How to Clean Your Watercolor Palette
What rarely gets talked about because it's not fancy – cleaning your watercolor palette.
Today, we're changing that because vibrant colors are the foundation for great artwork.
Don't worry, cleaning your palette doesn't take long, and it's definitely not rocket science.
Why clean it?
Before we dive in, let's quickly look at why you should clean your palette or watercolor box in the first place. Here are the main reasons:
When colors mix in the pans, it affects the brilliance of your colors and your resulting artworks.
Dust deposits on the palette will end up on your painting later – not a pretty sight.
Cleaning provides the opportunity to declutter unused colors and make room for new ones.
Take a peek at my palette before I cleaned it.
It's seen better days, but cleaning never hurts.
By the way, if you think about getting a new palette, be sure to read the article “Your Watercolor Palette”.
You find it here.
Disassemble the Palette
Before you start cleaning, gently take the pans out of the box.
Make sure not to mix them up; it'll save you a lot of work when putting them back later.
Optionally, you can also remove the inlay for a more thorough cleaning.
I don't have the inlay in my box anymore, allowing me to fit more wells inside.
Clean the Box
Now, clean the empty palette under running water.
Soap isn't necessary; a sponge or cloth will do since the colors are water-soluble.
Once clean, let the box air dry or dry it with a cloth. I usually place it on a towel.
Clean the Pans
The color pans require a bit more attention when cleaning.
Rinse only the contaminated surface gently. You want to have color left in the pans at the end!
Be careful not to mix the colors, and then let them dry on a cloth.
Reassemble the Box
After drying, simply put the inlay and pans back into the box.
If, as mentioned earlier, you're swapping or adding new colors, now is an ideal time to create a new color chart for your watercolor palette.
You can note names and relevant color characteristics on the chart. You can see it in the bottom right of the image.
Voila!
Your watercolor palette is shining anew and ready for your next painting session.
Just a quick wrap-up: I've summarized the key takeaways from the article for you below.
Enjoy the fresh start and let your colors come alive!
Key Takeaways
Why Clean it?
Maintain color brilliance instead of mixed colors and dust deposits.
Use cleaning as an opportunity to declutter unused colors and make room for new ones.
Disassemble the Palette
Remove the pans and keep them organized, so you know which color is which later.
Optional: Remove the inlay for a more thorough cleaning.
Clean the Box
Rinse the empty box under running water; soap isn't necessary since the colors are water-soluble.
Let the box air dry or dry it by hand.
Clean the Pans
Clean the color pans gently, rinsing only the contaminated surface.
Be careful not to mix the colors, and let them dry on a cloth.
Reassemble the Box
Put the dry box and pans back together.
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