container, sponge and even the paper completely. No mold or smell or any problems.
I've read/heard from multiple sources that it's better to keep metallic paints off of the wet palette, that the particles are small enough to pass through the paper and into your sponge.
If the paint separates, you can re-mix it with the brush. And yes, I use Vallejo and many times I have returned to paint after a couple of weeks and I have reused them without problems.
I used to get mold. I now have not gotten any in a while. The difference is that I use my wet palette every day. Mold was only a problem when I went days without using it. My opinion is that if you are not painting every day, there is no need for an enclosed wet palette. As Atom said, your paints you try to save will be trash if they sit on the palette for days. If you paint infrequently, make a throwaway wet palette. A plastic picnic dessert plate, folded paper towel and a bit of parchment paper is perfect. When done painting, throw it away. Also, I am one of the guys who told Atom that the wet palette changed my game. I made my first after seeing his video 2 years ago.
I admit I have fallen off the wet pallette bandwagon after I took a hobby break I should look back into it. Your wet pallette vid was the introduction to your channel
After hearing several contradicting opinions on metallic paints in a wet pallet, where do you stand? I used your guide to make my own after just 3 weeks in the hobby and it has certainly made my hobby much more enjoyable. Got a solid 5 hour painting session out of my wet pallet.
Tap water has chlorine (which is specifically there to prevent water, and pipes molding before it gets to you) so yea it really helps with mold in palette. If you want softer water to mix with paints just use it via a dropper to put on palette or wherever you take your water to mix with.
With a wash a wet pallet is good for taking some of the wash out of your brush if it's overloaded. You can go back and use the excess on the pallet when your brush starts to run out. It's only good for that short amount of time though.
Started using a wet palette after watching your video, and it is such a simple and effective tool for painting. I'm surprised GW dont sell wet palettes, only those plastic palettes.
"If mold appears over night, you first must identify if it is green mold or bug spores, the particular invasive mold determined by placing a slice of pepperoni into the palette and waiting a few hours if the pepperoni is gone then you have one of the above, and you can determine which is which by yelling "Green is da kolour of kowads" if the mold hisses at you, its bug spores, if it screams back insults in broken english in a British accent you have green mold.
This solution is sound. Thanks for watching!
I can vouch for this test personally.
*holds steak over eye*
What do I do if it krumps me in the eye and starts taking apart all my good stuff to make... I dunno what it is, but it's big? Like, really big. And loud.
He keeps looking at my teeth. Send help.
@El Duderino F-... For the Emperor?
*goes to get turned into grot mulch*
I thought you just put a penny in it.
I began painting when I picked up my copy of Blood Bowl almost 2 and a half years ago. My progress was slow and labored. Much of the speed came after watching the first wet palette video, and the paint spread over more of the area than just working with the dry palette I fashioned.
Humorously enough, you could say that the wet palette re-energized my work and led to unexpected results. Not only did I finish the human team faster than normal, but the Orcish team was no problem at all. Also during that time, my girlfriend found out about my painting. She's now my wife, hehe. We're now on our way into Age of Sigmar this year. Even as I write this, my wet palette is still in front of me, paint at the ready. Your instruction on the subject has been invaluable. Seriously, thank you so much for making these videos!
I have only had five other teachers of your caliber. You are clear, unassuming, straight forward, and fumy. Thank you for all that you have shown me.
Your original wet palette video completely changed my hobby game! My wife is also wondering where all her parchment paper went... Thanks for the update video.
Your original wet palette vid helped me go from literally zero painting or miniature skills or experience. So happy to see an updated tips. Also, have to comment on how nice these production values are. I'm sitting here wondering what you're using to get such clear audio and video contrast.
Your wet palette video was probably one of the first of yours I ever watched! Ah, memories. It changed my painting and hobby life. Sure, there was some trial and error, and I gradually realised it wasn't meant to keep paints forever, but a week or so later was good enough! Thanks again for all your awesome advice over the years :)
I'm literally standing here at my paint space about to do my first paint job ever, literally scratching my head about whether I need to thin these Army Painter paints that just arrived this evening... and BAM! Uncle Atom to the rescue again. Lucky this vid got suggested when it did, I hadn't discovered it the few time I've scrolled through the channel.
UPDATE: Turns out I DID need to thin those down. Thankfully I'm practicing on some dollar store army men (thanks for that tip as well, Uncle Atom) and I need this "learning-through-error" experience one way or another.
Welcome to the painting side of this great Hobby! Hope your experience is a happy one! Be warned, this is extremely addictive! ;-)
@@samuelsanfratello4617 Of this I'm aware lol. Got hooked on the gaming side a couple years back when I was on a lore kick and found out my roommate had an old 2nd edition set in his closet. Took me a month to learn it then teach it to said roommate. He hadn't touched it in decades and had been more on the hobby side as a kid. I suspect I'll be a bit more about the gaming but I gotta get these dudes painted and I dont want them to look like TOTAL garbage if I can avoid it.
My daughter and I painted our first miniatures today. I haven’t tried since I was her age, and mine were terrible back then. Lol. The wet palette seems nice, and I can see the advantages. Now if could just see those small details well enough.... haha
I have found your channel thanks to the wet-palette-making video. It was shortly after I started painting and it helped me a lot! I think I am still putting too much paint on my palette but at least it doesn't go dry while I am painting. I never really had much trouble using the wet palette and the paint is usable even 2-3 days later, sometimes longer. Some colours last really well. Plus I don't have the biggest paint collection so I mix paints regularly and wet palette helps with that a lot.
Regarding mold in a wet palette: I'm not a scientist, but... I do keep tropical fish when I'm not painting minis and playing games, so I've paid considerable attention to what's in water over the years. The key may have to do with what kind of chlorine treatment your local water supply uses. Two forms of chlorine are in common use around the US: pure chlorine, and chloramine, which is a mixture (compound? solution?) of chlorine and ammonia. Pure chlorine dissipates from water in a few hours; chloramine is many times more stable, remaining present and effective in open water for many days. My local water supply has chlorine, not chloramine, and I will find mold starting to appear on the wet palette sponge after it's been set up and left for a couple of days. On the other had, if you use tap water with chloramine, you might not see mold for several weeks, as the chloramine remains active in the water in your palette.
It's also worth noting that I never saw mold in my palette when I was still using a sandwich box and paper towels, which got replaced almost as often as I replaced the parchment paper. The mold only started when I got a "real" wet palette that came with a sponge, which I rinse and reuse over and over again. As an experiment, I may take the sponge out and try paper towels in the real palette for a while. If that eliminates the mold, I'll figure that mold was becoming established in the sponge, and was not removed when the sponge was rinsed out. It's quite likely that disposable paper towels are a better moisture reservoir for a wet palette than a reusable sponge.
I microwave my (wet) sponge as part of cleaning my palette and I haven't had any mold issues so I think you might be on the right track there. I also am using distilled water as our well water will leave mineral deposits on things very quickly.
I would recommend also allowing your wet pallet to breath. Add some holes to the lid and it will allow the humidity to leave the box. you have to add water when you get back but it helps reduce that closed environment for the and still doesn't dry your paint out. it will stop your paint from separating over night.
You can also hang your sponge out in the sun after you wash it. The UV from the sun will kill the bacteria in the sponge. You need direct sunlight for the best result. If you have a smell maybe vinegar. But i never got a smell on mine. Honestly if you need to vinegar it I would chunk it and get a new one but not everyone has those options.
I hadn't even heard of a wet palette before watching your video on it earlier this year; now I use one all the time (with the exception of dry brushing, as you point out!) and it's revolutionized my painting life, especially as I mostly use Citadel paints. I also spend less money on paint now, as those little pots will dry out in a hurry if you work straight from them, or have to keep loading up a dry palette every five minutes. So thank you for all the wonderful content, humor, and helpful advice, Uncle Atom!
Wet Palette is an essential. And Yes Uncle Atom was my influence for its use; as I just recently got back into minis after a LONG hiatus. I will be looking into the Army Painter Model this X Mas, but I use distilled H20 and a touch of Alcohol, never had a mold issue..
Your original Wet Palette video is what got me started using one. Now I can’t paint without it.
Yes, started using a wet palette a few years ago. I appreciate the encouragement and would never paint another way now.
Hehe... I'm returning home today from 6 weeks of radiation therapy in another city. My wet palette has served me well, but I'm expecting a bit of a mess in there when I return home. There was one when I got here, at least.
Uncle Atom, you introduced me to the wet palette about a year and a half ago, and I've used it pretty much daily since then. Thanks for all the great content!
Good luck Karl
I wish for a speedy recovery! 😀
Get well soon dude! Wishing you a full and speedy recovery!
I’m glad to hear you’re heading home again. Here’s hoping to a non-moldy wet palette when you get home, or at least a quick cleaning job. Thanks for watching!
I just started using a wet palette a few months ago and I can’t imagine ever not using one. It saves paint and makes everything you said in the video so much easier. It also makes me hate GW pots lol.
Definitely improved my painting and paint waste. I was guilty of dumping huge puddles of paint on my dry pallet and wasting it all two hours later, saved sooo much money. Deff helped my minis look better and less “paint caked” then before 👍
Can confirm; my wet palette has made a huge difference in my painting game, and I made my first after watching your video on the subject. After watching your first video, I made one using paper towel and parchment paper in a cheap sandwich box. After a few months, I upgraded to an air tight leftover container with a thick sponge and parchment paper. I absolutely love it, and it's all thanks to you, Uncle Atom.
I've never had mold issues with mine. I use a thick, antibacterial, cleaning sponge and distilled water. I've gone as long as 3 weeks without cleaning out the palette. If you use water from a municipal source, i.e. chlorinated water, that would likely help prevent mold growth.
started using a wet pallet after your wet pallet video,made my own,my painting has improved so much.never had a problem with mold I change my paper towels every 2 weeks. thank you uncle Atom.
I just got back in to the hobby a few months ago, and seeing your original video about wet pallettes totally upped my game - luckily I saw it before I'd painted most of my new army so it really helped. Starting to mix colours and blend a bit more now. Thanks for the tips!
Hey uncle Adam, after about a 17 year break, a friend and I have decided to get back into the hobby and start painting and playing some minis. It’s exciting to get into age of Sigmar after getting started in fantasy, and watching your back catalog of videos has really helped getting things started. So thanks a bunch! Happy holidays!
Glad you’re getting back in, have fun! Thanks for watching!
Okay this isn’t related to the video but i need to say this!. So i ordered some stuff from GW and my delivery was late so i sent them an email about it and a few days later i received it but before i could tell them anything they had already sent me a new delivery free of charge which is on the way right now!!. This is probably the best early Christmas gift ever lol.
I just started painting and playing warhammer 40k so i ordered a painting handle a starter kit (the one with the paints) and a kit of brushes and now i’ll get them again and i couldn’t be happier :)
I started using a wet palette yesterday. I love it!, i live in australia and due to the extreme hot weather my paints where trying faster than i could use them on a dry palette
i got a small square container might of been better getting an rectangle one for more space to mix colours
i also need to remember not mix colours all over the place keep in one small area lol having said all of that i will use a wet palette from now on as its helped me greatly so far
I bought a wet palette online, it is awesome. Im fairly new into the hobby and painting anything in general, and it has drastically helped with paint waste.
Both your videos about wet pallets are great! I've switched to a wet pallet and I don't know if I'd say it's improved my painting, but boy do I go through MUCH less paint. Where the wet pallet will get me through a session with one or two dollops of paint, the dry pallet would constantly dry out and force me to pull more paint out of the pots. And I use Citadel and these things aren't cheap! Saving time and money has made me never look back.
I'm glad you pointed out the separation that occurs with the paint. I was surprised when I first went back to it the next day and noticed that this had happened.
I made a wet palette after watching your video and it improved my painting a huge amount. Just being able to control the way the paint flows for longer is amazing. My mum bought me a Frisk palette for christmas but it isn't radically better then the home made one.
Thanks for answering most of the follow-up questions I had after watching your old video. Your videos (and the GW let's paint) are the reason I've gotten back into 40k after 10 years. Thanks for making tabletop wargaming more accessible!
I just made the jump to wet palette and I'm getting ready to try it out for the first time. I made my own and just threw some pennies in there. Looks like they actually changed the pennies in 1982. Thanks for all of the info, love your channel!
I started using a wet palette after watching Uncle Atom’s other video purely to stop my paint drying out pretty much immediately & it’s an amazing thing. It keeps my paint useable for the duration of my painting session & I’m happy. Paint isn’t cheap. The other benefits are a bonus!
During the current world crisis I have come back to this hobby for a "something to do" after a break of about 18 years. Watching and reading about wet palletes I thought..... Yeah right. However, now having tried one and the change in methods is really surprising. I used to use and old shower tile which worked well as a dry pallete. I thought about buying one but everywhere was sold out so saw a few vids on making your own and took the plunge. Here is one old painter who won't be going back. Your comments about the wet keeping the paint right for each session now makes sense as I thought, having watched others, that the paint would be right for months. Your observations/advice makes sense. Thank you sir
I bought a wet palette a few months ago, heard they were great, but wasn't sure of all the nuances of what they are meant for. Appreciate you clearing that up for me. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thanks for all the great advice, Uncle Atom! The little nugget about using a nonporous surface for dry paints is a real gem!
Thanks for this video, I thought I was crazy and screwing up on my end. I typically use Vallejo paint and thought a wet palette would help with my limited time to paint each night but the next day it was always separated. Now I know why and I can adjust my expectations a bit.
thanks to your wet palette video making one was the first thing I ever did when I started painting miniatures... just wanted to say thanks! cheers
He’s absolutely correct. A wet pallet completely changed the quality of my painting. It is an inexpensive addition to mini painting but still worth every penny. If you haven’t gotten one, get one
i use some spare copper clad bare PCBs (FR4). they come in loads of sizes and I just stick it under the sponge. never had mould problems. Or tigers. No tigers either.
I use my orginal ziplock container I got after your first video, still use the clothlike paper towels and clean it after each project with soap and throw away the towel, never had mold. Thx again adam!
Good advice from Uncle Atom. I use a home-made WP; a smaller, A5 sized tray with a loose-fitting lid and a 5mm thick household-cleaning synthetic-sponge, and quality parchment (tracing) paper bought from an art store and cut to size (smaller than the area of the sponge because it will expand when wet). I buy a huge A1 sheet and spend time cutting my sections so I always have a sheaf ready to go. Baking paper can work, but in my experience, too many of those shop brands have silicon added, which actively prevents the penetration of water, or are so thin that the physical action of the brush gently rubbing against the surface while I mix paints causes the paper to break down and ball up leading to fibrous crap getting onto the surface of my mini. I use tap-water with zero additives or tricks and have never had a problem with moulds. But then using a smaller palette means you must change the surface more regularly. I always store in a fridge overnight and would never expect a palette to last more than three sessions (days). When I change my palette I clean the tray and sponge in warm soapy water and then rinse the detergent out the same way I would with any bit of crockery or cutlery I use to eat with. You don’t need to go for sterile conditions, sanitary levels of cleanliness will suffice as long as long as you clean regularly. And finally, if I know I’m not going to use the sponge for a while I let it dry over a convection radiator overnight. As for paints separating, all acrylic brands will break down to some degree eventually. In my experience off-whites are the worst offenders. The only brand that universally remains intact is Warcolours.
Thanks to your video, I actually started painting with a wet palette, so THANK YOU!! I've found that as long as I have a good amount of paint on the palette, I can get a few days worth of painting out of it without needing to use different spots. I do thin with glaze medium and thinner medium for the most part rather than water, though, which may make a difference. I also paint on and off pretty much all day just about every day, mixing the separated paints with a wooden skewer. I also use tap water and have yet to see any mold, but I've only been painting for about a month and I tend to change my paper and rewet weekly.
Great video Uncle Atom!
Masterson's= best wet pallete.
I'm often out of town for a week at a time. When I get back my blends are generally intact. You can definitely pick from them to continue working. If they get a little clumpy instead of shaking the pallet I can smooth them out with a wet brush. Masterson pallets require you to boil the paper that goes on top of the sponge for some reason, but it seems to work. Contrast paint and most washes seem to slip right through the paper, but most other paints even Vallejo air thin pants seem to sit on top no problem.
Thanks for the deeper dive! Arie watch these videos all the time when I'm out at work and can't access my hobby room.
I find that the parchment paper works better than the paper they give you with the Masterson wet pallet
I just bought a Masterson last Saturday. Last night I realized that I hadn't checked on it since using it on Sunday and was worried because I'd heard you shouldn't leave more than a day or two without adding water. I didn't think to check the paints themselves, but the paper was still the appropriate dampness.
The instructions for mine say that the water should be the hottest I can get out of the tap, not boiling.
Yup I noticed my would dry out after a day it wasn't making it more than 24 hours which I thought wierd because I made the home made one that uncle atom made in a previous video and my paints were staying g dry for 3 day easy....i also learned if you gently scrub the surface of your pallet papper with a tooth brush you can clean your pallet papper fairly easy. I'm new to the wet pallet too and just thought these tips might help...seriously I think I lake the parchment papper 100× more than the pallet paper....give it a try and let me know your thoughts, personally I thought it a bonus because I dont have to buy the pallet papper replacements now because a I know I can clean my wallet paper and B. P.P. works so much better really
@@wolfling_conceptions415 I've heard others say parchment paper is better, too. Apparently the parchment paper is more porous and is therefore better suited for miniatures paints whereas the paper supply by Masterson's is designed for artists' acrylics.
I want to have a feel with the standard paper before trying the parchment.
I couldn't agree more explore your product thoroughly because honestly you might find you like the pallet papper beter... hope you have a great morning boss
I get about a day or two out of my wet palette, maybe a little longer if I store it in the fridge. Never had mold. That was the first video I watched of yours. Helped me decide to join Patreon.
This was super helpful, especially the bit about maybe not needing to thin with a wet pallet (something I, a beginner, have been struggling with). Thanks for the video, and *pachow* here's a like.
Thanks to your original video on the wet palette, my painting has improved and the experience is just a lot more fun. I use tap water and have never had mould. I wash the palette and sponge maybe once a week/fortnight.
I really like my wet palette. It's made me better if for only because I'm spending less trips to the palette so I can get quicker, smoother coats. Let's trips means I can have more paint in the brush and don't have to keep moving my hands and eyes away. Totally worth it. I've tried the home made ones, but now with the army painter one and how cheap it is, I'd buy that in a heart beat
I have found that my wet palette will grow mold after 7-10+ days, but I use a pretty basic setup with paper towels below the parchment paper so I just started cleaning it with a mold/mildew bathroom cleaner (scrubbing bubbles) and start with new paper. By that point my points have separated enough that I need to load new paint anyway. I can honestly say that without the wet palette I wouldn't be nearly as functional as I am with this hobby. Thanks for the original video!
Great topic! Warcolour (perhaps because of their Gel base) have lasted the longest for me without separation. On a side note I would also add don't use metallic paint on a wet palette. The small shards of mica in the paint will dissolve into your water, being absorbed by the rest of your colors already on and added to your palette.
Very informative vid. I'm a BIG fan of a "dry" pallet. Living in AZ...no mold issues here. I've learned to squirt out the amount paint needed for a paint session. I use Vallejo paints exclusively.
I watched your original video and made my first wet palette about a year, year and a half ago. It worked.. somewhat. I always suspected that I just wasn’t using it right. Thanks for this-
😂😂 spore mine!! Great advice, if Nurgle has moved in, its time to move.
When Papa Nurgle knocks on the door you know it's bad.
Hahaha
Aren't spore mines more of a 'Nid thing?
I'd use a mix of 1:4 distilled vinegar to water in the pallet to reduce the mold situation, cheap and shouldn't impact your paints. But the best advice is just to clean it properly, and if you're using a sponge rather than papertowel take extra care because perhaps it's got mold spores in the bubbles.
I also use vinegar and I haven't ever had issues with mold or foul smell.
Copper is a heavy metal and kills most living cells easily. Zinc will do the same. Silver is used in colloidal silver to kill skin cells in the same way.
The thing about keeping paints usable for days/weeks is probably the most common misconception. Glad to see you clear it up.
Re: tap water. I've had the opposite experience. When I use tap water in my palette, it seems to go moldy much faster than if I use distilled water. It may be a regional thing. I'm in the Mid-Atlantic, where we've got swamps, insane pollen levels, and lots of humidity, and therefore lots of mold.
My biggest wet pallet issue is using too much water! At least here in Washington, I’ve learned to ring it out well. Never had mold, I use distilled water because that’s closer than a sink. Great video!
"I don't know... fluoride, chem-trails, whatever" XD you killed me xD
BTW Distilled Water is, yes, purified from any organic (spores, bacteria and such) and inorganic (salt and minerals in solutions) residue. Choosing it over Tap Water surely helps from getting mold but, unless you have very dirty and clogged water pipes, you want notice much difference. Mold prefers humid and calm areas to grow, but mold spores are dragged by wind and get on our clothes and skin daily and we "release" the spores when we touch things. The best way to prevent molds from the palette or any deperable material such as bread, cheese and food in general, is to wash our hands throughly (with soap obviously) before manipulating any object and, if our sponge gets moldy, wash the sponge and the palette with warm or hot water and soap (or run it in the dishwasher).
The only reason I would choose distilled water over tap water is if I want consistency of dilution, since tap water may have different mineral composition and therefore different hardness, which sometimes may change how some paints will dry or form blotches (especially washes)... but it is a diminutive difference still.
BONUS: I know it varies from state to state (I live in italy, so our regulamentations about water are somewhat different from the once in the US) but the chlorine added to acqueduct waters is supposed to prevent bacteria or mold proliferation in the water. In italy the water is analyzed on a daily basis and the amount of chlorine added depends on the results from the analysis, so if the observation suggest an increased bacterial count, the district usually issues an increase in chlorine for a few days; this makes the water safer but it might taste/smell like a swimming pool (it is still in EMA/FDA safe to drink) but if you choose it over distilled water in that period it will have a lower chance to develop molds.
His point was actually the opposite in that the tap water contains fluoride and chlorine which will kill or at least dramatically reduce any bacteria trying to grow.
Concur with the advantages of a wet pallette especially when your using a lot of the same paint if you are painting in a production line fashion.
Paint left after a few days is still useable you just have to be careful with its consistency, dilute it if required.
I put an old UK penny in mine and it staves off the mold for quite a while. But its always a good idea to clean it our regularly :)
Well i started using a wet palette thx to u, and i did so on the 4th or 3rd mini i ever painted, so rather early, but its so much better for the sole reason i can take time to paint, and also not be forced to have a huge goup of paint so it doesnt dry and i have to get some back
Wet palette definitely improved my painting. Mould was a problem for me too but I was using tap water, now I add a couple of drops of Tamiya x-20a thinner and no more mould.
I make home brew thinner that is equal to Tamiya's and much less expensive. By volume: equal parts distilled water and 91% alcohol, plus a small amount of acrylic flow enhancer and a few drops of paint retarder. Works like a charm for thinning Tamiya (and similar) acrylics and cleaning brushes. Even smells like the original!
With my wet palette I seem to have better luck with distilled water rather than tap water. I used tap water from my local hobby shop recently and it had mold within a week on a new palette. I had been using distilled water, but ran out and had never had issues with it before.
But I definitely agree that wet palettes are the BEST!
Wet Pallet is a life saver and a wallet saver, so much more use out of each paint. As mentioned the only real trouble is the paints over diluting over time. I've had a sealed pallet in there for probably 6 months plus when moving and never had an issue with mould, just using tap water if that helps anyone.
another thing that can cause problems on a wet palette are metallic paints, those microparticles can pass through the paper and mix in the water below, be aware with metallics!
Yep i use a litte slab of plastic for washes and metallic, so they don't get everywhere in the wet pallet. But it shows you how quickly stuff dries compared to the wet pallet.
"Don't shake your wet palette" - oh man, now you tell me... :-) Come for the advice, stay for the humour - excellent work as always !
Just made my first wet palette a few days ago. Near impossible to work without in the Australian summer heat.
I was like "but it's winter!" then I remembered how the world works.
yeah i live in SA and we just got a 40+ degree week coming up and even with a wet pallet i wouldnt paint in that type of weather but for the normal 20-30ish degrees its a treat. im using the old sponge/take away container and baking/greaseproof paper.
@@darkmistress1980 Honestly, how do humans survive in that place? Lol Happy painting, sir.
@@samprastherabbit Trust me, we dont really survive in this heat down here....
Hi. Also SA trying to get as much painting done before the 40s. Any Aussies have any tips for the pallet paper?
I'm using Multix Bake atm and have tried a couple of other baking greasproofs but the paint doesn't seem to behave like the youtube vids I've seen.
I just started using a wet pallet. It’s so much nicer. I can use more paint and it is way easier. Made it from you video BTW
I'm usually able to mix up a separated color on the palette with the blunt end of a paintbrush or a sculpting tool, and it works pretty well. It doesn't work with metallics or heavily-separated colors, but lots of them will mix back up fine.
Some suggestions on Wet Palettes:
If you lick your brushes, and use a wet palette you will introduce bacteria into the wet palette. Then if you sit it up a day or two, it will get funky, and may produce cultures which can be mistaken for mold. Turning your wet palette into a petri dish. This maybe what some people are experiencing.
In wetter climates, like the northwest coast and the Gulf Coast Delta/Swamps, or the south eastern US in general, mold is nearly unavoidable. The air permeates with it. One solution, don't store paints for more then a few days (which you mentioned), clean your palettes often with hot water and dish soap, followed by a rubbing alcohol or ammonia rub down. additionally for some, the humidity of these places can change the qualities of both wet palettes, and any water based paint. Slowing drying times, and making acrylic paint seem more watery. As can super dry places, like the South Western US. Where water based paints dry super fast, and wet palettes need constant re-wetting.
Finally, the copper penny trick. You want pennies from 1981 or older. The 82 to 83 was the phase out year, so its hit or miss, pennies of 84 and after are not pure copper. I have heard of the penny trick before, but I have never used it, so I don't actually know if it works. I collect pennies, and copper items (its my fav metal). I also have never used distilled water, only tap. I have never had a problem, other then those of my own making. Like forgetting to clean one of my many Tupperware wet palettes and letting them set up for as much as 10 weeks. That is some funk, for sure!
The other paints that I don't use in the wet palette are metallics. The suspended particles separate out quite quickly and, apparently, can soak into and contaminate your sponge if you're using one, finding their way into your other paints. So I use a dry palette for metallics, shades/washes, drybrush, contrast and technical paints. Wet palette for all 'normal' paint. Never had a palette go mouldy, but then mine never sits there in a soggy state for ages. I also, periodically, give my sponge a good rinse in hot water, press the water out and allow it to completely dry in good airflow. (I use a home-made wet palette with baking parchment, but I bought Redgrass' sponges).
Had mold once, but I leave for work two weeks at a time. But my wet pallet is just paper towl and parchment paper in a dollar store sandwich container. So I just tossed the innards and put the container in the dish washer.
@ In fairness, I work out of town for 14 days at a time. I think the pallet had sat for over a month un opned by this point. So happening once, and never again, I am also thinking something else may have got into there.
Metallics and inks are also ones I don't use in a wet palette. Inks will soak up a lot of water and metallics will break down quickly and deposit the ground mica or aluminum onto the palette and into the water. I keep those out of mixing with my regular paints.
I think that's my issue. I just finished my first models last night, the Exalted Scythe box, and I think my paint was too dry. I used the wet pallet and figured it was enough to thin the Citadel paints. The models didn't turn out horrible, but it was definitely a learning experience for the future
When I was a wee nipper 2 decades ago I used paint straight out of the pot. No thinning with water at all and I cerated the usual garish paint jobs you usually relate to inexperience. Now that i have gotten into the painting hobby again and found out about wet palettes and thinning paint my miniatures look leagues better. Still not amazing (I never expect to win any golden daemons!) but I can truly say I am proud of what I have accomplished.
I think Santy Claus is bringing me a proper wet palette for christmas, but making one out of a tupperware box, a sponge and parchment was definintly the right way to go. Unless I am specifically mixing up washes or contrast paints I will always use a wet palette from now on.
I do wonder if using something like methanol or ethanol will work as a cleaner? It should kill anything in the palette and if you use the right stuff it shouldn't leave anything in it as it evaporates. I would say if you lick your brushes, make sure that any alcohol cleaning agents you use do not have benzene in it. that probably wont all evaporate and you don't want to be ingesting any amount of that!
Nice A-10 shirt. I got my F22 Raptor shirt from the same brand at the Tucson, AZ airshow. Thanks for the video, gonna be trying this out.
This is all very helpful thankyou , I'd watched the previous video on how to make a wet palette and found it helped so much when doing long painting sessions.
I see what you mean about not needing to thin some paints as I have a mix of GW and Vallejo and the latter is so much thinner.
After having one that was left out smell like mold once, I refrigerate my homemade wet palette at the end of every painting night. Never had any issue with that afterwards. I also use the outside of the top of my sealing plastic container as a dry pallete for washes and metallics.
The wet pallet video might have been what lead me to your channel. I was looking for how to make my own.
After all the brilliant tutorials leading up to the wet palette, I was introduced to...Vallejo Liquid Gold, at which point I to have to have at hand rubbish brushes, palettes of some other form (back of blister packs), and sweep water away from the painting area completely. Uncle Atom’s home-made palette, all components sourced from my local supermarket, served very well, and then the flgs started stocking a commercial product so I traded up.
Mould...might this be because of the word ‘everlasting’ ?
Mind you I fill up my palette so quickly I change out the paper and clean the tray/sponge quite frequently.
Only one time have I ever had mold in my wet pallet. I had forgotten to clean it out before taking like a month off of painting. It was a homemade pallet (I learned it by watching you okay!?) so I just chucked it and started with a fresh one. My Army Painter Wet Pallet arrived today and it is supposed to have antimicrobial properties to the bottom portion. This should help eliminate that issue all together. I also always use tap water and have never seen an issue. Of course I'm not a great painter so maybe I can use that as my excuse when things don't turn out well.
lol at 'like it's a stasis field'
I had mold issues in my palette one time but it was left for weeks because I forgot to clean it. After I saw this video I went to find the notes from my palette paper. According to Masterson it can be water quality. They recommend using distilled water and a spritz of peroxide to combat mold or smell issues. And brush licking is the most likely culprit other than the water quality.
I watched this video before i started painting for the first time and I have never regretted having made one for dirt cheap
Aye. I had left paints in the container over night (I use Citadel paints) and can continue the next day.
I clean mine out once a week.
And I thank you again, it sure helps with my painting.
Cheers.
I've gotten mold with tap water. The chlorine might help, but it's not a universal mold prophylactic.
But I haven't gotten mold in years ... ever since I stopped using the sponge and went to several layers of paper towel. Works just as well as the sponge for me and when I fill up the paper with paint, I throw everything out, clean the palette box, and start over. Fixed the problem entirely for me.
I can’t imagine painting on anything other than a wet pallet. I don’t need to worry about mold because I use paper towels which I change out every three days.
To combat mold you can also 1) Keep the sunlight away from your wet palette, 2) Keep it in a cool place, 3) a little rubbing alcohol in the water you use to make it wet. I have had 1 time a wet palette went moldy on me, it was sitting on my desk in almost direct sunlight and I had left it a few days between painting projects. Since I started putting alcohol in the water no issues, and I also make a point of keeping it out of the light.
That previous video was a game changer for me! Thanks again!
I use distilled water and keep a couple of old pennies in the bottom of my wet palettes. That works pretty well for day-to-day use. I also have a spritzer bottle of hydrogen peroxide that I use to mist the sponge when I change the palette paper. Still, I eventually found some mold or mildew in one of my palettes that sat unused for a while. It wasn't a big deal, I just cleaned it all out.
Okay, so cleaning my first wet palette when I arrive home today... 3 days in a dry climate shouldn't be too bad I hope. :/
I have used paint on a wet palette from a couple of weeks or so ago. Just had to swirl the paint around with a brush to remix.
The quality of old wet palette paint always makes me nervous. I usually avoid it. To be fair, I don’t drink milk after the expiration date, either. Thanks for watching!
@@tabletopminions Depends on the paint. I've noticed that the metallics don't keep overnight, and to a lesser extant, thick paint doesn't keep as well either.
Yes, it will mold after a month or two if ignored, even when using distilled water only. I've added alcohol and it helps. However, what I do is buy those yellow chamois (Shamwow anyone) and replace the pad under the palette paper when it gets weird. Works wonderfully and my big palette actually came with chamois inside.
Wet palettes are great for batch painting or just a few minis at a time. When I'm done my group, I wash the container, sponge and even the paper completely. No mold or smell or any problems.
I've read/heard from multiple sources that it's better to keep metallic paints off of the wet palette, that the particles are small enough to pass through the paper and into your sponge.
If the paint separates, you can re-mix it with the brush. And yes, I use Vallejo and many times I have returned to paint after a couple of weeks and I have reused them without problems.
I used to get mold. I now have not gotten any in a while. The difference is that I use my wet palette every day. Mold was only a problem when I went days without using it.
My opinion is that if you are not painting every day, there is no need for an enclosed wet palette. As Atom said, your paints you try to save will be trash if they sit on the palette for days. If you paint infrequently, make a throwaway wet palette. A plastic picnic dessert plate, folded paper towel and a bit of parchment paper is perfect. When done painting, throw it away.
Also, I am one of the guys who told Atom that the wet palette changed my game. I made my first after seeing his video 2 years ago.
I admit I have fallen off the wet pallette bandwagon after I took a hobby break I should look back into it. Your wet pallette vid was the introduction to your channel
I clean my sponge with vinegar, helps with mold and that moldy smell
That makes two of us! 👍
Me three.
You can also wet a sponge and then microwave it to make sure you kill pretty much anything that might be on there.
Wet palette game changer. Especially with 10-12 man squads (BA), When blending highlights.
After hearing several contradicting opinions on metallic paints in a wet pallet, where do you stand? I used your guide to make my own after just 3 weeks in the hobby and it has certainly made my hobby much more enjoyable. Got a solid 5 hour painting session out of my wet pallet.
Tap water has chlorine (which is specifically there to prevent water, and pipes molding before it gets to you) so yea it really helps with mold in palette. If you want softer water to mix with paints just use it via a dropper to put on palette or wherever you take your water to mix with.
With a wash a wet pallet is good for taking some of the wash out of your brush if it's overloaded. You can go back and use the excess on the pallet when your brush starts to run out. It's only good for that short amount of time though.
Started using a wet palette after watching your video, and it is such a simple and effective tool for painting. I'm surprised GW dont sell wet palettes, only those plastic palettes.