One of the most crucial parts of a watercolor artwork is the palette you use. The paints are an important part of a watercolor artist’s work, however, not all watercolor paint sets come with every color under the sun.
To get the nuances in shading and tones, you need to mix different colors together so that you can create your next watercolor masterpiece.
This is where a good quality watercolor palette comes in! This is an important part of your artist’s kit that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Not sure how to find the best watercolor palette? There’s no need to panic – we’ve done all the hard work for you so that you don’t have to.
We’ve scoured the internet for the very best watercolor palettes that the market has to offer. We’ve looked at hundreds of watercolor palettes and whittled it down to the best 5 watercolor palettes.
So let’s take a look at the best watercolor palettes for you to use with your watercolor paints!
Best Watercolor Palettes
1. Ceramic Watercolor Palette
This set of 2 ceramic watercolor palettes gives you everything you need for efficient mixing. Each palette measures 7 inches in diameter. This will be easy to hold in your hand while you’re painting.
Its more compact size also makes it easier to transport if you want to paint while out and about. An interesting feature of this particular watercolor palette is that you can choose between packs of 1, 2, or 3 palettes.
There are 8 wells included in this watercolor palette. These are larger wells so that you can sufficiently mix the colors that you need to. This gives you more versatility in terms of the colors you create on your palette and therefore use with your art.
This particular watercolor palette has been manufactured using an eco-friendly pure white ceramic. The pure white hue makes it easier to see the colors that you’re working with.
It also makes mixing easier, as you can accurately see which hue has been produced. This particular watercolor palette is also super easy to clean afterward.
What’s really great about this watercolor palette is that it’s super durable. This also makes it easy to reuse time and time again. So as long as you look after your new watercolor palette, it should last you for many years to come.
Pros:
- White – makes it easy to see what colors you’re working with
- 2 pack – includes two watercolor palettes for you to use
- Compact – measures 7 inches x 7 inches for easier usability
Cons:
- Ceramic – not the best for traveling in case it breaks
2. MEEDEN 18 Well Porcelain Watercolor Palette
The MEEDEN 18 well porcelain watercolor palette will be the ideal choice if you’re looking for a watercolor palette that comes with a larger mixing area.
There are also 18 wells for you to use, giving you endless possibilities when it comes to mixing your colors. Add the colors you need to the wells, then mix the colors you need together in the large mixing area.
This particular watercolor palette has been constructed using a premium white eco-friendly ceramic material. This makes it highly durable.
It’s also perfect for use with a variety of paint types, including watercolor. The palette itself measures 8 inches x 5.5 inches x 0.75 inches, making it more compact than similar watercolor palettes.
What’s really great about this watercolor palette is its pure white surface. It has been designed so that paint will spread smoothly and won’t bead.
You can also clean the palette easily once you’ve finished using it. Simply wipe it clean with a tissue and it will be ready for your next watercolor project.
A great feature of this watercolor palette is how well spaced all the wells are. This makes it easier to use than palettes which have a smaller mixing area. You can use several areas of the mixing area to mix different colors together to achieve the tones that you’re after.
Pros:
- Large mixing area – makes it easier to mix all the colors you need to use
- Ceramic – highly durable and can be used with different paints
- Easy to clean – simply wipe off paint from the mixing area with a tissue
Cons:
- Smaller – some artists found this palette to be on the smaller side
- Made of premium white Eco-friendly ceramic material, so it is very durable. Ideal for watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oil, tempera painting.8”x5.5”x0.75”
- Good quality is excellent for mixing watercolor, enough weight that it won’t flip around, perfect for studio or fieldwork
- White Smooth surface, no drops, the paint will not bead but spread smoothly, and it wipes perfectly clean with a tissue, makes it easy to cleaning, mixing and makes colors come alive
- 18 deep wells for paint and one large mixing area. The center is perfect for mixing colors and it is super easy to clean the center and keep your paint love this palette.
- Well designed with plenty of space to mix colors, help you improve their skill in mixing color. Strongly recommend this palette to anyone who is looking for a nice sturdy studio or field palette
3. MEEDEN 12 Well Round Porcelain Watercolor Palette
The MEEDEN 12 well round porcelain watercolor palette is just the thing to use with your watercolor paints. This particular watercolor palette is super easy to hold because of its convenient size.
The palette measures 7 inches in diameter and has a medium weight. This great weight also means the palette won’t flip over and waste any of your precious watercolor paints.
This particular watercolor palette has been constructed using porcelain. This makes it easier to use than a plastic palette, as the paint doesn’t bead when it’s on the tray.
The paint will spread smoothly when it’s placed in the wells or the mixing area, too. This makes it much easier to mix your colors together.
A great feature of the MEEDEN 12 well porcelain watercolor palette is that you have plenty of room to mix all of your colors together. So you can mix any of the colors that you need without them all becoming one muddy blob of color.
Another great feature of this porcelain palette is that you can use it for different types of paint as you need to.
The pure white smooth surface of this watercolor palette makes it much easier to use. You can easily see which colors you’re mixing together.
The smooth surface means that the watercolor palette is easier to clean, too. So you won’t be scrubbing for ages trying to clear the mixing areas ready for when you next need to use your watercolor palette.
Pros:
- Medium weight – won’t flip over and waste any precious watercolor paint
- Porcelain – easier to use with watercolor paints
- Well spaced – the mixing wells are well spaced for more efficient mixing
Cons:
- Heavier – some artists felt this wouldn’t be the best for traveling
- Made of premium white eco-friendly ceramic material, so it is very durable. Ideal for watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oil, tempera painting. 7”DIA x 1”H
- With good quality it is excellent for mixing watercolor, with enough weight it won’t flip around, perfect for studio or fieldwork
- With the white smooth surface, no drops, the paint will spread smoothly without bead, and it can be wiped perfectly clean with a tissue, easy for cleaning, mixing and making colors alive
- This medium-weight porcelain palette with 12 wells is ideal for holding all types of paints, perfect for mixing various colors and it is super easy to clean,which will make you love it absolutely.
- Well designed with plenty of space to mix colors, it will help improve your skill in mixing color. Strongly recommend this palette to anyone who is looking for a nice sturdy studio or field palette
4. Martin Universal Design Watercolor Palette
If you’re looking for a larger, more portable design, then this Martin Universal Design watercolor palette will be perfect.
This design features a folding palette that you can easily slip into your portfolio carry case. Its more portable design makes it great to take with you while painting out and about.
You’ll have plenty of room to play with when you use this watercolor palette. It gives you a whopping 24 slanted wells for you to use your colors in.
It also features two generously sized mixing areas. There’s also a removable mixing tray included for easier cleaning. So you won’t have to worry about avoiding contact with any of the paints you wish to reuse.
What’s really great about this watercolor palette is that the palette is leakproof and airtight. This helps to keep all of the paint you store in it fresh for several weeks. So you won’t have to worry about wasting any paint if you don’t use it all on one particular project.
The best thing about this watercolor palette is that it’s white in color. This makes it easier to differentiate between all of the watercolors that you’re using. You can rest assured that the colors you mix on the palette will appear the same shade when applied to your page.
Pros:
- Portable – features a folding design for easier portability
- 24 wells – combines 24 wells for colors as well as large mixing areas
- Leakproof and airtight – works to keep your paints fresher for longer
Cons:
- Large – some artists found this palette was on the larger side
- Leakproof and airtight palette for watercolor or oil paint keeps colors fresh for weeks
- 24 slanted wells with two (2) generous mixing areas
- Colors appear the same on both the palette and watercolor paper
- Removable mixing tray for easy cleaning
- Perfect for the classroom, travel and plein air painting and used by students, the occasional user as well as professional artists
5. Arteza Empty Watercolor Palette
The Arteza empty watercolor palette has been designed with watercolor paints in mind. It comes with 24 empty pans for you to add the colors you need to use.
This will be ideal if you want to create a more personalized color palette for you to use. The separate pans also help to keep them clean and not allow them to mix with one another each time you need to use them for mixing.
So you won’t have to worry about colors becoming muddied. You can also remove the pans as needed to use the tin as a handy carry case for your watercolor tubes.
What’s really great about this particular watercolor palette is that the lid of the case doubles as a large mixing area. These mixing palettes are also easy to clean.
They have been designed so that you can reuse them time and again for all of your creative projects. The pans are also super easy to clean, so you can easily fill them up with different colors as needed.
Another great feature of this watercolor palette is its compact size. The watercolor palette is lightweight and easy to carry around with you as needed. It features a helpful thumb ring on the bottom of the palette itself to make it easier to hold, too.
This watercolor palette has been designed to be sturdy. The empty half pans will lock into place inside the tin to prevent them from moving around when the palette is in your art bag. The watercolor palette also features a secure lid which works to keep your paints dry for when you next need them.
Pros:
- Empty pans – features 24 empty pans for a customized color palette
- Versatile – the lids double as a large mixing area
- Compact – can be taken with you out and about as needed
Cons:
- Closing – some artists found it tricky to keep the palette closed when not in use
- Secure Watercolor Palette with Lid: Keep your paints clean and dry in this set of 24 empty half-pans inside a portable, sturdy tin case with secure lid. The lid can be used for convenient color mixing. Remove the half-pans and use the tin as a watercolor travel case.
- Durable Empty Watercolor Half-Pans: Each sturdy half-pan locks into place inside the tin to keep your paints from jostling about whether the tin is in your bag or backpack. They are ready to fill with your choice of watercolor paints for a customized palette.
- Lightweight Watercolor Travel Kit: The tin case is light enough to take with you anywhere you wish to paint. It features a handy thumb ring on the bottom to make it easy to hold when you’re painting, to carry with you from one site to another, and to attach to your bag so you never lose it.
- Designed and Created by Artists: Here at Arteza, we are passionate about creating products that inspire. For us, art is an expression of the human experience. That’s why we work to make our art supplies accessible to all people.
- Art Supplies for Everyone: Arteza was built on providing quality painting, drawing & art supplies for all ages and levels. Find tons of arts and crafts accessories, paint sets, drawing supplies, and more for all your general needs as an artist.
Best Watercolor Palette Buyer’s Guide
Choosing the best watercolor palette is no easy task. There are so many different factors to consider. It can be difficult to know what features to prioritize when it comes to choosing the best watercolor palette for your needs.
We’ve put together a list of all the essential criteria you will need to think about before you commit to buying your new watercolor palette. This should help you to decide which watercolor palette is the best for your needs.
Let’s take a look at everything you’ll need to consider below! Or you can skip ahead to the frequently asked questions.
Size
One of the most important factors to consider is the size of your mixing palette. How large do you need it to be? Where will you be using your new watercolor palette?
If you want to bring your watercolor mixing palette with you while out and about to paint nature scenes, you may want a more compact design.
However, you should remember that the smaller the watercolor palette you opt for, the less room you have to play with. You should make sure that the watercolor palette you select is large enough for your needs, but not so large that you can’t easily take it with you to art classes.
Material
Another important factor to consider is what material you would prefer your watercolor palette to be made from. This is more important than you think it will be.
This is because some of the cheaper palettes used for acrylics are made from plastic. When you add watercolor paints to a plastic palette, they can bead up and separate, which makes them tricky to use.
For watercolor paints, you need to opt for a ceramic or tin watercolor palette. This should allow your paints to spread evenly, so you won’t have to mess around with them too much before you can use them.
Easy to clean
You will need to choose a watercolor palette that’s easy to clean. You won’t need to clean every inch of the palette such as the paint wells. But you will need to clean your mixing palette so that it’s ready for you to use next time you want to get some painting done.
Take a look at the design of your watercolor palette. Does it feature a smooth surface that will be easy to wipe clean with a tissue or cloth?
This will mean that you can have clean colors the next time you need to use it for mixing. Any paint left on the mixing area will then get muddied when you add new colors to it at a later date.
Number of wells
Now that you’ve got the basics covered, you will need to decide how many wells you want your watercolor palette to have. This will determine how many colors that you can use at a single time.
The more paint wells you have to add paints to, the more versatile your color palette will be. If the watercolor palette has fewer wells, you will have to use a fraction of the paints that you have in your collection.
Pure white
You will need to choose a watercolor palette that is pure white in color. This is because it will then show you the true colors that you’re mixing.
If your palette isn’t pure white, then chances are you won’t get as accurate colors as you need to achieve. The colors may even appear different on the paper, too.
Mixing area
So you’ve thought about the overall size of your watercolor palette, but what about the size of the mixing area that you want to use? This will be crucial when it comes to creating your next masterpiece.
The larger the mixing area, the more tones you can mix at any one time. The smaller the mixing area, then the more times you’ll have to wipe the color off before you can mix more paint on it.
Weight
Another factor to consider is the weight of your chosen watercolor palette. If your palette is too light, then it could get easily flipped in strong winds or knocked if someone walks past your desk. We’re sure you wouldn’t want to waste that paint!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best watercolor palette?
The best watercolor palettes are:
- Ceramic Watercolor Palette
- MEEDEN 18 Well Porcelain Watercolor Palette
- MEEDEN 12 Well Round Porcelain Watercolor Palette
- Martin Universal Design Watercolor Palette
- Arteza Empty Watercolor Palette
How do I choose a watercolor palette?
There are several factors to think about when it comes to choosing the best watercolor palette for your needs. These will include the size of the watercolor palette that you need, what material has been used to make it, how easy it is to clean, how many wells it has for paint, how large the mixing area is, and the weight of the palette.
Should you clean your watercolor palette?
Yes and no. You should always clean the mixing area in between projects, as otherwise your colors could become muddied.
However, you don’t necessarily need to clean out each of the wells where you’ve applied watercolor for you to dip into with your mixing. This is because this paint will still be usable when you add water to them.
So as long as you just keep your mixing area clean, you should be okay to keep the rest of the paint in the wells of your palette.
