How to make a wet palette and how does it work? This is one of the questions that I have been asked many times since I opened this website. Around the web and on YouTube is full of guides and videos on how to make one and how to use it. Here with this guide I don’t want to rediscover hot water, so I’ll show you how I made one myself, sharing with you what my experience has been in using it. We will then see what commercial products exist and their characteristics.

What is a wet palette

A wet palette is a color palette with a wet base that allows the color not to dry out and to remain liquid, all advantage of your work on the miniature. For us who paint miniatures it is a nice advantage because it is easier to manage small quantities of color over time and to dose the right amount of water, but above all if you have created a particular shade, you will no longer have to make new attempts to regain it because it will last longer.

How to make a wet palette at home

Per iniziare, puoi realizzare in casa una wet palette e sperimentare così come funziona e come cambia il tuo lavoro. Deciderai dopo aver fatto un po’ di esperienza se e quale wet palette acquistare. Per realizzare la tua wet palette, ti serviranno queste cose:

You can make a wet palette at home and experiment with how it works and how your work changes. You will decide after having a little experience if and which wet palette to buy. To make your wet palette, you will need these things:

nothing more. All stuff that you can easily find at home or that you can find at the supermarket closest to you. Alternatively you can help me carry on this site by purchasing the same products from the Amazon links that you find in this article.

To begin with, you will need to shape the sponge to match the size of your box or food container. I used the classic Ferrero Rocher box, which has become almost a must for painting miniatures. It has the right height and there are different sizes, so you can choose whether to make a large or a smaller one. The more space you have, the better, but if like me you work on a small desk, choosing the smaller box is perhaps ideal… and you will avoid eating too much chocolate!

At this point, cut the sponge cloth to make it fit perfectly into the box, be careful though: the sponge must not rise on the edges, therefore cut it to the right size.

you can now cut out a sheet of parchment paper the same size as the sponge, I always try to make sheets a few millimeters larger than the sponge. This will prevent the color from dirtying the sponge, so you can replace it less often.

We now just have to wet the sponge with water. I prefer to use distilled water. Perhaps it is an excessive precaution, but it assures me that any tap residues do not contaminate the color.

When you wet the sponge, consider that the water must be abundant. It is not enough just to wet it a little, you just have to immerse it in water. Also lightly wet the paper, so that it adheres well to the sponge, but then remember to dry out any excessive deposits of water on the surface. The risk is to dilute the color more than you need.

In this video I show you the steps described so far, to better understand how to make a wet palette.

Video: how to make a wet palette

The advantages of a homemade wet palette

Using a wet palette brings several advantages over a normal palette. I personally can’t go back. Using a wet palette gives you more control over the color because you can easily control its viscosity and the amount of water. It also avoids using too dense colors … better more thin coats of colors than using too dense colors that could ruin the details of the miniature. The color also, especially in summer, does not dry in a few minutes, allowing you to play with it, try new shades or different mixes. It is probably the cheapest tool in this hobby, why not try?

The disadvantages of the DIY wet palette

There are a few things to consider when making a wet palette. As I said, for what my experience has been so far, I find it indispensable and I can no longer do without it. But there are some precautions to keep in mind:

The parchment paper should be changed often

If you leave the paper to soak in the water for a long time, by this I mean a few days, it will begin to deteriorate. Thus there is the risk that by mixing the color with the brushes, the paper will release residues ruining the color, with bad results on the miniature. The good news, however, is that to avoid it, just change the piece of parchment paper with a new one.

Even the sponge should be changed from time to time

Although not as often as the paper, the sponges also need to be changed. Especially if you use low quality ones. I have bought much better ones because the economic ones have crumbled on more than one occasion.

Make sure the box closes tightly

The advantage of a wet palette is that you can keep the colors usable even for the next day. In this it is advisable to use a food container, which seals the closure avoiding that the color remains in the air. With the box of chocolates this is more difficult, but not impossible, and plastic tends to crack if subjected to knocks. So always check the condition of the box, consider whether to change it or opt for a food container.

Which wet palette to buy?

As an alternative to DIY, you can buy a commercial one. There are different brands and models, I have selected three of those that I think are the best and the formats (and therefore price) most suitable for those who start.

Everlasting Wet Palette

One of the most used by professionals is the Everlasting wet palette. Launched a few years ago on Kickstarter, today it is among the best known in the sector. It is available in two formats:

  • Starter pack: 15x20cm
  • Studio XL: 20x30cm

Characteristic of this wet palette is the possibility of hooking a small palette to be used for inks using magnets, which can be purchased separately or with the “painter bundle”. It also has an excellent moisturizing system.

The starter pack contains a sponge and 15 sheets. As the name suggests, the starter pack is the most suitable for beginners and is available on the Everlasting website at a cost of € 19.90 plus shipping.

Army Painter Wet Palette

The latest addition to the market is the Army Painter wet palette which features a beautiful aluminum box where you can also store your brushes. Much of this space is dedicated to the triangular-section Army Painter brushes that you can “fit” keeping them still in case of travel. However, a compartment for generic brushes remains available. The package has two sponges and 50 sheets.

With a size of 20×14, it costs € 19.99 plus shipping.

Atelier Wet Palette

Perhaps the most economical solution, probably because it is not strictly linked to the world of miniatures, but more generally to painting with acrylic colors. The Atelier wet palette is available on Amazon at a cost of around € 13 and has a size of 36x22cm, much larger than the previous ones.

Conclusions

At the moment I’m still working with a homemade wet palette, but if I decide to take a commercial one I would opt for the Army Painter wet palette. The great availability of sheets and the small size are for me the best choice, since I work on a small desk. In addition, I have used several of their products and have always been satisfied with the quality and decidedly more affordable price of the competitors. Why change?