armornut
I seen on YouTube some builders using a " wet palette" with acrylic paints.
I am wondering if this is as simple as a sponge wrapped in a paper towel? Or is there special materials involved? Thanks for any advice.
Yes, a wet palette can make working with water-based paints easier. You can blend them easily, and the biggest advantange is that you can save a batch of paints from one working session to the next.
When I first decided to work with a wet palette, I made my own out of a take-out container, a kitchen sponge, and brown packaging paper for the actual palette. Here's what it looked like:
I eventually did move up to a commercial product, because the take-out container gradually degraded-the edge of the lid cracked and chipped, for example. And the sponge started to wear out. I bought RedGrass Games' product:
https://www.redgrassgames.com/everlasting-wet-palette/everlasting-wet-palette-painter/
It's a definite improvement over my home-made wet palette. The case is much more durable, it has a proper seal with a gasket, and what was for me the most important detail, this particular model has a small footprint. So it takes up less space on the bench.
RedGrass' paper is very fine, but sometimes it seems too fine. It can be rinsed at the end of a project, but it tears easily after long use. I may switch to using other brands, like Masterson's, or even return to using packaging paper.
To that point, though-don't use paper towels. Most brands aren't durable enough. The fibers in the paper will work their way out and into your paint. The same thing happened with my packaging paper, after it had soaked long enough. And you want a smoother surface for the paper.
Even kitchen parchment paper has a caution. Most brands are impregnated with silicone, which is what makes the paper non-stick. But it also makes it less permeable. Some painters have noted that they boil it, to make it more permeable. To me, that was more fuss than it's worth.
So it becomes a balancing act between our Dutchy senses, or buying something that costs more but lasts longer.