Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
Traditionally, wooden palettes were used for oil painting. They are light and easy to clean. They also look stunning.
pallet buying of artists at work are still around. Some of these show the same wooden palette as those Vermeer used.
To make a wooden palette wipe the surface clean with a drying oil like linseed. This is important because a thin layer of oil keeps the palette conditioned.
Lightweight
A wooden palette is lighter than glass or tear-off pallets and is able to be held easily at the easel. Its thickness makes it sturdy and stable. This prevents it from bending under pressure. Additionally, it can be sanded down 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 acrylics and alkyds.
The most popular kind of wooden palette is made from pine or maple both of which are able to resist warping and cracking. It is important to choose one that has been treated to stop the growth of insects or fungi. This is crucial to the longevity and quality of a wooden pallet. A quality wooden palette's surface must be smooth and well-finished. It should also have a low moisture content, which reduces the chance of wrinkling or damage to paints.
Another great feature of a wooden palette is that it is easy to keep clean. After each painting session, painter can clean the palette with a drying oil to prepare it for next time. Linseed oil is an excellent choice because it is inexpensive easily available and quick drying.
The natural brown color of the wooden palette is ideal for mixing colors because it is a similar color to the predominant color of the canvas. This helps avoid the impression that the colors appear as being darker or lighter than they actually are. Vermeer employed a standard wooden palette and in a 1676 probate inventory, there is mention of "twee schilders drye paletten" (two easels for painters 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
Artists have used wooden palettes for ages because they're sturdy and durable. They are lighter than glass or tear-off pallets as well as more durable than paper palettes. This makes them easier to hold and use while painting. They also make an excellent choice for mixing oil paints as well as alkyds. It is essential to choose an untreated wooden palette of top quality that has been treated. This process gets rid of bugs and fungi that could harm the wooden palette.
A good quality wooden palette is well-made and smooth and easy for brushes to glide across. It should be sprayed with dry oil to shield the wood against solvent and water damage and keep its shape. There are ready-to-use, pre-finished palettes or create your own using raw wood. If you use a wooden palette, make sure to clean it every time you paint. Wet paint left on a palette made of wood can cause it to crack or warp over time.
Wooden Palettes remain popular among artists. They were the first mixing surfaces that could be used for oil paints. They're lightweight and durable and can hold large quantities of paint without breaking. They are ideal for mixing thick paints such as alkyds, acrylics and thick-bodied ones.
Vermeer's palettes were replaced by rectangular ones that were previously used with handles. The painter held the palette with his thumb in the hole, which allowed him to free the remaining fingers for holding brushes and the mahlstick.
A good quality palette is made of spruce or another hardwood that has been heat-treated to get rid of any insects or fungi. The treatment process of heating wood makes it harder to scratch or scratch its surface. A well-used, conditioned wooden palette will develop an even, glass-like appearance after years of use. This is due to the accumulation of thin layers of drying oils that allow the surface to retain its shape.
Easy to clean
If you are looking for an easy-to clean palette that will last for a long time, then a wooden palette is the way to go. This type of palette is popular with oil artists and will not chip or splinter like glass ones. You can purchase wooden pallets that have been sealed, or make it yourself. You'll need boiled Linseed Oil purchased from a hardware store. Nitrile gloves, as well as high-quality paper towels or rags. Sealing a palette using drying oil will fill in the tiny gaps and create a smooth surface. This will improve with every painting.
After you have your palette oily, you'll need to recondition it after each painting session. This is crucial because it keeps your paints evenly mixed on the palette, and also protect your hands from solvents. To restore your palette, start by lightly sanding it with 180-grit sandpaper. This will help open the grain of the wood, allowing it to absorb oil more easily. Then pour a bowl of linseed oil onto the palette and then use a rag to spread it evenly across the entire surface. Let the oil dry for a couple of days.
When your palette is dry you can use a paper towel to wipe it off and if any paint remains some OMS on a rag will remove it. It is not recommended to use anything sharp to scrape off the dried paint. This will cause damage to your pallet.
If you have to scrape dried paint from your palette, it's recommended to employ the soft brush instead of cutting. If you scrape too hard, you may harm your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a stylish and durable mixing surface. It makes you feel like a true artist. It can be used for oil paints, as well as alkyds and acrylics. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides effortlessly across the brush when you pick up and mix paint. Wooden palettes can be found in various sizes and are lightweight. They are available in a variety of finishes and styles.
The wooden palettes have been used as long as art itself and are among the oldest mixing surfaces. They have natural warm brown tones that doesn't change the colors of the paints on it. This is useful as the perception of colors is influenced by the dominant tone which they are mixed. A wooden palette can also help you to determine the hues of your paints since it has a mid-value that displays the hues against.
The earliest palettes were made of paper or tin foil However, the ones Vermeer used were probably made of wood. In a 1676 probate inventory two easels of painters were listed along with three palettes. In an allegorical painting of Pictura, Vermeer's contemporaries Frans van Meieris and Jan Vermeer utilized the same type of palette. A traditional wooden palette used for oil painting is usually designed to hold the thumb hole, which is used to support the palette, while the remaining fingers hold the brushes and the maulstick to hold the hand over the canvas while painting.
After cleaning, wipe the surface with a drying oil, linseed, or another -- to keep the palette clean until the next time you will need it. This will help to fill in the pores in the wood grain and create an even surface for your brushes. As time passes, an oiled palette will develop an attractive patina which adds to its appeal.