Masterson Sta-Wet Premier Palette Airtight Paint Palette Keeps Paint Fresh for Days 12 x 16 Inches, Made in USA

Love this pallet for keeping paint wet longer! Truly a key component for acrylic painters! Worth every penny!

The Masterson Sta-Wet Premier Palette does precisely what it says-my acrylic paint certainly has not dried out one bit despite a couple weeks of neglect.The box is made of white plastic and is very roomy. The bottom is not totally flat though-a number of crisscrossing plastic lines make it uncomfortable to hold. Coupled with the size of the box, it makes for a poor palette, so expect to keep this grounded unless you opt for a smaller size.The lid is a flexible red plastic and snaps down when aligned correctly. It has numerous circular support columns that will touch paint, so ensure that you're always putting the lid on the same way you did before, or else you will contaminate your colors.The palette itself stays wet due to a durable sponge and some special paper. You soak the sponge and paper to start, and then add water periodically to the sponge as needed. Since the box is relatively air tight with the lid closed properly, the sponge does not need to be as thoroughly soaked when stored since less evaporation will occur (I could never get it to be fully "airtight" as claimed, so I was susceptible to some water loss). Indeed, the instructions directly warn you against over saturating when not in use as mold may develop. I have had the product for a few weeks now and have only ever had to add water once.I use the palette exclusively for acrylic paint. Due to the nature of the Sta-Wet system and because acrylic is water-based, my paint does thin out a little bit. It stays mostly in the area I mix it in, but be sure to allow for some spreading when mixing your paints.The box comes with five sheets of paper that sit atop the sponge, and they can be easily cut when dry. The instructions claim that the paper can withstand mixing from even metal tools, and I can attest that it holds it very well to plastic ones.Overall, I'm very happy with it. The price is already low, but I believe the box has already saved me a good bit in non-wasted paint. It certainly has saved me a lot of frustration from having to remix colors, and as an untrained hobbyist painter, that's invaluable.

The seal is tight.

I almost didn't purchase this palette due to the reviews stating the top was difficult to remove and may break in the process. I'm glad I weighed out all of the pros and cons and decided to give it a try. The top is snug, and it should be if it's going to be airtight. Unless you are van Gogh on steroids I see no reason for the top to suffer damage in the process of removing or replacing it. As far as mold goes, I have solved that problem by storing my palette in the freezer after closing it up for the day. The next morning I get it out of the freezer and by the time I'm finished setting up the paint is workable and fresh. This palette pays for itself in paint saved and the time re-mixing colors to match what you had the day before. It is fairly large and perfect for using with a med to large painting. I found my smaller palette just didn't work too well with a 16 x 20 or larger canvas, but this one has ample room to mix larger amounts of paint.

Easy to set up and keeps my acrylic paints wet for weeks!

The pad and paper work well. I had to stop painting for about 10 days and the paint stayed moist and workable. And no mold, which has been a pleasant surprise. But the lid is just wonky. Will not fit on the box exactly. If the lid worked as it should, i could give this 5 stars. Have to use my whole body weight just to get a couple of corners attached. This is a large palette, which I wanted.

It may take a bit of getting used to, but this palette really makes it much easier to work with acrylics by extending their workable life without degrading the paint. I am able to save mixed colors for days. I also use matte flow acrylics, which seem to be extra-dry, so this helps slow things down and allows more deliberation, if that's your thing.

If you’re an acrylic painter that prefers working wet-into-wet style, or if you hate having to remix paint after it dries this is the palette for you. It stays wet for days and one of my favorite parts is the reusable paper. Others have had trouble with the lid, but as long as you’ve securely snapped it in place it’s totally fine. I will never go back to plain palette paper again!