How many colours do I need in my palette?

Beginners: 6-8 colours. Intermediate: 12-16. Advanced: 18-24. A basic palette needs a warm and cool version of each primary (6 minimum), plus earth tones and a dark. More colours is not necessarily better — learn to mix first.

What is the best palette arrangement?

Colour temperature grouping (warm colours together, cool together) is most popular because it helps with colour mixing decisions. Spectrum order (following the colour wheel) is visually logical. Frequency order puts your most-used colours nearest your hand.

How many mixing wells do I need?

At least 3 large mixing wells, ideally more. This calculator budgets roughly one mixing well for every 2 pan slots (the generous end of the usual 1-per-2-to-3 guideline), with a floor of 3 wells. Deep wells are better than shallow — they hold more wash and prevent colours running together.

Should I leave gaps between colour groups?

Yes — leave an empty slot or physical gap between warm and cool colours. This prevents accidental colour contamination when loading your brush. It also makes the grouping visually clear.

What palette should I buy?

For half pans, the standard folding metal palette holds 12-24 pans. Porcelain palettes are excellent for mixing. For travel, the Winsor & Newton Cotman field palette holds 12 half pans. For studio work, a large ceramic palette with deep wells is ideal.

ArtCalcs

Palette Layout Calculator — Organise Your Watercolours

Plan your watercolour palette layout based on colour temperature and frequency of use.

Pan Slots Available

Number of paint wells your palette holds — typical folding tins take 12, 24, 36 or 48 half pans.

Pan TypeHalf pans (≈2 ml) suit travel and field kits; full pans (≈5 ml) last longer for studio work.

Layout MethodTemperature grouping aids mixing decisions; spectrum follows the colour wheel; frequency puts your most-used colours nearest your hand.

How We Calculate This

How Palette Layout Works

Slots are divided by category: 40/40/20 warm/cool/earth (temperature), warm:cool mirrored around your chosen fraction (spectrum), or 50/30/20 most-to-least used (frequency).

The calculator divides your available pan slots into colour groups based on your chosen layout method. It suggests a mixing well count (about 1 well per 2 slots, minimum 3) and provides a suggested colour arrangement for each group. Spectrum mode adds a Warm Group Fraction control under Advanced Options.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities before purchasing materials.