Quick answer: How to use watercolor palette wells, in brief: fill them with paint (tube paint can be squeezed in and left to dry), then wake the colors up with a few drops of water or a mist spray a couple of minutes before painting. Pick up color with a damp brush, mix it with water in the flat mixing areas to control strength, and rinse your brush between colors. Afterward, wipe the mixing areas clean, leave the wells open to dry, then close the lid.
A watercolor palette is less of a mixing board and more of a little paint library. Colors live in it for months, get rewetted session after session, and the way you organize and care for it shapes how clean and lively your washes look. Learning the routine takes ten minutes; it pays off in every painting.
This guide covers how to use a watercolor palette from the first fill to daily cleanup, including mini travel palettes, color layouts, mixing technique and fixes for beading, cracking and mold. If you are still choosing one, our guide to the best palettes for watercolor painting compares well palettes, tins and porcelain options.
Parts of a Watercolor Palette
- Wells or pans: small compartments that hold each color. Some palettes have fixed wells; tins hold removable half pans or full pans.
- Mixing areas: flat or slightly sloped spaces, often larger, where you dilute and blend colors.
- Lid: protects paint from dust and often doubles as extra mixing space.
- Thumb ring or hole: on some travel tins, lets you hold the palette while painting outdoors.
Types of Watercolor Palettes
| Type | Material | Strengths | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Well palette | Plastic | Light, inexpensive, many wells | Water beads on new plastic; can stain |
| Porcelain or ceramic dish | Ceramic | Washes spread evenly; does not stain | Heavy and breakable |
| Metal tin with pans | Enameled steel or aluminum | Portable, durable, fold-out mixing lids | Enamel can chip; keep dry to avoid rust |
| Mini or pocket palette | Plastic or metal | Fits in a pocket for sketching | Small mixing space |
| Flower or round palette | Plastic or porcelain | Deep wells for washes | Limited color storage |
How to Fill a Watercolor Palette With Tube Paint
- Plan your layout. Decide where each color will go before squeezing anything. Write the plan on paper or a sticky note.
- Squeeze paint into each well. Fill from one corner and work toward the other side. Tap the palette gently on the table to settle the paint.
- Label the colors. Make a swatch chart on watercolor paper showing each color in its palette position. Dried paint often looks darker or different in the well than on paper.
- Let it dry. Leave the palette open on a level surface for about 24 to 48 hours. Some paints made with more honey or glycerin stay slightly soft and never fully harden, which is normal.
- Top up later. When a well gets low, add fresh tube paint on top of the old layer and let it dry again.
Filling in thin layers, letting each dry before adding more, can reduce cracking in some paints. A few pigments tend to crack or crumble when dried in a palette regardless; if that happens, use those colors fresh from the tube instead.
How to Use Watercolor Palette Wells Step by Step
- Activate the paint. Mist the wells lightly with a spray bottle or put a drop of clean water on each color you plan to use. Wait a minute or two so the paint softens.
- Wet your brush. Dip it in clean water and blot slightly on a towel so it is damp, not dripping.
- Pick up color. Stroke or swirl the brush gently across the softened paint. Do not scrub hard, which wears brushes and digs up the paint unevenly.
- Move color to a mixing area. Deposit the paint in a clean mixing space.
- Add water to control strength. More water makes a paler, more transparent wash; less water gives stronger, richer color.
- Mix colors. Add a second color to the puddle in small amounts. Test on a scrap of the same paper you are painting on.
- Rinse between colors. Use two water containers, one for the first rinse and one for clean water, so your colors stay fresh.
How to Use a Watercolor Palette for Beginners
New painters often struggle with weak, pale color or muddy mixes. A few habits help right away:
- Use more paint than you think. Watercolor dries lighter than it looks wet. A puddle that looks strong on the palette may dry noticeably paler.
- Mix enough for the whole area. Running out of a wash halfway through a sky causes hard edges and color shifts.
- Limit your colors. Starting with six to eight colors keeps mixing simpler and results more harmonious.
- Keep one mixing area for each color family. Mixing a yellow next to dirty purple leftovers leads to dull results.
- Test every mix. Keep a scrap strip of watercolor paper beside your painting.
Arranging Colors in a Watercolor Palette
Color wheel order
Arrange yellows, oranges, reds, violets, blues and greens in sequence, with earth colors at the end. Neighboring colors mix cleanly, and it is easy to find what you need.
Warm and cool split
Place warm colors on one side and cool colors on the other. Helpful when you mix grays and neutrals by crossing complements.
Primary-based layout
Two of each primary, one warm and one cool, plus a few convenience colors such as burnt sienna and a dark like Payne’s gray or indigo. This compact set mixes a wide range.
Keep staining colors apart
Strong staining pigments such as phthalo blue and phthalo green can creep into neighboring wells when wet. Leave an empty well between them and lighter colors if space allows.
A Starter Set of Colors for Your Palette
If your palette came empty, a compact set of versatile colors is the easiest place to start. The list below is a common split-primary approach, using generic pigment names so you can find equivalents in most brands.
| Role | Example color | Why include it |
|---|---|---|
| Cool yellow | Lemon yellow or hansa yellow light | Clean greens when mixed with blue |
| Warm yellow | New gamboge or a deep yellow | Warm oranges and sunlit tones |
| Warm red | Pyrrol scarlet or a cadmium red hue | Bright oranges and warm darks |
| Cool red | Quinacridone rose or permanent alizarin crimson | Clean violets and pinks |
| Warm blue | French ultramarine | Violets, granulating shadows, grays |
| Cool blue | Phthalo blue or cerulean | Intense greens and skies |
| Earth | Burnt sienna | Mixes natural browns and grays with ultramarine |
| Earth | Yellow ochre | Muted landscape tones |
Eight colors like these leave room in a 12- or 16-well palette to add favorites later. For palettes sized for different set sizes, the watercolor palette comparison lists well counts and mixing space.
How Much Water to Add When Mixing
Watercolor strength is controlled almost entirely by the ratio of water to pigment. Painters often describe consistency with familiar liquids:
- Tea: very watery, pale wash for skies and first layers.
- Coffee with milk: medium strength for midtones.
- Cream: rich color for strong passages.
- Butter or honey: nearly undiluted paint for darks and final accents.
Thinking in these terms helps you mix intentionally rather than adding water at random. Light washes usually come first, with thicker consistencies saved for later layers.
How to Use a Mini Watercolor Palette
Mini palettes, pocket tins and small travel sets are ideal for sketching on location. Using one well takes a slightly different approach:
- Use a water brush. A brush with a water-filled barrel lets you paint without a separate water jar. Squeeze lightly to release water.
- Mix on the lid. The small built-in mixing areas fill quickly. Use the inside of the lid, and wipe it with a tissue between mixes.
- Choose a short list of colors. Six to twelve colors are typical. Pick versatile mixers rather than many similar shades.
- Carry a small cloth. Wipe the brush and lid quickly as you go.
- Let it dry before closing. Closing a wet mini palette in a bag traps moisture and can cause colors to run together.
Using a Watercolor Paint Palette With Pans
Half pans and full pans are pre-filled with dried paint. To use them, mist the pans or add a drop of water, wait, then pick up color with a damp brush. Pans can be rearranged within a tin or swapped out when empty. You can also refill empty pans with tube paint, which is often more economical.
Keeping Watercolor Washes From Beading on a Plastic Palette
New plastic palettes often make water bead into droplets instead of spreading into a smooth puddle. This happens because fresh plastic has a slick surface. Common fixes include:
- Washing with dish soap and water a few times.
- Gently scrubbing the mixing areas with a mild, non-scratching cleaner or a little toothpaste.
- Simply using the palette; the surface often improves with use as it picks up a fine film of pigment.
Porcelain and enamel palettes generally do not have this problem, which is one reason many experienced painters prefer them.
Cleaning and Caring for Your Watercolor Palette
- Clean mixing areas, not wells. Wipe mixing spaces with a damp sponge or tissue after each session. Leave the paint wells alone.
- Remove contamination. If a well gets dirty from a brush loaded with another color, dab off the top layer with a damp tissue.
- Dry before closing. Leave the palette open for a while after painting, or at least until the surface is dry.
- Avoid mold. Paint stored damp in a closed palette for long periods can grow mold. Let it dry and air out occasionally.
- Deep clean occasionally. Plastic stains are normal and harmless. For porcelain, a soapy wash restores a clean surface.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Paint cracks or falls out of the wells
Some pigments dry brittle. Rewet them and press gently with a damp brush, or refill in thinner layers. Mist slightly before closing on very dry days.
Colors look dull or muddy
Mixing areas may be dirty, or rinse water may be cloudy. Clean the mixing space and change rinse water often.
Colors run into each other
Too much water in the wells or tilting the palette while wet causes runs. Use less water when activating paint and keep the palette level until dry.
Paint will not rewet
Some watercolors, especially some student-grade paints, can become harder to reactivate over time. Mist and wait a few minutes longer, or replace with fresh paint.
Common Mistakes With Watercolor Palettes
- Scrubbing dried paint with a good sable or synthetic brush, which wears it down.
- Mixing large washes in tiny wells instead of dedicated mixing areas.
- Never labeling colors, then grabbing the wrong one.
- Closing the palette while still wet.
- Using one dirty water jar for everything.
FAQs
How do you use a watercolor palette for the first time?
Fill wells with tube paint, label the colors, and let them dry for a day or two. Then mist or add water to activate the paint before each session.
Do you let watercolor dry in the palette?
Yes, most painters do. Dried watercolor rewets easily with water. Some honey-rich paints stay slightly soft, which is normal.
How do you use a watercolor palette for beginners?
Start with a few colors, activate them with water, pick up paint with a damp brush, mix in the open areas and test on scrap paper before painting.
How do you use a mini watercolor palette?
Use a water brush, mix on the lid or small mixing wells, wipe the brush often and let the palette dry before closing it.
How often should you clean a watercolor palette?
Wipe mixing areas after each session. Leave the paint wells in place, and deep clean the palette only occasionally.
Why does water bead on my watercolor palette?
New plastic is slick. Wash it with soap, scrub gently with a mild cleaner, or use it for a while; the surface usually improves.
Final Thoughts
Using a watercolor palette well comes down to a thoughtful layout, gentle activation, generous mixing areas and letting everything dry before closing it. Treat it as a long-term paint library and it will serve you for years. To compare well palettes, travel tins and porcelain options side by side, see our picks for the top watercolor painting palettes.
