Making the FOXBITE Palette Set

 

I started these palettes with clay.

Before CAD and before making any metal molds I wanted to make the shapes by hand and actually paint with them.

The first thing I was trying to figure out was space. How much room do I really need for paint and how big does a well need to be when I am actually using a brush in it.

I made a few clay versions and painted with them.

One thing I kept changing was the wells. A lot of the small pop out silicone wells I had used were smaller than what I wanted. They are fine for a small brush and a little paint but I wanted more room when using a larger brush or sponges with washes or Speedpaint.

After a few versions I had a layout that felt good while painting.

That is when I sent the pieces to my friend Faiz and he started working on the CAD.

I wanted to do as much testing as possible before getting to the metal molds because the molds are one of the expensive parts of a project like this. Once you get there you don't want to still be guessing the size and position of the wells.

We ran the first silicone samples and made corrections from there. It took a few rounds before we got to the version we wanted.

Some of the small details also started making more sense once I was painting with the real silicone parts.

There is a recessed area around the round wells for example. I use that area all the time to unload some paint from my brush. I run the brush around it with a small rolling motion and work some of the paint out of the bristles.

That is how I use it. It doesn't really need to have one specific use.

The same thing happened with the large square on Palette B.

I usually put medium there. If I am using retarder I might put some there. With Speedpaint I can keep some medium in the square and my colors in the other wells. Sometimes I just use the space for a quick mix.

It is not a wet palette.

It is just a larger working area and I prefer leaving it that way. People paint differently and somebody will probably find a use for it that I never thought about.

Cleaning was another reason I wanted silicone.

I normally let the acrylic paint dry and then flex the wells. The dry paint can be removed pretty easily this way. If something is really stuck I can just use warm water.

The size of the wells was also tested with more than brushes in mind.

I have been working on sponges for sponging and texture work and I wanted those to fit inside the wells too.

I can load a sponge with paint inside the well and work some of the paint out before going to the miniature. Then I can go back to a brush using the same palette.

Some of the round spaces were also sized while working with the hobby paints I normally use. Citadel style pots can sit in them and I also used Speedpaints while testing the palettes.

Then there is the little round palette.

This one came from a completely different problem.

When I have been painting for a long time I eventually get tired of sitting in the same position. The miniature is in front of me, the palette is on the table and I am leaning forward toward everything.

Sometimes I just want to sit back in my chair.

Then the palette is too far away.

That is where the thumb palette started.

It uses a metal ring and a magnet to keep a small palette at my thumb. It has four small wells and another small space in the middle.

I don't need much paint in those wells. Sometimes one drop of each color is enough.

One of my favorite ways to use it is batch painting.

If I have ten miniatures and I am painting the boots I can put the few colors I need on the thumb palette. A dark tone, another tone, a highlight and maybe a shade.

Now those colors stay right next to the miniature while I work through all ten.

Faces are another good example.

If I have several characters using the same skin colors I can keep four tones there and work through the faces. I can make small mixes between those colors without reaching back to the table every few seconds.

I have used the center for a little water, retarder or medium. I have also used the whole thing with Speedpaints.

For me the best part is being able to sit back or change position and still have my paint right there.

But again that is just how I use it.

The material itself took some testing too. I wanted the silicone firm enough to hold the shape of the palette but still flexible enough to manipulate the wells and remove dry paint.

A lot of people also gave me feedback while I was working on these.

Some here on Discord and some through messages on Instagram. I had people helping me from the US, Spain, Italy and other places.

Thank you to everyone who looked at the different versions and gave me feedback.

There are probably uses for these palettes that I haven't found yet.

That is part of the fun.

FOXBITE Palette Set coming soon.