Best Palettes AI pick
Chosen by an AI model from its trained knowledge, with its reasoning.
AI pick (line): Mijello Fusion
The Fusion airtight watercolor palette has a leakproof seal and many wells, so tube paint can be squeezed out, dried and carried without smearing.
Not for: Oil and acrylic painters who need a large flat mixing surface rather than wells.
AI picks by need
For oil painting, disposable
New Wave Grey Pad (line)
These tear-off grey palette paper sheets give a neutral mixing surface for oils, and cleanup is just discarding the sheet.
Not for: Painters who want a reusable surface or are mixing watercolor.
What the AI looks for in Palettes
- Airtight seal (watercolor)
- The lid gasket should stop paint from migrating between wells when the palette is carried upright. Leaking palettes mix colors together in your bag.
- Well count and size
- Choose enough wells for your palette of colors plus large open mixing areas. Cramped mixing areas make big washes hard to mix.
- Surface
- Watercolor: white, non-beading surface. Oil: smooth glass or coated paper in neutral grey. Some plastics make watercolor bead up, and toned surfaces help with values in oil.
- Staining resistance
- Porcelain, enamel or glass resist staining better than soft plastic. A stained surface misleads you about mixed colors.
Brands that matter
- Mijello: Airtight watercolor palettes.
- New Wave: Grey palette paper pads and glass palettes.
- Jack Richeson: General palettes, including wood and plastic types.
What to avoid
- New plastic watercolor palettes that bead water (scrubbing gently with a mild abrasive usually fixes this).
- White palettes for judging oil values on a toned ground.
Questions
Why does watercolor bead up on my new plastic palette?
New plastic often has a slick surface. Scrubbing it lightly with a mild abrasive cleanser helps paint spread.