Chill & Fill my Travel Watercolor Palette for France with Me! 

I love seeing what other people put in their palettes, sometimes you discover new wonderful colours to try.

My favorite way to spend a very cold Arizona day when I am sicker than a dog. I love new Lindsay content.

A second pallet is a good idea! If you don’t need it, when you come home you will have a fresh travel pallet ready to use! How exciting it is to plan a vacation, and this one is a very special one to look forward to! Have a good week!😉🤗

I’m also super frugal with my paints! I hate to waste a single drop. I love watching you will your travel palette and also explain why you chose a color.

I laughed out loud when you were trying to squeeze every last bit of paint out and then asked, “do any of you….”…. My answer is YES and it drives me crazy because I have SO many tubes, pans, brands and at 64 I’m positive it’s going to be used for years by someone after I am long gone…. Why are we like this??? I really waste too much time “not wasting” anything… Thank you, Lindsay, for the laugh!❤. I’ve had a rough week and today wasn’t the best….it’s exactly why I clicked on your videos…you always lift my spirits and that, my friend, is worth more than anything else you can give imho…. Blessings sent your way, Nancy Rolfe

What a great way to spend on a Friday afternoon after you had oral surgery. I love watching you and this was just a fun video. And it reminds me that I have a pallet that needs to be touched up. It’s so great when you do one of these things because you talk about the different pigments, the different manufacturers, and the reasons why you like some thing or you choose something over another it’s very, not only interesting but educational for us. Thank you Lindsey. Happy new year again.

Your a gift to this world 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤ I thank you for all you do here .

Of course we are here for you Lindsay. I play all your videos cuz you cheer me up all the time.

Profitez de votre cours d’aquarelle! Seeing what different artists use is always illuminating. I have two Portable Palettes, the 12 pan and the mini. I actually use the 12 one to take to other rooms in my home and out on the patio in the warmer weather, so I don't have to take my large Possum Palette and too much other "stuff". (I live in the mountains of Western PA, and it is very cold and snowy at times.) Like many of your subscribers, I am also quite economical (okay, miserly on occasion). Any darks I mix I let dry on the palette and use that is I just need a small amount for a painting. I use a toothpick and wet brush (a cheap craft one) to dig any residual paint from the tubes. Then I wipe the excess from the brush and toothpick (as minimal as it is) on the palette to dry and use. This "waste not, want not" mentality extends to cosmetic items, also. One can easily mix the remnants or two (or more) bottles of nail polish, using nail polish thinner to "revive' gunky polish. I use a toothpick to scrape out what is left in the tube lipstick (which is usually quite a bit) and put it in a very small glass jar. It can be mixed with other colors and melted in the microwave, just 10-30 seconds at a time. Stir when melted with a toothpick. When cool, apply with a brush like lip gloss in a pot.

What a relaxing and informative video! My biggest tip for returning from international travel is using the Mobile Passport Control app from US Customs and Border Control. If I call correctly, you enter passport info, travel info, and customs info then before your flight back in the US, just snap a selfie. Then when you arrive back in the US look for the signs for Mobile Passport Control and skip the long lines for regular entry and Global Entry. In the before times, there were only ~5 of us who used it on our flight and we breezed through passport control. All of the info stays on your phone with a passcode so it’s quite safe. Wishing you safe and happy travels!!

I have the tube crimper-love it!

I love hearing your thought process as you choose colors… I have a really, really mini palette I put together for a three-week cruise because I know I probably won’t do that much watercolor… but I tried to get at least 8 colors to mix from…

I use pliers to squeeze the last little bit out of the tubes - amazing how much paint is in there!

FRANCE! Gosh I wish there was more about what that entails….

I enjoy watching other people put their palettes together. And yes, I try to squeeze every last drop out of a paint tube, too.

I love to watch and hear your thoughts! I wish I could go to France; perhaps another trip! ❤❤

I I watch everyone of your videos, regardless of subject. I rarely make cards, however loved video of the card making with bottle stamps. Those are unfortunately now sold out. Please don’t ever apologize for video content. Love all the videos! ❤

I have a box where I keep all my emptied out tubes. Then I cut the tubes up and use the paint inside.

Great palette choices -- and it sounds like a fabulous trip!! I can't live without cobalt teal/turquoise of some sort.

I agree with Robin. Pliers are a must. You have no idea how much paint is hiding under the shoulders of the tube even after you’ve rolled up the tube roller as far as it can go. Thanks for this video. It was very calming.

I really appreciate this video. 'When the student is ready, the teacher will appear'...just thinking about doing this process..."yes, the only time I do watercolor is to color my card images'😅 BUT, I love watching your watercolor videos....I'm always so AMAZED by your talent AND, your generosity. 🙂 I LOVED that Squeeze tool for the painttubes. Thank you again, for another QUALITY video.🙂

Sounds like you will have a good time. I love the colors you have chosen to take with you.

There is something very therapeutic and meditative about filling a palette. Thank you, Lindsay! I actually have my ArtToolKit folio palette loaded with Qor paints. Love them.

You are loved & fun to spend time with - always

Ive just realised something, the first video of yours that I watched, was of you wrapping string around a ball or a balloon (at least thats what I remember) . Once again, another good video. My granddaughter loves these explanations, and has learned a lot ( as have I). Thanks Lindsay ❤

this is like, on the brink of being an asmr video lol 🤤

So much fun, Lindsay! The trip this year isn't in the cards but possibly a future one. You and another of my watercolor mentors (or aunties as I sometimes affectionately think of you) shared vids of filling up a clean palette for the new year and while I don't really have a reason to start from scratch right now, the process is so fun and relaxing. I can see the Mars Black being nice for quick value studies as well as a texturizer if you don't wanna do them with a pencil or markers. I don't have any QoR since I had to rebuild my supply collection a couple years ago, so I'd probably stick to Da Vinci (I saw you didn't end up using any here but I trust them not to run), W&N and Holbein for a run-proof palette, although I did do a folding Mijello palette 2 winters ago with many M. Graham's not filled to the brim and haven't had any running issues, but some honeyed stickiness between wells.

I’m rewatching this video again and I don’t know if I am worse than you with my paint tubes. I use the same crimper to squeeze the paint out, but so much still gets trapped in the neck of the tube. So I keep those aside and I will cut the end off and open the tube and use the rest right out of the cut open tube. Gotta be frugal.😊

I am crocheting as I watch your video. Thank you, Linsay.

Hi Lindsey I also love seeing people fill their pallets and see what other people have in their pallets. Yesterday as I was filling a pallet and watching your card making chatting video I use my high-tech pliers to smash every last drop of paint out of the tube that I can get. I would like to get one of those tubes squeezers know but in a pinch the pliers works pretty darn good

Oh man, that retreat sounds so idyllic. I wish!

I so excited for your time in France. I’d go if I could.

A fellow scrimper! Yes, I’m as cheap as you… I bet u cringe when people don’t scrape their bowls and/or pans when they are cooking, the way we do! Love that, hanging with you whilst you fill pans, and all the great hints you share. THANK YO7

That's going to be epic retreat! Hope you have amazing time there. Europe is beautiful. Thank you very much for sharing your colour selection, I'm new ish to watercolour and it was huge help. My first attempt was trying to follow Bob Ross with the only paints I had with me - anilinky/ anilinove . The most transparent paints ever :) it didn't go well and gave up. I'm so glad I'm giving it another try. It's really helpful to have your knowledge and experience to help me along this time round. Qor is definitely my favourite, I do have senelier in travel palettes as well but I have to dry them really really well between uses.

Very calming and satisfying 😊

I’ve cut the tops off of a tube with metal snips before so do not feel bad 😂 I’d love to go to France! Anyone who can possibly go do it NOW…I’ve got the time and money but my physical issues keep me from traveling anymore… I’m so grateful for all the traveling I did earlier. It meant I had to skimp on other items but wouldn’t trade it for one of those. I can’t even remember what I did without but I DO remember the people and places ❤

Oh my god if I wasn’t already planning out a road trip with my sister for late may, I’d absolutely join you.

You could always buy a palette in France. They have watercolor paint there. LOL A friend bought us all a fancy French sketchbook when she was in Paris. The paper is fancy and wonderful for painting.

Yup I find my qor is amazing paint and it does travel better than any others I have.

I love the turner manganese violet! So far I used a little of it with some magenta to darker the magenta for shadows. And used it by itself for Christmas lights and baubles. Enjoyed your video. I do like refreshing and changing up palettes! Rewarding to start with a “new” palette! Yes, I am super frugal with my paint also. Before I clean my palette I mix it all together and get nice browns or grays! And try to use it before wiping it clean. I also use a metal thingy to squeeze all my paint out !

You should bring some zip lock bags for your return trip. Anything still wet could go in a bag.

Seems like a fun video. I cannot stand RU-vid’s new stricter “you have to watch or skip ads every few minutes policy. Will check back every few days for awhile to see if they will grow their brains back. Thanks Lindsay!

I really love the schminke manganese violet

Cool video. I'm just new to watercolour and learned a lot. Thanks!

It was really nice to see this process. The one time I tried drying paints from tubes, I used one of those big cheap plastic palettes with wells (not individual pans) and after a while, the dry paint globs would loosen and fall out. I started to shy away from tubes after that 😅 Maybe I'll try again with half and whole pans.

so relaxing I love it ☺☺

I’m thinkings seriously about France.

Hi, Lindsay. Thank you for your video.🎉.❤.

I also want you to know i would LOVE to do the 2nd week of your French trip and I think it is priced well. Howver i work in a call center and our vacation times are not flexible ...I couldn't get this week off! Also my traveling companion / wife is not an artist :( i retire in 2 years tho!! Please do it again!

Great video, thanks for sharing ❤

TIP: it’s possible to just cut open watercolor tubes and remove or paint from what’s in there. Use a sturdy (but regular is fine) scissors. I’m another viewer who found Qor tube paint to be gluey and sticky, in Minnesota. The tubes are from Qor’s debut time, so maybe they’ve adjusted the formula to be less messy now? I also struggled with their tube caps, which broke apart! I was so disappointed with the mess/caps that I didn’t buy more, even though the paint was interesting. I use WN, DS, a bit of Holbein and Rosa Gallery in travel pans. Rosa travels and rewets very well. M. Graham Pthalo Green literally oozed out everywhere and stained the palette and stuff in my tote. Grr. Your tip about saving old but good caps is spot on! ❤ sending good vibes, Lindsay. ❤️

I love A. Gallo for travel. And some Daniel Smith.

I love having sodalite and pthalo green instead of Paynes grey and sap green.

Hullo Lindsay, I love to drain my tubes as far as I can too! I have purchased several of the Meeden 12 well ceramic palettes I put several different mixes in them just to play around and see if some paints work well with one another! I use DaVinci watercolors for my must travel palettes and I use the metal travel palettes for making mixed brand color palettes. I have an ultra mix set with 24 full pans with DaVinci, Mijello, Sennelier, QoR, M.Graham paints! Yes I have to be careful what colors as some are more sticky depending on the brand! (I have used a heat tool to "dry" my paint pans so that even my Sennelier pans are DRY! It has worked most every time.) I recently purchased Denise Soden's Opaque palette and tubes of her selections for re-filling and mixing my other favorite opaque paints I love! I do like the fact that you use messy palettes right along with your new stuff! I know you and everyone going to France will have a grand time! I wish you only the very best of times!

Prime rose dropped into other colors moves the paint. It’s one of my favorites.

Many of the same colours in my travel palette but after watching your video I might change up a few colours. I don’t use my dioxazine purple or pthalo green very often. Thanks for the video.

Oh yeah! I'm as stingy with paint and have the same tube squeezer. I save caps too. I take toothpicks and swipe out the paint from the tops after squeezing. I've got one paint stick from DS. Might get more. Enjoy your trip......good for you to travel and have fun painting in France. Go visit the Sennelier store and Canson.

Hope you have fun in France and hope you take many pics to share with us. Also, I want your DS yellows. Goopy? My Hansa Yellow Lt dries hard. I've had to add glycerin. My New Gamboge is a bit easier, but never goopy. The way you add whichever paint to your pans (an endearing trait), I wonder if at some point you added some M. Graham to your DS yellows and that's why they're slow dryers? I dunno. Not a fan of the DS sticks, and unfortunately, I have several. I see you had rewetting problems with the sap green stick too. I swear they use super glue as the binder. Your palettes look fun. I trust they'll work well for you. Hope you test your palettes and share the paintings with us. Reeelaaaax!

The first week will have 15 painters and a wannabe 😂😂. Enjoyed the video , will model a travel palette with colors in your setup although different brand. Really looking forward to the retreat!!

Thanks for explaining your choices. 😅

I love Turner watercolors.

I'm actually not a QOR fan but I LOVE QOR's burnt umber. I usually hate burnt numbers but QOR's is so smooth and pretty, it's my pallette's burnt umber.

Still looking forward to the reviews from your last haul :)

I wish i could come, especially as I'm not that far! But sadly it's not in the budget right now. Sounds like it's going to be wonderful! I think that the portable painter slim pans are still not available in the UK, which is a shame. Im so indecisive when filling a new palette that it would be great to have a couple of extra spaces. Love the look of the quin red you chose!

I cut or unwrap the bottom of the tubes, cur the sides of the tubes, and scrape out all the paint. You ain’t got stingy yet! Smile

I'm with you. I have enough watercolor paint for me and several friends for multiple lifetimes yet I will squeeze out the last drop of paint with my tube wringer (even though I wear half of it while performing said act). However, that's no reason for me to be wasteful, right? 🤔 That's what I tell myself anyway. I just can't bring myself to dispose of a tube that might still have a drop in the threaded section. I do like a Buff Titanium in my palettes. I use it to dull some paints down a bit especially if you like a muted palette.

If people join the retreat from the EU Id recommend Talens artist watercolor : Rembrand, sennelier; use a pan, not the tube bc yes it is droopy but lot less when you insert a half pan in a travelpalette, if you have never been in france use basic primary mixers with addon of warm grey as conveniance color as that is a bit softer then buff white but you will see it used as base color for garden and pottery paintings a lot. Pans may be more expensive; but if you can pay for a retreat Im sure individual half pans should be no issue specially if it is a painting retreat ;) Beware you are entering in eu's art lalaland, france is well known for pastels and their awesome line of artist quality papers like arches, pastelmat and so on. My home is fairly humid and my tube paints so far dried down fine but dont risk it in heat and humid; just use pans to be on the safe side.

What an interesting video! You must be really excited to be filling your palette already. I am pretty certain that I would feel the same way if I were going. I was really shocked when you said that some of the Daniel Smith paint gets soupy. I have been a Daniel Smith die hard user for many years and none of them are or get soupy. Not ever ~ in many different humidities and weather. I have both of those yellows in my palette and they are very hard and stay that way. You must use an enormous amount of water in them and really soup them up when you use them. It’s really important to let your paints dry good after each use. I’m not sure if you don’t do that or what. Or maybe you add so much water every time so it won’t totally dry any longer? My art instructor has been teaching in Italy and Spain every year for over 20 years. She only uses Daniel Smith and has never had a problem either. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter, I was just puzzled by it. I am a paint miser too. My grandma taught me to use what we have and I conserve by not wasting. But I do spoil myself and buy and use the very best supplies. Especially when splurging on a trip to Europe. I would take Daniel Smith and probably sneak in one of my sets of handmade watercolors just for fun! Schmincke would be a second good choice too. My big set of them always stays hard. I hope you have fun and are happy with your paint selections. Maybe you should take it on a couple or plein air painting sessions to make sure you like the colors etc. Thanks for the video!

Hi, Lindsay! I finally subscribed, after talking to my monitor for some time. Sometimes you hear me, sometimes you don't. Re needing additional colors in France: You can always add a couple of tubes to your makeup ("Liquids and gels") for TSA clearance. And remember, you are in the land of Arches and Sennelier. In fact, a little side trip to the local art store (in Toulouse?) might be fun. I have sent the info on your art retreats to a couple of artsy-fartsy friends - we'll see. Love, Suzanne

Honestly, I would _love_ to take the workshop. France was a country I only visited twice when I lived in Germany - once to visit a Maginot Line location with a friend who was a major WWII buff - which was a great trip, and once to Paris with the family... which was... not fun. I would love another trip to hopefully tip the balance back. However, not only do I not have the funds right now, but I'd need to renew my passport... which went missing some time ago. I have the feeling there might be some hassle with that. So... maybe the next go-around. =grin= QOR and DaVinci are my go-to brands, both for at home and in my travel palette... palettes. I have a collection, all sorts of sizes. I do love the Portable Painter concept, but I end up using the Micro version for one reason - more flexibility. The Micro uses standard size pans versus the WN style, and I can mix and match whole and half pans, plus the divided pans they came out with. And... also the ones I designed with the same volume/space, but instead of having two 2-division pans in one row, I have a 3-division and a small single. (I hope this makes sense. Sometimes I wish we could attach pictures to RU-vid comments.). I did that because I like to create primary sets, and it made more sense to design and 3D print a triad pan than two double pans with a random or empty spot. So one pan will have Pthalo Blue, Hansa Yellow Light, and Quin. Magenta, another will have Ultramarine Blue, Nickel Azo Yello (or Quin Gold), and Pyrolle Red Light (or Cad Red/Scarlet), and a third will have Indigo, Yellow Ochre, and Burnt Sienna. There are a few other sets, but those are my three main. I'll swap them back and forth depending on my mood/subject matter, and the two little pans will have either a dark brown or varying convenience purples or greens. If I'm using my DaVinci paints, those tend to be the Joyce's Mother Green and Purples. I've been having fun with those. I'd love to see a Portable Painter 2.0 that has the flexibility that the Micro does - twice the options! I've been using mostly smaller palettes, so 24 colors might be too much for me, but 18? Sign me up!

You referred to vintage Cotman colours. Has W&N come out with a line of vintage colours in the Cotman range, or were you referring to Cotman tubes from your stash? I am trying to find a balance between watercolour for my sketchbooks as opposed to those paintings that will be displayed.

I find pr 254 to be a a must have red, lol I think I would want at least a 24 color pallet, or just bring 2 portable painters. Lol stressful to put myself in your shoes trying and not have a huge pallet to choose from. One color I have is caput mortem in my sennellier pallet, I always find myself wishing I had it in every pallet.

Oh people love it when you are having trouble! 😂

Try putting you palette in a food dehydrator. It will dry it down harder , that might help. I have never had a problem with DS in my travel palettes, I live in ca.

this was a relaxing video- so satisfying to see the new palette come to life and so smooth and shiny. i use qor colors for my travel palette and mission gold. daniel smith never stays out for me. i also love the marie’s master colors. what kind of operation am i running here? (an honest one)! i love how you mix and embrace mixing brands. when they’re like these quality it’s not a risk. one question- what colors do you recommend for turner (primary palette warm/cool)? i have been curious about the brand for some time and they seem fairly priced.

Do you recommend Phoenix tubes as a good budget option that will dry down in half pans? Any other affordable tubes that dry down well?

You can put a couple drops of glycerine in colors that dry too hard to make them rewet better! Just don't go too crazy, you only need a few drops.

Try using a pliers to get that last at the end of the tube! That’s what I used! 😂

Lol. Big brother strikes again! I just saw an ad that was completely in FRENCH....probably the advertising algorithm picked up on your mention of your upcoming trip to France. 😅

Not you again with a great video to “piddle” along with. I have to glue 131 card fronts together this afternoon. That’s gonna be a great video for it

I usually squeeze every inch out of it and than i cut the tube open, let it dry and then when I go to paint I use first the open cut tubes... and I use every nook and cranny of the tube until it is really water that comes out... so, am I wasting paint? Never... 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Dont hate me... Qor 'mini' pallette on sale Amazon $19 for 6 half- pans in a 12 pan 'mini' case. I got the intensity and granulated sets... hopefully they aren't counterfeit... the listing is a little different.

Let us know how the QOR paint dries in your palette. I tried last summer but they never dried properly. Same with M.Graham and Sennelier. I ended up using only Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton in my travel palette.

I really enjoyed this... but i don't get the "why"... why not just use pre-filled pans? Asking for a friend LOL..

Lindsay, I see you have your QOR brand with your other brands. I have heard on videos that the QOR can kind of dominate your other brands on a page, do you find this is true? I just started using watercolor, and I have a mixture of different brands, but now I am worried that I may need to only use QOR by itself.

I love qors quin red, I don't really like Daniel smith's rose, it's so weak.

Im new to watercolour, and ive never used tubes, im really tempted to buy some ☺️ what would be your advice for a handful of tubes for a pure novice? Wish i could come to france, it sounds so exciting x

Is the second France retreat happening for sure?

Where do you pour cad and cobalt water?

That constant ringing of your phone or whatever that was, was driving me nuts. Still enjoyed video though.

Why is your u tube hard to delete. Don’t have trouble with any others. As don’t want the painting ones