Transon Paint Saver Storage Palette Box 16well Portable Airtight Black

Here's the thing you need to know- the silicone cover will suck paint up, so only fill the wells halfway. If you are working with gouache this is not a big deal, as it is not enough of the paint to change the color of whatever you are working with. The only thing is that your white may not be pristine. So maybe carry a tube of white in addition to whatever colors you are using in this. Also- add two drops of gum arabic (or glycerin) to each gouache well and mix in. This will keep the gouache from cracking if it dries out. If you are using watercolor- add one drop of gum arabic (or glycerin), mix, and let the paint dry COMPLETELY before putting the silicone cover on top. This will circumvent the cover from picking up paint. Other than that little detail- I LOVE this palette! The opening hinge is a bit tight for your first few openings, but it will loosen up a bit, so it will not be so hard to open (either that- or I've just gotten used to it). There is a little dangly bit on the hinge that seems useless. It is, unless you have the collapsible water cup that attaches to it (which Transon doesn't seem to sell, but you can find the combo on Amazon). That dangly bit secures the palette to the cup.

I use this for artists gouache and Golden OPEN acrylics. I'm thinking of getting another for acrylic gouache and will add slow fluid retarding medium for insurance. I might even try one for oils. But oils will get crusty faster and must be kept in the fridge. Small tubes of oil are pretty useful and almost the same size. I could see this being useful for watercolor but it's not really necessary. If you do leave the lid off and only fill the pans half full so you have room for plenty of water. But very useful and compact. Keep it level and the contents will last you for quite some time. If you need them to last longer keep in the fridge. When out in the field painting, keep the silicone part of the lid either loosely on (if acrylic) or in a plastic bag to keep it from getting dry and crusty, depending on what medium you use.

I have been I have been using this airtight case for about a month with my gouache paints. I was getting tired of laying out my colors every time I wanted to paint, and this Transon palette looked like a good option. The small box fits comfortably in the palm of my hand and takes up very little space on a work table.I noticed many of the reviews mentioned the colors creeping into the watertight silicone seal and making a mess. To prevent that problem, I filled each section a little under halfway full. I painted a thin layer of the more liquid colors 3/4 of the way up the 4 side walls and allowed that layer to dry before replacing the silicone seal. (Notice the light blue paint in the picture.) The dried paint on the sidewall kept the liquid paint from climbing the walls and travelling through the seal.I use my paints several times a week and have not had any issues with drying or cracking. The paints are, however, a thicker consistency than when I initially squeezed them into the palette. I'm using a combination of the Royal Talens artist gouache and Royal & Langnickel student gouache. The white is Windsor and Newton Designer White gouache. All of the brands have stayed fresh and easy to use.The inner lid works well for mixing and is easy to wipe clean. I like the sturdy latch, but I'm frustrated that it protrudes 3/4 inch past the edge of the palette box. (See photo: latch is magenta)If you are coming to gouache from watercolor, this palette will feel similar to a half pan set of colors. Each well comfortably fits a half inch flat paintbrush, and will also accommodate a 3/4 in flat.I plan to buy a duplicate box with a different color latch as my palette expands. For now, 15 colors (2 white) is plenty. I may also dry down a set of M Graham watercolors in one of these boxes for travel. Standard watercolor palettes don't work well with M Graham paint.I recommend this box for gouache IF you have the time and patience to prep the box so that color does not creep through the silicone seal. If you simply pour each well full of color and latch the seal into place, the colors will vacuum up into the grooves in the silicone seal and make a mess.

Keeps paint from drying out. However you can not mix colors inside container.

This palette is very handy, holds a lot of paint, and keeps it from drying out! Unfortunately a few of the wells cracked in mine, and just now the latch snapped off trying to close it up. (I have had it for about a year and a half and used it a lot, though I did not handle it roughly.) I will have to get a new one, but I am going to be buying the same one, so I think that says something!

It does keep my paint from drying out. Paint can bleed along the silicone if edges of clear bit are not cleaned. The latch broke pretty quickly, but I think if I was more careful about the silicone placement it wouldn't have. Or if it was attached to the lid, so it was always aligned.

Just a little too small, but still very airtight and useable.

**update December 2022–still loving this palette, I take it with me everywhere because it’s so convenient and tiny. I ended up taking out the silicone cover because I found that it did its job of locking in moisture TOO well and some of my paints ended up molding and being discarded. The great news though is that due to its waffle design the mold was contained to two squares. Other great news is that the inner lid is still clean and white after being used as a mixing tray, no staining!’**I love this little palette! Each compartment holds way more paint than I expected and it fits perfectly in my travel kit. I currently have a mix of Miya himi and Winsor and Newton gouaches in the palette. I appreciate the secure buckle, the silicone cover that protects my paint, and the lid/mixing tray since it doesn’t stain! (Sticker not included)