Using GOLDEN Artist Acrylics in Masterson Sta-Wet® Palettes

Every once in a while we receive inquiries from artists who use our products with Masterson Sta-Wet Palettes, a sealable palette system that keeps acrylic paints workable for days or even weeks by utilizing a wet sponge and permeable palette paper. Some of these artists shared that certain GOLDEN Artist Acrylic colors were changing consistency when used in a Sta-Wet Palette for an extended period of time. While Masterson does not recommend prolonged storage beyond a few weeks, some artists still practice this. After conducting some tests, we have determined that this issue might be related to surfactants. We have also found a simple solution that can help.

What are Surfactants?

Surfactants (surface-active agents) are basically soaps, which perform a variety of functions within an acrylic paint system. For example, they aid in pigment wetting, the feel when painting, and how paint lays down on a surface. In a sense, surfactants are crucial to the overall stability and performance of acrylic paints.

Surfactants are also quite mobile depending upon their environment. In a damp setting, like a Sta-Wet Palette, there are areas of high surfactant concentration (paint) and low (sponge). Due to this disparity, there can be diffusion across the gradient until there is a more even distribution of surfactants. Essentially, we suspect surfactants may be migrating from the GOLDEN Artist Acrylic paints into the water, which is disrupting their stability. Since pigments are unique and require different formulations, this may affect individual colors or even brands differently. No two paints are exactly alike.

The “Solution”

In our testing, we found that using a solution of distilled water and GOLDEN Wetting Aid to saturate the Sta-Wet Palette sponge helped maintain the feel of GOLDEN Acrylics for weeks or longer. That being said, if storing beyond the manufacturer’s recommendation, consider it more experimental. Routinely refreshing the palette after a few weeks would be best practice.

Recipe

We suggest using a ratio of 32 parts distilled water to 1 part Wetting Aid as it is a concentrated surfactant. To make things easier when measuring, we created a mixture of 8 ounces of water with 1/4 ounce of Wetting Aid during our testing. We followed the manufacturer recommendations for preparing the palette and used this mixture to moisten the sponge and keep it hydrated as needed. In our testing, this mixture proved to be the most effective in maintaining the stability of GOLDEN Acrylics in a Sta-Wet Palette.

It’s important to note that we conducted the tests in a controlled environment. We didn’t dip wet brushes into the paints while they were in storage as it could have affected the results. If an artist uses tap water to thin their paints, a wet brush may introduce microbes. However, we found that adding ¼ ounce of household ammonia to the distilled water and wetting aid solution was equally effective in maintaining paint consistency. Small amounts of household ammonia can help raise the pH of the water. This helps prevent mildew or unpleasant odors that may develop over time due to microbial growth. You can use household ammonia without affecting the paints or palette paper.

Conclusion

If you have experienced changes in consistency of your GOLDEN Acrylics used in a Sta-Wet Palette, we hope this helps! If in your use of the Sta-Wet Palette you haven’t encountered this, no need to change what you are doing. As always, if you have any questions just let us know at help@goldenpaints.com.