My Recent Paint Fail
- Simply Jelly Jam
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
A wasted paint mistake.
I often make mistakes. A lot of us do. But recently, I made a silly mistake that was unavoidable had I researched what I wanted to do first. Instead, I ended up with a moldy mess.
In case it's helpful, below are the main points covered in this post:
The Paint Palette
Last June, I wrote about the Lightwish Portable Watercolor Sketchbook Set my dad bought me. Dad learned that it was one of my daydream June 2026 Prime Day haul items.
The travel set was good for me. Its small-size fits in the small pouch/fanny pack I keep in my SUV for painting on the go. The included paint palette was smaller than my SCHPIRERR FARBEN Watercolor Travel Kit and easier to use (no flipping required) than my Royal & Langnickel Watercolor Flip Kit.
My goal was to carry the Schpirerr Farben palette on long trips/vacations, the Royal & Langnickel flip palette in my small purse, and the Lightwish palette combined with watercolor sketchbook in my SUV or backpack purse.
The Lightwish paint palette was 3D printed. I had to pull off a few filament strands, but it looked good otherwise. I was excited to fill the palette and use it out in the wild.
The Mistake
Two months ago, I uploaded a video about my new Lightwish travel set. I "unlisted" the video less than two weeks later because I made a mistake that had a messy result. I did not want someone to attempt to do what I did.
Adding Paint from Tube Pushing Paint with Pick Filled Paint Palette
I filled the Lightwish paint palette with gouache paints. I loved my Schpirerr Farben watercolors and did not want to use another brand, so I believed gouache was a great alternative.
No, I did not clean or prepare the palette before filling it. I also never did any research beforehand. It never crossed my mind at the time.
Instead, I figured cracked paint would be the worst problem I had to deal with. I intended to use the palette regularly since I often find myself waiting and sitting in my SUV a few times weekly.
Paintbrush, Palette, & Sketchbook Floral Painting Finished Floral Painting
In the video, I noted that "I can see myself traveling with this. I just hope the gouache doesn't crumble and fall out over time."
Oh, what a novice fool I was. What a sad waste of unused paint.
About eight or nine days after I filled the palette with gouache paints, I was greeted with moldy and cracked paint. The amount of mold surprised me until I finally did my research later.
Well, that was a lesson learned. (More about that lesson is later in this post.) At least cleanup was not difficult.
Easy Cleanup
Using Tool to Chip at Paint (1) Using Tool to Chip at Paint (2) Using Tool to Chip at Paint (3)
Fortunately, it was easy to chip the paint out of the palette.
I used an old clay tool to chip at the paint. I chipped along the edges before scraping the paint pieces in the center.
I filled an old takeout bowl with hot tap water and added a few drops of dish soap. I dipped the paint palette in and let it soak for a few minutes.
After a short soak, I used an old toothbrush to scrub the palette. The paint remnants (regular gouache and NOT acrylic gouache) came off easily. I removed the clean palette and let it dry (meaning I completely forgot about it) for a few days.
The paint palette cleaned up nicely!
I refilled it with new-ish cheap watercolor paints that sat in my closet for years. If the cheap paints turn out to be awful, then at least I know how to chip the paint out and clean the palette.
No, I did not dump the water down the drain. I let the water evaporate completely. I kept it partially covered to prevent any living thing, mostly insects, from getting to it. Once it dried, I disposed of the bowl.
Lesson Learned
Why didn't my gouache work out? Well, I finally looked it up.
Had I done my research, I would have learned that liquid gouache is prone to molding. This happens regularly in airtight palettes as it prevents the paint from retaining moisture.
Student-grade gouache, like the Arteza water-based gouache I used, does not work well for a dried gouache travel palette setup. However, multiple artists and blogs online claim that great-quality, professional-grade gouache paints should work well.
Regular tap and some bottled water could introduce microscopic impurities that could cause mold. Some artists and blogs recommend using distilled water with lower-quality, student-grade gouache paints.
Professional-grade gouache paints are more expensive than the brands I own. I am avoiding unnecessary purchases this year and will not buy anything new or expensive.
I have enough gouache paints to last me, an amateur artist, many more months or years. and I am not spending that kind of money now. If I desperately want to use gouache outside of the house, I will pack the tubes of gouache paints I may use.
What's Next?
I wanted to share my recent failure with you. I hope you learned from my mistake. Or laughed. I do not mind.
I do not know if I will share an update. If I do, it will be weeks or months before I do.
Comment below to share your recent art-related lesson learned!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
~Simply Jelly Jam
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