Redgrassgames Everlasting Wet Palette for Miniature Painting and Acrylic Paints - Painter Lite 8.9" - Painting Palette with Lid, Seal, 50 Sheets, 2 Foams Review (2026)

Who a compact wet palette suits

This Painter Lite fits painters working at a small desk, on a hobby table at a game store, or packing a palette for a convention, where a large open tray simply will not fit. It suits anyone who paints in short, spread out sessions and hates finding a dried out puddle of Contrast or Model Color on their palette when they sit back down. Because it is built around a sealed lid, it also works for painters who want to close up mid session and step away without losing a mixed color. Someone who paints in one long sitting and cleans the palette each time gets less benefit from the wet retention features here and might prefer a cheaper flat tray instead.

What is inside the case

The Painter Lite ships as a high quality ABS case with an integrated TPE seal built into the lid, which is designed to hold an airtight closure better than a snap on lid with a separate rubber gasket. Inside, the kit includes two mold resistant foam pads and fifty hydration paper sheets made specifically for miniature painting, sized to sit on top of the foam and hold a thin water layer that keeps acrylic paint workable from underneath. Redgrass states the hydration system is tuned to work with Citadel, Vallejo and Scale 75 paints among other brands, covering most of what a miniature painter is likely to already own. The palette is designed to work straight out of the box, without extra setup like pre soaking the foam beyond an initial rinse.

Running it day to day

Squeeze out a small puddle of paint onto a fresh hydration sheet, mix on the sheet itself, and close the lid between colors or when you step away, since the seal is what keeps the setup from drying out over hours or days rather than minutes. The foam underneath holds water that slowly wicks up through the paper, so top up the foam with a little water when sheets start to feel dry rather than waiting until paint on top has already crusted. Because the foam is mold resistant, it tolerates staying damp between sessions better than a plain kitchen sponge would, though it still benefits from an occasional rinse. When a hydration sheet gets too built up with dried paint to mix cleanly, peel it off and move to a fresh one from the stack of fifty rather than trying to scrape it clean.

How it compares with other wet palettes

This Painter Lite ranks first of eight in the site's wet palette guide, ahead of The Army Painter Wet Palette, which bundles fifty hydro sheets and two sponges in a similar format but scores lower, and Redgrass's own larger Studio Lite XL, which offers more mixing space at 13.5 inches for painters who need it. Masterson's Sta Wet Handy Palette and a couple of budget options from Garpernics and FUNKYLEE round out the field with lower prices but less refined sealing hardware than the TPE gasket used here. What separates this palette from cheaper rivals is largely the seal quality and the mold resistant foam, both of which matter more the longer you go between painting sessions. Replacement sheets from Redgrass cost more than generic wet palette paper, which is the main trade off for that sealing advantage.

Verdict and who should pick another palette

Choose this Painter Lite if you want a small, sealed wet palette that reliably keeps acrylics workable across a multi day painting project and are willing to pay more for that seal quality and mold resistant foam. It ranks first in the site's guide for good reason, beating out The Army Painter and Masterson options on retention and build. Painters who need more surface area for mixing large batches of color should look at the larger Studio Lite XL from the same brand instead. Anyone on a tight budget who mainly needs basic wet retention for a single session at a time can get by with a cheaper option like the Garpernics or FUNKYLEE palettes, saving money at the cost of a less durable seal.

Frequently asked questions