Why The Biggest "Myths" About Wooden Palette Could Be True
Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
For oil painting, wooden palettes are used. They are lightweight, sturdy and easy to clean. They also look beautiful.
Many depictions of artists at work have survived. Some of them show the same wooden palette as those Vermeer used.
To prepare a wooden palette clean it with drying oils like safflower or linseed. This is crucial because a thin coating of oil helps to keep the palette clean.
Lightweight
A wooden palette is lighter than glass or tear-off pallets and can be easily positioned on the easel. Its thickness makes it rigid and stable, preventing it from bending under pressure. It can also be sanded or stained to give it color. A wooden palette is more durable and resistant to fungi and insects than other materials. Palettes made of wood are ideal for mixing acrylics and alkyds.
The most common wooden palettes are made from either pine or maple. Both of these woods are resistant to cracking and warping. It is crucial to select one that has been treated in order to prevent fungi or insects. This process is essential to the long-term durability and quality of a wooden pallet. Additionally, the surface of a quality wooden palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have a low moisture content, which will minimize the chance of wrinkling or damage to paints.
A wooden palette also has a wonderful benefit: it's simple to clean. After every painting session, the artist can wipe the palette with a drying oil to prepare it for next time. Linseed oil is a good option because it is cheap, readily available and fast drying.
The natural brown color of wooden palettes is ideal to mix colors since it is a similar color to the predominant color of the canvas. This helps avoid the perception of the colors as being lighter or darker than they actually 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). Frans van Mieris painted a painted version of a palette modeled after Vermeer in his allegorical representation in Pictura and Roger de Piles recommended painters to paint the flesh tones from light to dark on a wood palette.
Sturdy
Artists have used wooden palettes for centuries due to the fact that they're durable and sturdy. They are lighter than glass or tear-off pallets as well as more sturdy than paper palettes. This makes them easier to use and handle while painting. They are ideal for mixing alkyds and oil paints. But, it's essential to choose a quality wooden palette that has been heat-treated. This process removes fungi and pests which can damage the wooden palette.
A high-quality wooden palette is well-made and smooth and easy for your brushes to glide across. It must be finished with a drying oil that protects the wood from water and solvent damage, and helps keep its shape. You can purchase ready-to-use palettes that have been finished or pre-finished. You can also make your own from raw wood. If you're using a wooden palette, be sure to clean it after every painting session. If you leave wet paint on a palette can warp or crack it over time.
Wooden Palettes are still popular for artists. They were the first mixing surfaces to be used to mix oil paints. They're lightweight, strong and can hold a large amount of paint without breaking. They are also great for mixing alkyds, acrylics, and any other thick-bodied paints.
In the days of Vermeer, a common palette with a hole to accommodate the thumb was replaced by the rectangular type with an handle. The painter held the palette by putting his thumb inside the hole, which allowed him to free his other fingers for holding brushes and the mahlstick.
Heat-treated hardwoods such as spruce and other hardwoods are used in the creation of an excellent palette. This is a way to eliminate any fungi or bugs. A treatment that heats wood can also make it harder to scratch or sand the surface of the palette. After a few years of use a well-used and maintained wooden pallet will have a smooth, glass-like surface. This is due to the accumulation of thin layers of drying oils that help the surface to retain its shape.
Easy to clean
A wood palette will give you an easy-to-clean, smooth palette that will last many years. This type of palette is a favorite among oil artists because it won't chip or shatter like glass palettes. You can purchase wooden pallets that have been sealed, or do it yourself. To seal it, you'll need boiled linseed oil from the hardware store, nitrile gloves, and high-quality paper towels or rags (if it has bits, don't use it). The process of sealing a palette with drying oil will fill in the tiny gaps and smooth the surface. This will improve with every painting.
After you have coated your palette with oil and sprayed it with oil, you'll need to refresh the surface after each painting session. This is essential because it keeps paints from mixing in a smooth manner on the palette and shield your hand from solvents. To restore your palette, start by lightly sanding it with 180-grit sandpaper. This will help open the wood grain and allow it to absorb oil more easily. Next pour a pool of linseed oil on the palette and use a rag to spread it evenly across the entire surface. Then, let the oil dry for a day or two.
When your palette is dry you can use a paper towel to wipe it off and if there is any remaining paint some OMS on a rag will take it off. It is not recommended to use anything sharp to scrape off the dried paint. This can cause damage to your palette.
If you need to scrape dried paint from your palette, it is best to use a soft brush instead of using a knife. If you scrape too hard, you may cause damage to your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a classy and sturdy mixing surface that lets you feel like an artist. It can be used with oil paints, acrylics and alkyds. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides smoothly across the brush as you mix and take in paint. Wooden palettes can be found in different sizes and are light. They are available in various styles and finishes to match your preferences.
The wooden palettes have been used as long as art itself and are among the oldest mixing surfaces. The wood has a warm brown hue which doesn't affect the colors of the paints. This is crucial because the dominant tone is what determines the perception of the color. A wooden palette may aid in identifying the hues of your paints as it has a mid value that displays the hues.
The earliest palettes were made of paper or tin foil However, the ones Vermeer used were probably made of wood. In a 1676 probate inventories two easels of painters were included along with three palettes. In an allegorical image of Pictura Vermeer's time, his peers Frans van Meieris and Jan Vermeer employed the same kind of palette. A traditional wooden palette for oil painting is typically shaped to hold the thumb hole that serves to support the palette. the remaining fingers hold the brushes and the maulstick to hold the hand on the canvas while painting.
After a cleansing session Clean the wood's surface palette with drying oils - linseed or other -to ensure it is conditioned for the next time you work with it. High-Quality Factory-Made Pallets will fill in the tiny pores of the grain of the wood and create a smooth surface which is easier for your brushes to work on. Over time, a well oiled palette will develop an attractive patina which adds to its appeal.
