What Is a Wet Palette? How It Works and Which to Buy
A wet palette is a palette that keeps acrylic paint wet and workable for hours: paint rests on a thin sheet laid over a damp layer, so moisture wicks up through the sheet and the paint does not skin over while you mix, blend and paint. If you have ever watched a blob of paint turn into a crust before you finished one model, a wet palette is the fix. The Army Painter Wet Palette and the AK Interactive Wet Palette are two ready to use ways to start.
What is a wet palette, and how does it work?
On a dry palette, acrylic paint skins over in minutes. A wet palette solves that with layers. At the bottom sits a water soaked layer: foam in the Army Painter palette, a cotton fiber cloth in the AK palette. On top goes a thin sheet that lets moisture pass up through it at a steady rate. Paint laid on that sheet stays moist and blendable for far longer, and thinned mixes keep their consistency while you work.
The sheet matters. AK's palette paper is a thin silicone film on 40 g/m2 paper: moisture passes through it, but water does not flood the paint, so your mixes are kept wet without being diluted. It also sheds no fibers or hairs onto your brush, and it resists friction without breaking apart while you blend.
Why use a wet palette for miniatures?
- Less wasted paint. A mix that stays workable can be used again after a break instead of being thrown out.
- Smoother blending. Wet paint blends. Paint that has started to dry drags and leaves grainy edges on a model.
- Consistent thinned paint. Miniature painting uses thin coats, and a wet palette keeps a thinned mix at the same consistency from the first brushstroke to the last.
- Mixing you can come back to. A custom color mixed for an army stays usable between sessions when the palette closes up.
Which wet palette should you buy?
The Army Painter Wet Palette is the simple starting point. It comes with 2 sheets of hydro foam and 50 hydro sheets, enough for many sessions before you need a refill. Its inner layer is designed to hold up to 6 Wargamer brushes and 10 Hobby brushes, so your brushes travel with your paints. The palette measures 13.8 x 19.8 cm.
The AK Interactive Wet Palette is built around its seal. The case is watertight and airtight, made of the same material as marine containers for flares, charts and medicines, so paints and mixes survive even in hot weather, and the closed palette can be kept in the refrigerator. A tray with compartments holds brushes and accessories and doubles as a mixing area. It comes with 40 paper sheets and 2 wipes, and measures 23.5 x 17.5 x 2.5 cm.
The Army Painter Wargamers Edition is the larger option. Its working surface is 276 x 198 mm (10.6 x 7.8 inches), with anti-mold hydro foam, a hard plastic paint well insert with 30 wells for Speedpaints and washes, storage for up to 6 Wargamer and 10 Hobby brushes, and an airtight hard plastic cover for storage and transport. The maker designed it with Warpaints Fanatic premium acrylics in mind.
How do you set up a wet palette?
- Soak the bottom layer. Wet the foam or cloth with water until it is saturated, then pour off any water that pools on top.
- Lay the sheet flat. Place the thin sheet on the damp layer and smooth it out so there are no bubbles under it.
- Add paint in small blobs. Put out only what you will use. Thin it as you normally would on the sheet and mix colors beside it.
- Close the lid when you stop. An airtight cover is what keeps your mixes ready for the next session: the AK palette and the Army Painter Wargamers Edition both close airtight.
How long does a wet palette last, and what do you replace?
The parts that wear are the sheet and the damp layer, and both are sold as refills. When a sheet is stained or a foam is tired, swap it for a fresh one and keep painting. For the AK palette, 40 replacement sheets and a pair of replacement wipes are sold separately; each is cut to 15.4 x 21.2 cm. The Army Painter Hydro Pack Bundle pairs the palette with a refill pack, giving 4 hydro foams and 100 hydro sheets in total.
What else do you need to paint miniatures?
A wet palette is one piece of the bench. Primer comes first: our guide to how to prime miniatures covers it, and your first miniature paint kit lists what to put on the palette. Everything for the bench lives in our paint and hobby supplies.