I suppose it’s about time for another Iron Dice Product Review and I happened to pick up a product I find very useful, the Red Grass Games Painter V2 Everlasting Wet Palette. How serendipitous.

For those uninitiated, a wet palette is a surface to mix and stage your acrylic paints and washes prior to putting them onto what you’re painting. The surface is typically made of a membrane material which allows water stored beneath to permeate while keeping the paint from going the other way. A sponge like material is typically used to hold the water which keeps your paint hydrated. This greatly increases the working time of acrylic paint.

When I began hobbying I started with a homemade wet palette consisting of a Tupperware container with a layer of baking parchment paper on top of moistened paper towel. This set up worked well enough but sometimes it would get a funky odor to it after a while. It also took time to cut the paper towel and parchment paper. I usually ended up wrestling with them as the parchment liked to curl. After six years of using my homemade wet palette I decided it was time to treat myself to the real deal.

Over the years I have seen lots of coverage on Red Grass Games’ hobby products and their wet palettes caught my eye. Late last summer I picked up the Painter V2 Everlasting Wet Palette from my FLGS Adventure Games/ Kick Ass Mail Order. At the time of writing the V2 can be puchased for $49.99 USD.

Integrity is important to us at Iron Dice Gaming. We strive to provide our honest and unbiased opinions. We will disclose if we received a product to review and we don’t get compensation for reviews. I bought this product with my own money.

The V2 is the newer and wider version of the original Everlasting Wet Palette and the company suggests it’s best for small to medium working spaces. The V2 measures 16.5cm x 24 cm (6.5″ x 9.44″ for us Imperial users). Red Grass Games also offers a smaller Painter Lite wet palette measuring 15 cm x 20 cm (5.9″ x 7.9″) and a Studio XL 2 model measuring 20.5cm x 30.5 cm (8″ x 12″). I like that there are options for pretty much every size hobby set up. I figured a medium size wet palette would suit my needs.

The outer case is a two piece plastic shell with a grey bottom and red top. A rubber gasket makes a solid airtight seal between the hard plastic halves.

The box includes two 3mm thick “Hydration Foam” sheets as well. The hydration foam does what the name suggests, holding water for the wet palette. Red Grass says the foam is mold resistant so any odors should be minimal.

The V2 set also includes 15 of the reusable paint membranes. These special paper like sheets allow moisture to come up and into the paint while keeping the paint from leaking back the other way. The membranes sit on top of the hydration foam.

Handily, there is a QR code on the back of the box that links you to the set up instructions. Now it’s not rocket science to set up a wet palette but it’s a nice touch to give a guide for those unfamiliar. The biggest difference from my homemade wet palette was that the hydrating foam needed to be soaked in water before its initial use.

Again it’s not rocket science but I decided to document the process with pictures. The hydrating foam did take a bit of time to take water on. A little manipulation encouraged the water absorption. In the end the sponge was moist but not overly wet.

It has been a relatively slow painting time for me but here is the palette after 4 months of use. I didn’t think using a commercial wet palette would make a tangible difference but I really enjoy using the V2. I haven’t noticed any odors and the paint stays workable for whole painting sessions.

Here is the palette after a quick cleaning using nothing but my fingers and warm water from the sink. There were few if any old paint remnants. Freshly applied paints act like the membrane is brand new. This reusability is a huge boon and coupled with the fact that it comes with 15 sheets means I’ll be painting without restock for a long time.

As a matter of fact and update: I’ve been using this palette for a year and she’s still going strong on the same hydration foam pad. I’ve only done one membrane switch and I have used it a ton. (Yes I know my article cooking time is impressive…)

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Conclusion: While the Painter V2 Wet Palette was not an inexpensive (though not overly expensive) addition to my set up it provides a very satisfying surface to collect my paint from. I haven’t experienced any mold or foul smells that can plague wet palettes. Paint stays hydrated for whole painting sessions. As a small perk the top cover has given me a place to put all the hobby stickers I’ve collected. Seeing them tends to give me a motivation bump. As they say, it’s the small things.

Wet palettes are an extremely useful hobby tool. Red Grass Games provides an out of the box solution with several sizes based on your needs. Each comes stocked with supplies that will last most painters quite some time. The middle sized Painter V2 Wet Palette is convenient, consistent, and functional. For that I’ll give it a full Iron Dice Recommended rating.