Here’s your guide to finding the best wet palette for painting miniatures like Warhammer, RPGs, or Board Games based on features and budget.
Are you wondering what palette to use to paint your new miniatures or Warhammer army, or do you want a recommendation from another hobbyist on their setup? Here are our picks for which wet palette is perfect for painting Warhammer or any miniatures game so that you can get great-looking results without all the guesswork.
Best Wet Palette For Painting Miniatures
TLDR: Here’s a quick list of all the wet palette products we have used for miniature painting and where you can get yours!
- Game Envy- the Exemplar Wet Palette
- The Army Painter Wet Palette
- The Army Painter Wet Palette XL
- Masterson
- Red Grass Games
Before we get too far into which wet palette is worth your hobby dollars, let’s get through some questions many have when buying one.
What is a Wet Palette, and Why is it Important For Painting Miniatures?
A wet palette is a tool used by miniature painters to keep their paint moist and workable for extended periods, normally consisting of a container with a damp sponge or paper underneath a semi-permeable membrane.
This allows artists to maintain the right paint consistency, reducing waste and making blending easier.
How Does a Wet Palette Work?
A wet palette works by creating a humid environment that slows down the drying process of acrylic paints by utilizing a layer of water or a damp sponge beneath a membrane that keeps the paints hydrated. This prevents paints from drying out too quickly while you work on your miniatures.
Five Best Wet Palette For Painting Miniatures & Warhammer
#4 Redgrass Games
Made for Enthusiasts looking for the best hydration system on earth in the most advanced air tight case. This perfected wet palette will keep your paint stable and wet for hours, and keep it completely sealed once closed. Never before has painting with hobby paints be so precise and enjoyable. What’s more, the membranes are reusable.
They have four main sizes, but for us, the small one is a little too small for how we generally paint. We really like how many different paints you can front-load onto the larger palette. That way, you don’t have to stop your flow and add or change paints. It is also really low profile, so it makes storing a breeze. They also have precut papers for their own palettes, so you don’t have to do any extra work.
The main issue here is the price. It is by far the most expensive of them, running around $55 for the bigger one. The other issue is the seal is too good. It creates such a tight seal that it keeps it almost too moist; we leave it cracked to let out some moisture if he wants to reuse the paper or paints later.
So, while we can almost get behind the product, our interactions with the company have been less than stellar. So this product overall, while good, isn’t the best for us because of these reasons.
Squidmar tested out this wet palette, and you can see his review below!
#3 Masterson Affordable Wet Palette For Painting Miniatures
- The Masterson Sta-Wet Handy Palette is an easy-to-use system for keeping water-based paint fresh for days or even weeks. The sponge and palette paper for acrylics combine to keep paints moist.
- For Acrylics: Paints slowly absorb moisture from the palette paper and sponge while the palette is open. When the lid is closed, it will keep your paints moist for days, and even weeks.
- For Oils: Remove the acrylic palette paper and sponge. Insert your favorite oil paper (not included) into the tray. The airtight lid will slow the oil paint dry time.
- Compatibility: Masterson Sta-Wet Palette are compatible with New Wave glass and plastic paint palettes. Includes palette tray, lid, 5 sheets Sta-Wet paper for acrylic paints, 1 sponge, and complete instructions for use.
This Wet Palette has been around the longest and has been used outside the miniature hobby space for decades.
The design is far simpler than most palettes out there as it is fairly large, but how it seals is perfect. For most painters, the bigger, the better for palettes. This one has been big enough for any project we have undertaken. It is a little taller than the Red Grass, but not much, so storing it is very easy.
The only real issue with this one is the paper they come with. It is almost unusable for standard water-based acrylic paint for miniatures. This is the easiest thing to fix, though; you can cut parchment paper to fit. The price is pretty nice on this wet palette too. You can find them for about $15 on Amazon.
#2 Army Painter Wet Palette
This advanced tool is easy enough to use for a beginner and the perfect accessory for the experienced painter. Additionally, the Wet Palette helps to thin your paints for perfectly smooth layers of paint every time.
With 2 pieces of Hydro Foam and 50 Hydro Sheets included you’ll have all of the materials needed to start using your wet palette.
This uniquely designed tool also features a clever inner layer that can hold up to 6 Wargamer Brushes and 10 Hobby Brushes from The Army Painter Range.
The Army Painter Wet Palette is a great value due to its high-quality materials and construction that is affordable priced compared to other palettes on the market. This Wet Palette is the go-to for budget hobbyists and professional painters alike!
The Army Painter’s wet palette is completely mobile and easy to fit in your hobby go-bag when you are painting miniatures. What’s even cooler about this wet palette is that it also has a place to store your brushes!
If space is minimal, you can pack everything but the paint all into one thin case.
The real question is, does it still work after a year of use? We did a review of this product about a year ago, and we wanted to follow up and see how it’s held up. We initially liked this because it is easy to use, affordable, an all-in-one package, and portable. Long story short, Rob still uses this a year later and loves it!
Now, they also have an XL version that is on the way. We’ll update this post when we can get our hands on one and check it out.
Army Painter XL Wet Palette:
The new Wet Palette Wargamers Edition is made with superior quality materials, custom-designed to keep your acrylic paints preserved, perfectly smooth, and creamy. Now, with an Extra-Large surface area (276mm/10.6” x 198mm/7.8”) to accommodate your biggest painting projects!
It also features a unique and versatile, hard-plastic Paint Well Insert with 30 wells for your Speedpaints and Washes. It also has storage for up to 6 Wargamer Brushes and 10 Hobby Brushes from The Army Painter range.
Also coming in at #2 is this new XL Wet Palette which will be priced at $44.99. That’s only $12 more than their original one.
#1 Game Envy- the Exemplar Wet Palette
Whether you’re an on-the-go painter attending classes, conventions, and paint nights, a novice home painter, an advanced studio painter, or anything in between, the Exemplar Premier Wet Palette System is the perfect wet palette for painters of all skill levels and lifestyles, providing professional level quality and functionality, without breaking the bank.
The Wet Palette System features a high-performance, replaceable silicone seal that works together with a sturdy four-point closure system, ensuring you always have the best seal on your palette. To help regulate the moisture in your palette based on your climate and painting preferences, we have also added a separate air release/vacuum valve on the lid. A sealed Exemplar Palette can retain moisture for days, weeks, and even months. With a highly refined parchment-rooted wet palette paper, and an extraordinarily absorbent, microporous sponge the moisture control on the palette surface is unparalleled while remaining affordable.
The system is set up perfectly. With room for your supplies on top and a place for your phone (or inspiration), it’s super slim. Plus, getting one is pretty affordable for how amazing a product it is!
You can see just how slim this thing is! It would be so easy to transport and take your paint with you wherever you could want. Honestly, the Spikey Bits team has been using these ever since the KS came out, and they are just amazing!
They are super durable, designed perfectly, and just make painting great!
Click Here to Get Your New Wet Palette for Painting Miniatures!
What is your favorite wet palette for painting Miniatures, and which of these have you used?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, or our new Discord server. Make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
Get ad-free access to our hobby videos and a monthly drop of miniatures. Plus, support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!
Click Here For All the Hobby Products & Tools We Swear By
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
