Palette Hacks to Optimize your Watercolors

Do you have a palette that, no matter what you do and how much paint you add to your mixing surface always beads and forms into these little annoying pools? Well guess what, there are ways to prevent that and I'm going to let you in on a secret of how to get rid of that annoying little detail.

So if the above sounds like you and your palette is beading and your paints are having a tough time sticking to the palette, don’t worry, you don’t have to throw it out, there are ways to fix that.

But first, if you were ever wondering why this happens with brand new palettes and especially plastic palettes, it’s mostly because when manufacturers ship out their palettes to art stores, palettes come with a thin waxy coating that helps to protect them in transit. That way by the time you get your amazon package or buy your palette at your local art store, it’s in pristine condition without any scratches or scuffs.

However, that coating can prevent your paints from spreading out and gripping your palette properly so what we’re going to do today is remove that coating and I’ll show you an extra step you can even take if you want to optimize your palette even more.

So here's what we need:

a glue stick
a magic eraser,
paper towels
your palette

Just follow this demo for what to do (The video also has another great tip on how to prime your palette and even refurbish an old palette if it's damaged or starting to peel off):