A look inside my dry palette setup,
color choices, and the simple process behind building a palette you’ll love
Over the past few months I’ve shared many gouache videos that feature my wet palette—and I do still love that method for keeping paint soft and ready. But lately, I’ve been experimenting with something different:
a dry gouache palette.
A dry palette offers a clean, organized way to work, especially for travel or for painters who like a more traditional watercolor-style setup. Today, I’m walking you through exactly how I’ve set mine up, the colors I chose, the strategy behind those choices, and a few tips to help you build a palette that feels intentional and inspiring.
I’m walking you through exactly what I use, why I use it, and how to get the most from your gouache paints—whether you’re brand new or expanding your studio practice.
A Deep Dive Into My Dry Gouache Palette: A Full 30-Minute Walkthrough
Why a Dry Gouache Palette?
Gouache reactivates with water beautifully, which makes it ideal for a dry palette system. Unlike a wet palette, where everything stays soft and ready to mix, a dry palette lets your paints cure and harden between sessions.
The benefits I’m enjoying:
It’s a slightly different rhythm than my wet palette, but I’m really enjoying this experimentation and the varity it brings to my painting experience.
Setting Up a Dry Gouache Palette (Step-by-Step)
1. Choose your palette case.
Look for something with:
Individual wells or pans
A sturdy lid that closes securely
Space for a small mixing area
A watercolor palette box works beautifully.
2. Carefully select your paints and spend time to plan before you fill your palette.
Create individual swatch cards of each color
Make several different layout plans, considering which colors you want and how you want them arranged
3. Fill your pans with fresh gouache.
Squeeze your colors directly into the pans.
Fill halfway if you’re experimenting — or all the way if you know the color will be a staple.
4. Let the paint cure completely.
This part matters.
Let the paint air-dry until it becomes firm and matte on the surface. This can take 24–48 hours depending on humidity.
4. Label your colors (optional but helpful).
Either on the bottom of the pans or on a chart taped to the lid.
How I Chose My Colors
Building a dry palette is all about intentional selection
This is how I chose my colors:
I covered the full spectrum without overwhelming myself and chose colors that reflect the landscapes and subjects I love to paint. Plus they are colors that I just love!
My white is kept separate (never dried into the palette; always fresh).
Each color earns its place. When painting with a curated palette, you learn how your pigments behave, overlap, tint, and neutralize. It builds confidence and speed.
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Some Great Creative Resources for You!
If you enjoy seeing the planning process behind my gouache palettes, you’ll love this next resource: “How to Plan a Painting for Success | Cloud Painting Blueprint".
I take you behind the scenes of building a cloud painting in oils—starting with design, value planning, and the small decisions that set you up for a successful finish.
It’s a great companion to today’s post and a helpful look at how thoughtful planning can elevate any medium. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch and gather some new inspiration for your next painting.
