The Ugly Truth About Wooden Palette

Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?

Traditionally, wooden palettes have been used for oil painting. They are lightweight, sturdy and easy to clean. They also look beautiful.

Many paintings of painters at work are still around. Some depict an unfinished wooden pallet, similar to the one Vermeer used.

To prepare a palette made of wood, wipe it with drying oils like linseed or safflower. This is essential because a thin layer of oil keeps the palette conditioned.

Lightweight

In contrast to glass or tear-off palettes wooden palette is lightweight and can be easily held at the easel. Its thickness makes it strong and stable, which prevents it from breaking under pressure. It can also be sanded and stained to add colour. A wood palette is more durable and resistant to fungi and insects than other materials. Palettes made of wood are also great for mixing alkyds and acrylics.

The most commonly used kind of wooden palette is made from pine or maple, both of which can resist cracking and warping. It is crucial to select a wood that's been heat-treated to keep insects or fungi. This is vital to the longevity of the wooden palette. Furthermore the surface of a good wood palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have a low moisture content which will minimize the chance of cracks or wrinkling paints.

Another great feature of a wooden palette is that it is easy to keep clean. Painters can clean the palette after each painting session with dry lubricant to make it more sanitary. Linseed oil is a great choice due to its low cost, readily available and fast drying.

The natural brown tone of a palette made of wood is perfect for mixing colors as it isn't too different to the dominant color of the canvas. This helps to keep from the impression that the colors are more light or darker than what they really are. Vermeer utilized a common wooden palette, and in his 1676 probate inventory, there is mention of "twee schilders drye paletten" (two painters easels and three wooden palettes). In Pictura, Frans van Meieris painted a Vermeer style palette and Roger de Piles suggested that painters paint flesh tones on a wooden palette that ranged from light to dark.

Sturdy

Palettes made of wood have been utilized by artists for centuries due to the fact that they are sturdy and durable. They're lighter than glass or tear-off palettes, and they're more rigid than paper ones. This makes them easier to use and handle while painting. These palettes are great for mixing oil paints and alkyds. It is crucial to choose an alkyd palette made of wood of good quality that has been treated. This process eliminates fungi and pests which can cause damage to the wooden palette.

A good wooden palette will be smooth and well-made, allowing your brushes to glide smoothly across it. It should be sprayed with dry oil to shield the wood against solvent and water damage and help it maintain its shape. You can find pre-finished, ready-to-use palettes or create your own using raw wood. If  visit the next post  choose to use a wooden palette, make sure to clean it every time you paint. Paint that is wet on a palette made of wood can cause it to warp or crack over time.

Wooden Palettes were one of the first mixing surfaces that were used for oil paints. They're still a popular choice for a lot of artists. They're light, durable and can hold a significant amount of paint without breaking. They are ideal to mix thick paints, such as alkyds, acrylics and thick-bodied ones.

In Vermeer's time, the familiar palette with a hole to accommodate the thumb was replaced by the rectangular type with handles. The thumb was used to support the palette which allowed the artist to use the rest of his fingers to paint with brushes and also the mahlstick.

Heat-treated hardwoods such as spruce and other hardwoods are used to make an excellent palette. This eliminates any bugs or fungi. The treatment of wood with heat makes it more difficult to scratch or scratch the surface of the palette. After a long period of use, a well-used, conditioned wooden pallet will have a smooth, glass-like surface. This is due to a buildup of thin layers of dry oils that help the surface retain its shape.

Easy to clean

A wood palette gives you an easy-to-clean, smooth palette that lasts for many years. This type of palette is popular with oil artists and won't break or shatter as a glass one. You can buy a wooden pallet that has been sealed, or do it yourself. To do this, you'll require boiling linseed oil purchased from the hardware store, nitrile gloves, and high-quality paper towels or rags (if it leaves bits, don't use it). The process of sealing a palette with drying oil will fill in the tiny gaps and create a smooth surface. This will improve with every painting.

Once you have your palette oily, you'll have to clean it after every painting session. This is important since it will keep your paints evenly mixed on the palette, and also protect your hands from solvents. Start by lightly sanding the palette with 180-grit paper. This will help open up the wood grain, allowing it to absorb oil more easily. Then, pour a small amount of linseed oil onto your palette and then use a rag spread it evenly across the entire surface. Then let the oil dry for a couple of days.

Once your palette is dry, you can use a paper towel to wipe it clean and if any paint remains a little OMS on the rag will get rid of it. You should not use anything sharp to scrape away the dried paint. This will cause damage to your palette.

If you need to scrape some of the dried paint off your palette it's recommended to do it with a soft brush rather than using a knife. If you scrape too hard, you can cause damage to your palette.

Aesthetically pleasing

A wooden palette is a stylish and sturdy mixing surface. It makes you feel like an artist. It can be used for oil paints, as well as acrylics and alkyds. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides effortlessly over the brush as you mix and pick up paint. Palettes made of wood are also light and come in many sizes to accommodate your hands. They come in different styles and finishes.

The wooden palette is among the oldest mixing surfaces. It has been used since the time of art. The wood has a warm brown hue that doesn't affect the hues of the paints. This is important because the dominant tone is what influences the perception of color. A wooden palette can also aid in identifying the shades of your paints since it has a mid-value that shows the hues.

The earliest palettes were constructed of paper or tin foil However, the ones Vermeer used were likely made of wood. A 1676 probate inventory recorded two "twee schilders eesels, " three paletten" (two painters easels and a dry palette). In an allegorical picture of Pictura, Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Meieris and Jan Vermeer used the same type of palette. A traditional wooden oil painting palette is designed with a thumb hole that is used to support it. the remaining fingers are used to hold brushes and maulsticks to steady the hand while painting.

After cleaning the surface, wipe it clean with a drying oil, either linseed or another- to keep the palette clean until the next time you need it. This will fill the tiny pores of the grain of the wood and create a smooth surface which is much easier for brushes to work on. As time passes, an oiled palette will develop a beautiful patina that adds to its appeal.