Choosing the Right Watercolor Palette 

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I have found that when I used a smaller pallet I never premix enough paint when I am using wet in wet. I still mix to little at times but much less often now. I also like how the porcelain surface allows the paint puddle to spread out well. When the puddle is spread out you can mix more shades from the original mixture and pick up more variety of color mixes. The painted metal pallets don’t seem to let the puddle spread out. It seem like the mixture shrinks into a tight puddle. I really have learned a lot from you and other generous watercolor artist that are not afraid to share these small things that make a big difference when someone is painting.❤

And I have a large ceramic dish with partitions inside. And that is very comfortable to me 😊

After using lots of cheaper smaller palettes I finally bought the John Pike Palette and wow, what a difference. I now have a large space to mix, remix, combine existing mixes. Plenty of wells for the colors I am using and it's so nice that they can live in there all the time, ready to go. I am using M. Graham paints which stay softer, which is nice considering the dry enviro I live in. It has a really nice cover that fits snug over the palette. The plastic material is solid and much better than the other cheaper ones I have been using, although it is not 100% stain resistant it is much more so than others I was using. As recommended by John Pike I applied some Comet cleaner first, to prevent the paint for beading up, this helped quite a bit, it's certainly not a problem now that I have been using it. I also added some small rubber feet to the bottom so that it doesn't slide around. Thanks for showcasing the John Pike, I am sure you have helped them sell quite a few. 😉

I’m still mostly a beginner, even after almost 3 years and 126 paintings. My opinion is that the palette, like choosing colours and paper, tends to be a personal thing. I tried painting wet-on-wet, and sure a large Pike like palette would work and give one space to mix colours. Actually, it didn’t improve my painting very much. Because my preference is to use Edward Wesson’s and Andrew Pitt’s “pure watercolour” approach, I would prefer to get the Binning Munro Box, which was used by Trevour Chamberlain and David Curtis. This palette has deeper wells with an enamel coating that help control the amount of water and paint, and one can group colours. Unfortunately, it’s insanely expensive (300£+). Which is why I migrated from a large flat palette to the Holbein palette shown in this video. I’m able to group my colours into blues, reds and yellows in one row of wells, and include a second row of grouped colours. The other benefit of the metallic Holbein palette is portability, affordability, light weight and smaller size. However, as mentioned in a previous post here, the problem with a metal surface is that it pools the paint (becomes less so after using the palette for a while). I think choosing a palette depends on the person and the watercolour approach taken. But again, I’m still mostly a beginner.

Yes, I agree! Grabbed a large flat ceramic tray that was flat and has a vertical little lip. $4 at Walmart kitchen section

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

This was so timely for me! Thank you for yet another clear, informative video.

Palettes just make me crazy (1 1/2 yr beginner here). Started with a cheap plastic one. Then moved to an enameled metal one because of staining issues with the plastic. The metal one which had an annoying fold-out with tiny mixing areas so I removed that. Then got a small one for travel. Decided the larger metal one held too many colors-too many decisions for a beginner-and I didn’t like the mixing wells. Tried ceramic next and really like that option-but I have a homemade easel now and I’m afraid the weight is too much for it. Back to another metal palette that has larger mixing wells, weighs less than the ceramic, and limits my colors-a good thing. Nope, still not happy. Now am trying out a better quality plastic (Mijelio) with a larger mixing area in the lid (removes from the lid for easy cleaning) and a couple more in the main body, and which has enough color wells for cool and warm primaries and all the earth tones. So far there have been no staining issues (I clean it with a sponge and my brush cleaner soap), and the weight is fine for my easel. With this track record though, I doubt this will be my last one😆 Like you say, as time goes by and circumstances change, so does our palette😁

I totally agree Matthew. To have a palette that allows mixing large varieties of washes freely without restriction is one of the most important & fundamental necessities allowing free artistic expression without compromise - constraint or deficit ! " Always always start at an advantage and never ever at a deficit " I rate the John Pike palette as the best designed studio palette available. It is Incredibly strong - Offers one of the largest mixing areas - Is portable - Durable and worth every cent ! Best wishes and happy painting Matthew 🙏

Andy Evansen's process all the way! I follow the same receipt myself, with the big John Pike's palette and all. It really works.

a fantastic video, so useful, wish i had seen this before is started 💜

the 2 best investments i made for myself in watercolor was getting a ceramic palette and 100% cotton paper!

Thank you for making this video! 👍 Do you ever use the John Pike big well palette? Do you find the 1 1/2 wells are fine for some of your largest brushes or are you mixing with smaller brushes first? Thanks!

First of all, thank you so much for your videos. You've convinced me! I've just bought John Pike's palette. I have three small questions : 1/ I see that you use Cobalt turquoise as a base for your greens rather than the Phtalo green often found in watercolorists' palettes. Do you find the mixtures more interesting this way? 2/ Would you recommend PB35 or PB36 for ceruleum? 3/ You never use phtalo blue (GS/RS)? Thank you very much for your answers.

I find I have a problem with the coating or whatever it is on the palette causing my water to bead up instead of pooling up like it does on yours. Do you have any tips for this?

I would be very interested how you break in a new non -porcelain palette. Beading seems a big issue ?

What do you use for travel?

I have looked for my own palette many times. In short I invested for palettes. Very recently I have come to one perfect. It is a big size flat ceramic white plate. Can you belie:e that it was 100 yen, Japan?

In Europa non arriva. 😢

Hi Matthew may I have your email.