How to Build a Watercolor Palette - Tubes Vs. Pans

I have this thing for creating watercolor palettes from tubes of watercolor inside vintage tins! So now I'm sharing with you how to build a watercolor palette of your own from tube watercolors. Are you a beginner watercolor artist? Over the years I've become just a bit obsessed with collecting different brands of watercolor and adding them to vintage tins. The process of creating these palettes alone feels like a big, beautiful dose of art therapy and then painting with them is just another level!

So here's what you'll need (see below for a shopping list):
- A vintage watercolor tin sized large enough to fit the watercolor set you choose.
- Half pans
- Palette knife
- Small magnets

My newest book celebrates the joy that can be found in watercolor painting for beginners and seasoned artists alike!

Have you picked up your book yet? If not head here:

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MY JOYFUL ART SUPPLIES (Specific list for this vid below)

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Chapters

0:00 - Intro
0:37 - Watercolor palette making supplies
1:40 - Thoughts on organizing your process
3:13 - Label half pans

5:10 - Fill the half pans
8:37 - Create your palette
10:08 - Thoughts on prepping the vintage palette
11:51 - Swatch your palette

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WHAT I USED

Gen Arts watercolor tube set (50)

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TUTORIAL MENTIONED :

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Instagram

Founder and Host of #Artforjoysake

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Kristy’s WATERcoloring Books:

How to Make Art for Joy’s Sake - Free-Spirited Watercolor

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[deejcarter]

I’ve never seen the magnets put inside the pan, brilliant!💡

[sillysuzy]

I always just feel good watching and listening to you Kristy! I know you’re all about Art for Jots sake but also with the addition of you’re a fabulous therapist! You just help us all not take it all so seriously and just plain enjoy the process of doing it! You’re the best!

[priscillawarren]

I've made two little pallets out of altoid pans, water bottle tops, and magnets. So cute and useful...just the basic yellows, reds and blues, green, purple, Paynes gray. Six colors per pallet. Too much fun!

[aimeemorgado]

I love coming back to your videos again and again. I learn so much and you remind me to breathe, take a break, and to enjoy process. Thank you

[craftysoul]

It’s quite timely I came across this tutorial as I got sick of having all my half pans in different tins to decided to make one big tin of all of them together, I used an emptied coloured pencil tin and it’s perfect 👍 I swatched all the colours and put them in colour order and put all the metallic shimmer ones separately on the bottom line, looks fantastic and inviting

[ailenehuston]

I can totally relate to embracing the mess! I've tried to be a clean artist, it's impossible for me. I'm a face and body painter for a living and I can only imagine what my kit looks like after a 6 hour job to a non-artist. I've recently wanted to get back to painting on a flat surface and love your videos!

[bonniefriesen]

I’ve just inherited 2 vintage palettes from the 50’s…..thanks for the idea!

[elizabeththompson]

Very timely that this popped up to watch as I should be getting a new set of handmade paints that I ordered myself for Christmas. I don’t want to mix up my Daniel Smith paints so I’m going back through them and writing the colors as you do. Why the heck didn’t I think of that first?? Thank you!

[CherzArts]

Thank you Kristy! Love your approach. Sometimes I feel more like a collector than an artist, because I love videos like yours ! I almost through out a large pallet that I was keeping my tubes of paint in because it’s heavy. I will keep it and make use of your idea. The next time I buy any paint sets, I will make sure they are all single pigment. It’s because I like to know what’s in the mix, as we say! Thanks again.

That’s a cool tip to put the magnet in the pan!

[fionaharvey]

Loved this video, I’m going to do this! Thank you Kirsty I love your presentation so cheerful and this certainly cheered me up this morning! Hiya from N Ireland! ☘️☘️☘️☘️

[virginia]

A toothpick works wonders too getting the paint in corners with less waste xo

[susanspicer]

Kristy,
You make my day every morning when I get ready! Love all your videos and your joyful spirit😇
Love your teaching, fun style! Thank you so much!🥰🥰🥰

[mblish]

Hi, I am new to your YouTube videos and I am thoroughly enjoying them. Thank you for being you and for sharing your experiences with us. Looking forward to visiting you on YouTube often.

[michellerosenbaum]

I finally had a chance to see this video that I was hoping that you would do, because I wasn’t sure how to set it up. I just bought the Mission watercolor set. 👍🏻
When I make my swatch sheet for the palette I find that writing the name of the color below each color is helpful.

[idontbelieveyou]

This may be a ridiculous question, but... I don't understand why you would dry tube paint. My understanding is the colors are more vibrant right out of the tube. Sorry, I'm a brand new beginner... Your videos are super helpful thank you!

[kathleenstoin]

What a great video, and so helpful! Thank you so much!

[carolmikolj]

Haven't made my own watercolour palette yet but this reminds me of when I bought the 36 set of Winsor & Newton Cotman colours. Each half pan was individually wrapped like a boiled sweet and I had to prise each one out of the palette, cut the cellophane (because you couldn't just pull it off, oh nooo), unwrap it and then press it back into the palette between the specially designed runners. I truly felt that I was approaching the speed of light, because time was definitely slowing down. But I would love to try designing my own palette one day.

[kristinegrace]

This is such a brilliant idea! I’m totally doing this! 🔥✨💖

[Carol-Bell]

Kristy thank you for showing this! I need to do this.