pallette question?

Hello! I need some help with a few pallette questions if anyone has experience with these issues...

I saw some people on here using Golden opens, I use them almost full time now, except when I need faster drying I use regular acrylics, but almost never.

I have used white plastic plates, ceramic plates of different tones of white and off white, newspapers, and glass. The cleanup on all was great, but I use very large amounts, so I'm having issues when I am painting, I find myself having a MILLION plates and containers, and boxes scattered EVERYWHERE, and every time I need to add a new colour it gets worse as I have to add one new plate, and it just gets really frustrating having all those scattered around.

I have looked into a taboret to help me with this, and I am actually in the process of (hopefully) getting a very large taboret shelf for in front of my easel. I am planning to use the majority of it for glass panels, that will also be removable for cleaning or for changing taped backgrounds underneath. And for storing in air tight boxes after every session to keep my colours wet for the next days/weeks (my Opens stay open and FRESH for 3 weeks. It is unbelievable!!! )

This will be great in solving the majority of my plates problem. As a lot of my large colour mountains will be on there. But I really like a handlheld pallette too. Both because that's how I like to work and because I find matching colours to the surrounding, or the subject, easier that way.

I am in need of a new pallette now though for handheld as I am fixing my plate and random glass tiles problem. And I am wondering if anyone has any thought on this...Lexan, plexiglass, varnished wood, tempered glass, metal or anything else. What do you recommend for long time use?

I have no experience with any of those. The only pallette I have had long term experience with is glass, which lasts a long time and is great but way too heavy for even my shortest sessions.

So my glass ones will lie flat on my taboret shelf, but I need a handheld as well.

Plastics I found ok but I don't love the feel of them, they also scratch really easily with pallette knives. I LOVED the feel of wood, people say that they are not recommended for acrylics but I have seen many acrylic artists using those. And considering I use Open paints 99 percent of the time (which clean like a dream!) it should be easier using a wood pallette, if it is primed/varnished well enough, no?

Then there are tempered glass, Lexan, and plexi. I have no experience with any, if anyone could provide any input? I heard they scratch easy too, is that true? Do they have a heavy or moderate weight to them?

I'd really like to use one of those as I loved with the glass that you can just hold the pallette up to your subject, or over it, and mix and match colours perfectly when you need to. It just gets way too heavy after a while, even when I switch arms! (I paint in both my left, and my right hand)

Now, I heard metal is great as well, I also heard that wood is good depending on how you prime it...

And every single pallette I will find an air tight box to seal it in. I heard some people make custom wood boxes, or use large cigar boxes to seal large pallettes. Does anyone have a tight no-air solution to put 1 really large pallette in?

Thank you so much for all your input!

Forgot to add, any experience with non reflecting glass, the anti glare kind? Any idea on cost, and how has it worked out?

Remember how I posted that I'd love to get one of those New Wave Art pallettes? (Check out my 'check out this company!' post) I thought it might be a smarter idea for me to try wood for a long period of time first, more than simply one session years ago, and see if it really works for me for long term use...I still want one of their pallettes though...

I've used the large, hand-held plastic palette that Bob Ross used and it held up very well even with palette knives. I never used the amount of paint that you use, though. I found that I couldn't stand and hold it for long periods of time so I stick with the sta-wet boxes.

I have painted the inside of the box with an acrylic medium gray (#5 value) and then cover it with clear glass that I've cut to fit into the box. It removes easily for cleaning or I use a glass scraper to remove excess paint to clear an area during painting. Johannes mentioned after his class the other day that he uses non-glare glass instead of the regular glass and that works well for him.

Thank you Judy! Great to hear how you use your pallette!

I'm still open to more ideas if anyone has anymore!