Tips for Using The Masterson Sta-wet Palette
by Have you tried the Sta-Wet Palette only to have your paints turn to soup and the sponge smell funky? Don’t give up. Try these tips for a better experience.
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The Masterson Sta-Wet Palette is used to keep acrylic paints from drying out too fast. Whether you are using them outdoors or in studio, the sta-wet palette will help preserve the moisture of your paints. However many artists get frustrated with the palette when they soon discover that rather than keeping their paints moist, it quickly turns them into soup. If you follow the directions that come with the palette, you are sure to have this problem. The instructions advise you to thoroughly soak the sponge and do not squeeze it out. Ignore this instruction. If your sponge is too wet, the paints will start to become soupy in just over an hour (somewhat longer if you are painting outside on a hot day.) Instead, loosely ring out your sponge so that it is quite damp but does not ooze water when you press on it with a finger tip. If you follow the directions for wetting the paper, i.e. soaking it in hot water for 15 minutes, that be enough to absorb the moisture from the semi-damp sponge without letting the paints get soupy from a too wet sponge. Use your judgment and what seems to work best for your painting environment. If your studio is moist, like in a basement, you will want to use less water in your sponge. If you are painting in a hot dry place, or outside in the sun, you will want to use more water in your sponge. You will have to play around with the ratio of water before you find what works best for your environment.
Before closing your palette for the day, remember to really squeeze out the sponge. Because the palette will be closed, you really do not need the sponge to have much moisture at all, and you certainly don’t want to come back to watered down paints in the morning. This will also help you avoid mildew getting into the sponge or your paints, or the sponge taking on a funky odor.
If you have used the palette in the past and didn’t like it, I urge you to try again using these tips. The Masterson Sta-Wet Palette is really an excellent tool for artists if used in a way that utilizes its intention.
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