Palette cleaning?

[Einion]

The best way to store paint in a stay-wet palette for longer periods is probably to keep it in the fridge if there's room. If you're lucky the paint will last for more than a month without the palette beginning to stink and/or mould begins to grow inside (two weeks is about the most you'd get away with normally).

The paint will still tend to go more fluid during storage unfortunately. The only way I know to minimise this problem is not an ideal solution, and that's to remove the reservoir so that it can't continue to supply water to the paint puddles.

If you like welled palettes, but don't like cleaning them, try a porcelain palette. They're much easier to clean and don't scratch even if you scrub them with a scrubbing pad. They cost more, but if you take care of them, they'll last a lifetime.

:good:

Masterson's makes a small wet palette called the Sta-wet Handy Palette. I purchased one from Dick Blick, but I saw them at Michael's later. I just googled it and there are some in the UK as well. n the market.

Yep, the Daler-Rowney version I think was the first on the market.

Einion

 

[Wigdog]

I and several of my friends cover the little plastic welled palletes with aluminum foil when using acrylics - then we just discard the aluminum foil - works great for us and don't have to clean the pallete afterwards. dw

 

[StillLifeMiniatures]

I will second the welled porcelain palette. I have two currently. I leave one soak in warm water to loosen the paint and use the other. It will withstand scrub brushes as well as harsh brush cleaners and paint thinners. I've had mine for about five years. It's a good investment.

 

[Einion]

In terms of actually painting from though I would strongly recommend at least trying a stay-wet palette to anyone that hasn't already.

During long painting sessions you'll end up wasting time and effort (and paint) that you don't need to.

Einion

 

[HeavyBolter]

I made up a tutorial on how I clean my palettes and posted it to my blog. Hope it helps.

http://tinywarriors.blogspot.com/2010/12/cleaning-your-painting-palettes.html

 

[close313]

I just found out how to clean my palette very easily at no cost.
First, peel of any large layers of the dried paint. Next using these peeled layer, use your finger and rub it onto the palette. Since the paint have the same level of hardness, the stain should come off rather easily when being rubbed by the dried paint. End result would be quite a clean palette.