Using a wet palette, please help

[DEL 707]

I need help with a few things, but I suppose the main thing is my wet palette.

 

I stopped painting back in August.

I posted here asking for help on which parts of the armour to highlight, seeing the close up pictures of my model shocked me with how ugly and lumpy it seemed.

 

 

 

It kind of knocked the wind out of my sails and I stopped painting.

 

A couple of days ago, I decided to give it another try, working on a model I had washed.

I started painting the front of the right leg.

 

 

Again, I'm dismayed by how lumpy it looks when I zoom in.

 

I think my problem is the way I'm using my wet palette.

I bought it when I started painting again and to be honest, it's been a bit messy.

 

Whenever I put paint on it and try to add some paint thinner, it turns into this mess.

 

 

Paint just goes everywhere.

The stuff I'm putting on the model is very thin and watery and is requiring several coats, but the final product doesn't look smooth at all.

 

Can anyone help me?

[Bryan Blaire]

How much water is in your wet palette? I'm thinking it's a bit too much, if your paint is spreading like that as soon as it touches the paper. You aren't supposed to have more than the barest amount of water showing in the bottom of your pallet, and it should definitely not be anywhere near the paper/surface of the sponge material. If your paper is drifting down into the surface of the water, that is likely a big part of the problem (I can't tell if some of the reflections in the image are from glossy black plastic or water that appears to be up too high).

 

It could also be that you are using too much thinner. I've heard people say that your paint should be about the thickness of milk, that is a little too thin for me and the way I paint, but yours appears to be significantly thinner than that.

 

The lumps could be dust on the model or getting trapped between layers of paint - do you have fans blowing? If they are dusty on the blades, that could be a source. The lumps could also be bits of the wet palette paper breaking down, depending on how long you've been using that particular sheet. It may also just be dust that adhered during priming/drying. It could also be that your paints have bits of clumped dried paint in them, and that's going to remain that way if it's completely dried out. I look for little bits of dried paint before I get to using the brush on the model and collect any I find with an old brush.

 

Honestly, your model looks pretty nice - you could thin down your first highlight, it seems a bit broad in places, but honestly, even close in, it looks good. Remember, no one will likely be looking at your models quite as close as even the first photograph is, unless you are specifically using them on a display piece, so cut yourself a bit of slack - it actually does look good.

[Ranulf]

DEL 707, your first issue is the amount of water in the wet palette, you've added a bit too much. 

 

I usually add the sponge to the tray, cover it with water and let the sponge soak it up for a minute or two before draining off the excess into the sink. At this point I lay down the top sheet of paper and smooth it over the sponge with my fingers. The top sheet will absorb a little moisture, but it should be damp rather than wet.  

 

Secondly, you don't need to add much thinner to paint applied to a wet palette. I usually put down a dot of paint and then add a dot of flow improver elsewhere on the palette and use my brush to pick up and add small amounts of it to the paint before mixing it through. 

 

Thirdly, never judge your painting with the zoom cranked up, that way madness lies.

 

Looks like you've got some paint build up causing lumpiness. A few quick tips:

 

After you've drawn paint onto your brush, if it seems too much, wick some away - the back of your hand/thumb holding the mini is good for this.

 

Always let paint dry fully between coats. 

 

If a smooth finish is what you're after - remember that it takes time. Red is especially difficult as it takes a while to build solid colour. That means muliple thin coats and patience. 

 

Good luck and don't be disheartened, you're doing well so far, you just need some more practice in order to iron out the kinks. 

 

-Ran

[Spacecow]

For the wet palette I agree with what’s been said as well as the zooming in. But I understand the feeling!

 

Red is a very transparent colour. A black undercoat will take a lot longer to build up than fe a grey one. Or you can spraycan it red ( or airbrush if you have it)

I’d recommend a pin wash if you want a cleaner look. (Washing it all over will give it a dirtier look and can work great if that’s what you are after :) )

[Rik Lightstar]

Digital photography and more specifically cameras on mobile phones are something of a curse to the perfectionist painter. You can zoom to obscene levels and find issues that you'd never notice without them.

 

Your model looks good, a colour and some texture on the base will help you to see that.

 

Painting like any motor skill is a lot about muscle memory and practice, these things come back quicker than you'd expect but they do take time. After an kind of break from painting I try to focus on base coating first until I get my eye back in.

 

Your paint looks a bit on the thin side as mentioned by others, likewise the issues with the wet palette have been identified for you.

 

Rik

[pawl]

Like others have said, there's nothing wrong with your painting at all!

 

Keep your layers thin (milk consistency, or a little thicker if you're finding that too thin), and make sure they're 100% dry between coats. If they're not you'll pull up half-dried paint when you brush over it, and getting rid of those lumps is a nightmare! It's already been mentioned that red is naturally a transparent colour - if you're finding that it's taking too many layers them perhaps look at changing your base/underpaint colours to speed things up. A brighter undercoat could also help if you're using black or a particularly dark grey.

Also, your highlights are perfectly okay! Edge highlighting is a difficult thing to do finely and consistently - doubly so for newer painters. I simply don't do it because it's too much hassle! If you want to keep doing them though, keep them as thin as you think you consistently can, take your time, and keep your layers thin! As you reapply the colour it will help the highlight 'fade' in, and make it easier for you to gauge when it's good before it becomes too stark a colour difference.

 

For your wet palette, there's clearly something going wrong!

Are you using the paper that came with it? It doesn't look like it's been cut by hand, so I will assume so.

 

Go and empty your palette. Clean it out, get it dry. Sponge too, if you fancy. Don't worry too much about staining on the sponge, it'll be fine after it's dried fully. Squeeze it between some kitchen roll and then stick it on the radiator for an hour.

 

Now, place the sponge in the bottom, and add a little water - just a little! Leave it for 20 seconds or so, and see if the sponge is fully wet - if you're adding water slowly it shouldn't be. If not add more water. Repeat until the sponge is wet all the way through, and there's a little water in the tray. Now hold the palette vertically and let the excess run out, but don't squeeze. That will be enough water to paint with, but if you really want you can add a tiny (TINY!) bit more. Your sponge shouldn't be floating!

 

Now, place your paper over the sponge. Aim for as central as possible, and once it's settled smooth it out to remove any creases. Paint goes on, thinners or mediums separate - you can mix them as you go, and it will save on wastage. Keep your paints away from the edge of the paper, especially if there is a gap or you can see the sponge. If your paint runs over the edge it can let water onto the top of the paper, and that's not what you want at all. The only water that goes on your paper is for paint thinning, the rest stays underneath in the sponge!

 

 

As with anything, practise is key. Before long a lot of things (even as simple as adding water to your palette) will just become second nature.

In short though, fix your palette, keep things thin, and don't worry because you're doing fine.

Edited November 24, 2020 by pawl

[DEL 707]

Thanks for all the replies and help.

Also, without sounding like an attention whore, thank you for the comments and raising my confidence.

 

Silly question, how is everyone adding thinner to their palette?

I'm using a little water bottle thing, but the drops that come out are far too big.

[Bryan Blaire]

I actually use a clean brush that I only use for transferring that to the wet palette from a small pot I keep. I use air brush thinner that I've squirted into the little pot.

 

Edit: Forgot - I have also bought some little disposable pipettes (disposable eye dropper looking things) similar to these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SKV7ZJD/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07SKV7ZJD&pd_rd_w=JgK9e&pf_rd_p=7d37a48b-2b1a-4373-8c1a-bdcc5da66be9&pd_rd_wg=hK2WD&pf_rd_r=JAHMRBYHGY0BT3MDN63T&pd_rd_r=e00aeba3-67de-4a2e-b3d0-d5c48c5831fb&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExU1Q0Uk9YVDEyUzlKJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDM0NDAwMlFHSVpMS09CQlBMTiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjk0NDQzTTY3NTdYVzlFUktOJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== to begin transferring small amounts of paint and medium, but for the most part I still use my little spatulas (GW texturing tools) and brushes. The pipettes do work well, but the one I had used for medium dried up and clogged on me after a couple of sessions, but honestly, I should probably be throwing them away after each session anyway.

[Xenith]

You're being way too harsh on yourself - 'Eavy Metal painters would have this too if you zoomed in that much. 

 

As above, bit too much water on your palette. Always remember, it's easy to add more, but virtually impossible to take it away once your paint does that. Add not enoughto start, then add a little more if it doesnt work. 

[Firedrake Cordova]

As the others have said, your painting is fine. :)  Extreme magnification is extremely unkind, unless you painted the model under magnification.

 

If you feel you're in need of a little help, Sam Lenz and Vince Venturella have excellent videos on edge highlighting.  If you're feeling brave, Darren Latham has one on painting Blood Angels (obviously, this is to Eavy Metal standard).

 

Silly question, how is everyone adding thinner to their palette? I'm using a little water bottle thing, but the drops that come out are far too big.

I have one of the empty Vallejo bottles with thinner or flow improver in it, and just add a drop somewhere on the pallete, then use that a bit like an "ink well" to take thinner from and add to the paint.