Watercolor Palettes: Get to Know Your Supplies Series

Your watercolor palette type can make or break a newbie's interest in learning watercolor.

A good palette is more than a container for paint—it’s a workspace that helps you mix colors efficiently, stay organized, and paint more confidently, so having the right one is important. Alright y'all... let's get into this short but sweet chat about palettes!

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When choosing a palette, look for enough wells for your paints, extra space to mix, a secure lid, and easy cleaning.

Types of Palettes

Ceramic – Made from coated metal or stoneware, ceramic palettes are traditional favorites. Their smooth, non-porous surface makes mixing easy and predictable, and they’re easy to clean. The downside is they can be heavy and less portable. If you google "soviet refrigerator tray" you'll find one of my favorites. For real. I also love and use these Meeden ones often, and they're dishwasher safe if you want to be lazy!

Plastic – Lightweight and often watertight, plastic watercolor palettes are convenient for travel or everyday use. They’re easy to clean but usually need “seasoning” before first use: a thin layer of toothpaste or a Magic Eraser rubbed into the mixing area and wiped clean helps prevent colors slipping and staining. I use a very large plastic palette with deep wells for my very large paintings, but something like this is what I mainly use for everyday work.

Metal tins – Compact and portable, metal tins often have built-in mixing areas and are great for travel or plein-air (outdoor) painting. They’re generally not watertight, so they require careful handling, but they’re durable and easy to pack. There's a bunch of cute ones on Etsy, or you can use one of these.

Palette Colors Layout

Some artists prefer a minimalist layout with just primary colors for experimentation. Others like a full rainbow of pigments ready to use. Think about how many colors you need accessible at once - more is not necessarily merrier, especially if you're new to this. You'll have better success learning to mix colors from a few than if you have two dozen options and don't know how to harmonize them. Check out my favorite brands here.

For a beginner palette, I like these 11 colors:

1. sap green

2. permanent yellow light

3. yellow ochre

4. van Dyke brown

5. viridian green

6. Paynes grey

7. cerulean

8. ultramarine

9. cadmium red

10. quinacridone red

11. vermilion

For a minimalist palette, I suggest these:

1. hookers green

2. permanent yellow light

3. ultramarine

4. scarlet

5. cad red

6. Paynes grey

Each type of palette has its strengths. Ceramic is ideal for controlled mixing in the studio, plastic is versatile and lightweight, and metal tins excel for painting on the go. Choosing the right palette depends on your workflow, painting style, and how you like to mix your colors. Hopefully this get's you pointed in the right directions.

Happy Painting! - Em

This series walks through the core watercolor supplies, explaining what they are, how they behave, and why they matter, so you can make confident choices without feeling overwhelmed. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your setup, think of these posts as a practical foundation for painting with more ease and confidence.