I call myself a lazy artist – I’m five million times more likely to actually paint if everything is ready to go. Pre-mixed palettes? Absolutely. Tiny travel sets? Yes please. Taking out tubes and mixing colours from scratch? I’ll pass.
The problem is, those convenient little sets have always felt limiting. The colours aren’t quite right, the quality isn’t great, or I’m just not inspired by them. I’ve been realising this might be why I don’t have a consistent watercolour practice – I’ve never had a palette that genuinely makes me want to reach for it.
That changed when I came across Mrs. Liene’s handmade ceramic watercolour palettes. When the large size I wanted finally arrived, I decided to fill it with the tubes I already had – no perfect plan, just a work in progress.
Supplies Used
- Mrs. Liene Art Studio – Watercolour Paint Palette
- Watercolour paints
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Let’s Get Started!
This palette is GORGEOUS. There are no words for how excited I am to use this. It’s already so inspiring – any empty!
Setting It Up (Very Imperfectly)
I separated the colours into warm and cool tones, then arranged them in rainbow order – yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, green, with browns and greys at the end. I counted the wells and had almost exactly the right number of tubes. One short. Kind of perfect, actually.
Here’s where I should mention I’m actively working on colour theory right now, so this might be completely wrong. Purple is warm, right? Or cool? I genuinely questioned myself mid-setup. But that’s the beauty of calling this a work in progress.
Squeezing each colour into its well was more satisfying than I expected. Some of the tubes were so old they barely opened – I may have destroyed one cap, and the burnt umber was completely dried up. But I got there.
Spreading Out My Paint
Then came the part where I had to spread each colour into the mixing area. I almost didn’t want to do it because it looked so neat all tucked into the wells. But that’s the point, isn’t it? I grabbed some water and started pulling each colour toward the centre. I used too much water at first and realised halfway through that I should have left more room for the purples. But honestly, that’s fine – I’m trying to learn how to mix, after all.
That’s a Wrap!
I’ve always reached for pre-made palettes because I didn’t want to think about mixing. But I’m realising that’s also been holding me back. I want to understand how colours interact instead of hoping the right one is already there.
This palette feels like the tool that’s finally going to help me do that. Maybe it’s the beautiful ceramic, maybe it’s the fact that I chose these colours myself, or maybe I’m just finally ready to learn.
I don’t know if I set this up in the best possible way. I might look back in a few months and realise there’s a better approach. But you have to start somewhere, and this feels like a good beginning.
What’s your relationship with watercolour like? Do you reach for it often, or does it sit in a drawer waiting for the “right moment”?
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And finally, your dad joke…
It was raining cats and dogs the other day. ☔️
I almost stepped in a poodle.
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