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Post by creepingdeath on May 16, 2016 12:26:57 GMT
 Hello - so I've just had a go at making myself a wet-palette. I used an old plastic screw box (about 8cm x 5cm x 2cm), a bit of foam packaging from a miniature and a bit of baking parchment (and some water obviously). So yes it's great and my paint generally stays wet but I'm struggling to know when to add water, how much to add, when to change the paper... So far I've been using it for about a week and I have a patch where the paint's dried out and keep adding too much water so the workable bit is too runny, plus get too much paint on my brush when adding paint from the pot so waste paint cleaning the brush before I start. I am seeing a lot of benefits from this as I plough through the 1st silver highlight of a unit of 30 orcs, but there must be stuff I'm not doing right - i hope it's not just trial and error!!! Any advice? Do you all use wet palettes or not? If not why not? Cheers |
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Post by avatarofbugman on May 17, 2016 0:14:09 GMT
I tried the wet palette idea. I didn't like it. I felt like I actually had less control over the paint consistency. You have the right idea though.
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Post by TheREALricksalamone on May 17, 2016 1:29:25 GMT
For what it's worth I think my painting method is very close to what GW teaches in their videos. Base, wash, repaint, edge highlights...
I'd like to see the results of your method though.
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Post by creepingdeath on May 17, 2016 16:18:42 GMT
For what it's worth I think my painting method is very close to what GW teaches in their videos. Base, wash, repaint, edge highlights... I'd like to see the results of your method though. ...mine is too, and I'm no great artist so the results might not reflect what can be achieved with a wet palette! But I'll post a pic of what I'm doing when I get a chance and the finished results (having used it from the 'repaint' stage (except green - it would have been useful here I think). I think I'm liking it so far. It certainly helps reduce the time that the paint pot is open stopping it drying out when doing the same colour onto lots of models. I am finding consistency difficult to control (generally thin) so it might not be suitable if you need a thick opaque coverage. |
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Post by Horace on May 17, 2016 17:20:13 GMT
I used a small wet palette made from a pipette box. I find it loads better for mixing colours and stopping paint drying. Controlling the thickness and amount of paint I'm afraid is just practice. Thin is better than thick the pros always seen to recommend more layers of thin paint
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Post by gjnoronh on May 17, 2016 20:46:09 GMT
I very much like my wet palate - agree with Horace.
There isn't one magic solution on how long to use the sheet of parchment paper you put the paint on. When it's not working great for you anymore toss it and start over.
The paper should have some moisture underneath but none on top where you put the paint. If you are seeing pooling of water on top you are doing it wrong.
I like to add either a drop of dish soap and a drop of drying retardant to the water in the bottom to reduce the risk of mold growing and to help extend the life of the paint (just a drop mind you!)
It doesn't predispose you to one technique or another but allows better adjustment of paint consistency and extends the life of mixes for blended highlights.
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Post by creepingdeath on May 17, 2016 21:22:50 GMT
Here's an example of where I am at the moment. Drying retardant and soap eh? - sounds good; It hadn't occurred to me that mould would grow. Apparently drying retarder is propylene glycol and you can use non - toxic car antifreeze (which contains it) or glycerol (which I can get from my work's labs) in its place - good old Wikipedia  .  |
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Post by creepingdeath on May 18, 2016 20:37:11 GMT
I came across a couple of other tips while looking about on wet palettes... Some people put copper coins under the foam to inhibit fungal growth and others store in the fridge or freezer (before and after use) to slow down evaporation - I guess they live in hotter countries than me (UK).
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Post by grandmasterwang on May 19, 2016 10:35:28 GMT
I dont really use a wet palate but have experimented using damp absorbant paper as one. Was kinda fun and different i suppose but then i went back to my usual basic method.
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Post by Horace on May 19, 2016 13:52:59 GMT
Personally I don't use foam, just some folded up kitchen roll with baking paper on top all stuffed into a small pipette box I nabbed from work. I do keep it in the fridge (also UK). Nice tip with the coins, makes sense might try it.
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Post by dannytee on May 21, 2016 14:01:50 GMT
Do you all use wet palettes or not? If not why not? Cheers No, I don't use a wet palette. I had never even heard of it until now. What is the use? You put a bit of paint in the palette to keep it from drying out? |
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Post by creepingdeath on May 21, 2016 18:30:01 GMT
Do you all use wet palettes or not? If not why not? Cheers No, I don't use a wet palette. I had never even heard of it until now. What is the use? You put a bit of paint in the palette to keep it from drying out? For me it's all about keeping the paint wet/at a consistency ok for putting on to minis and cutting down on time working watering down etc. I reckon it's saving me quite a bit of prep time which is great cause I can get on with the painting bit. People who are more skilled than me use them for preparing and maintaining mixtures of paint etc. I'd definitely recommend having a go - it's so easy and cheap to make one.  |
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Post by TheREALricksalamone on May 21, 2016 19:11:24 GMT
Until I see a well-painted miniature made using this technique you can count me down as " I don't get it".
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Post by creepingdeath on May 21, 2016 23:01:36 GMT
Until I see a well-painted miniature made using this technique you can out me down as " I don't get it". Well you won't see that from me as I said earlier ; ). This guy's quite enthusiastic about them m.youtube.com/watch?v=96mjmqWTPfM
An example of how it's good for me is I just did 40 minutes painting without having to get any paint from the pot - it was ready, where I left it on the palette 2 days ago at the same consistency and is still there now ready for next time. |
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Post by creepingdeath on Jul 19, 2016 15:40:09 GMT
So I've finally finished my orcs and here are some pics as promised. - please don't judge too harshly as I said I'm no great artist plus I can never be bothered to be creative with my basing like many people do - my battles only ever take place on cricket pitches . So, I am sold on the wet palette - not good for everything but I will definitely use it a lot from now on. I even ventured into a spot of blending (as it was so convenient and easy to do) during these models which is something I'd never have bothered with before. I started painting some spider-riders last night - just 10 mins so I started using my old normal palette but was immediately annoyed when the paint puddle dried and had to get the wet one out.    |
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