Acrylic Palette Prepration

 Have you got the acrylic palette blues? Is your palette drying out whilst you work wasting money and above all annoying and wasteful?
Is the old paint clogging up the sink and hubby the plumber is not a happy man?
Well good news is at hand. With the onslaught of the heat here in Queensland I thought this was an appropriate and timely subject to discuss.
Painting can be more of a challenge with paint drying quickly on your palette, loosing that special colour mix and having to start over.

Well I am here to sort you out.

Acrylics have a habit of drying quickly especially in hot and or dry weather. To extend the life of the paint on your palette & to assist your painting a wet palette is highly recommended.
To create a successful wet palette you will require the following items:
· Large sponge or Chux dish cloth
· Grease proof paper (just the cheap lunch wrap one from the supermarket will do). I do not like baking paper as the paint pulls away as it has a waxy coating.
· Shallow container no less than A4 in size, larger if possible with a re-sealable lid. The pastry containers sold in all supermarkets is ideal. Do not have a container that is too deep the shallower the better.
 
Step 1: Wet the sponge and wring out as much water as possible. If the sponge is too wet the paint will become watery and useless.

Step 2: Wrap the sponge in the grease proof paper making sure that the paper wraps all around the sponge. This will ensure that the weight of the damp sponge and paint holds the paper in position and stops it from sliding around. Lay the sponge wrapped in paper in the container with the join of the paper underneath. You are now ready to use. Place your paint across the top of the palette leaving the bulk of the palette area for blending and mixing. In very hot weather have a mist sprayer handy and mist your palette at regular intervals to keep it cool and the paints moist.

Step 3: When your painting session is over seal the palette with the lid and place in the fridge. Paint will generally keep up to 1 week, sometimes more. When the palette is no longer required remove the paper and discard in the rubbish bin.

Pro Tip: I NEVER use baking paper. Although it is stronger it has a waxy feel which prohibits me seeing if the blending of my brush is correct or not.

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