Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
Traditionally, wooden palettes have been used for oil painting. They are light and easy to clean. They also look gorgeous.
Many images of artists at work have survived. Some depict an unfinished wooden palette similar to the ones Vermeer used.
To make a wooden palette, clean the surface with dry oil, like linseed. This is essential because a thin layer of oil helps keep the palette in good condition.
Lightweight
A wooden palette is lighter than glass or tear-off pallets, and can be easily held at the easel. Its thickness also makes it sturdy and stable, preventing it from breaking under pressure. Additionally, it can be sanded down and stained to add colour. A wood palette is more sturdy and resistant to fungi and insects than other materials. The wooden palettes are great to mix alkyds and acrylics.
The most popular wooden palettes are made from maple or pine. Both of these woods can resist warping and crazing. However, it is important to choose a wood that has been treated to prevent fungi and insects. This is crucial to the durability and quality of a pallet made from wood. Additionally the surface of a good wooden palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have low moisture content, which will minimize the chance of damage or wrinkling to paints.
A wooden palette has another excellent benefit: it's easy to clean. After each painting session, the painter can clean the palette with a drying oil to prepare it for the next time. Linseed oil makes a great choice due to its low cost, readily-available and quick-drying.
The natural brown tone of a palette made of wood is ideal to mix colors because it is not that different to the dominant color on the canvas. This can help avoid the perception that the colors are lighter or darker than what they actually are. Vermeer utilized a common wooden palette and in a 1676 probate inventory there is mention of "twee schilders eesels, drye paletten" (two painters easels and three wooden palettes). In Pictura, Frans van Meieris painted a Vermeer style palette. Roger de Piles suggested that artists lay out flesh tones on a wooden palette that ranged from light to dark.
Sturdy
Palettes made of wood have been used by artists for centuries due to the fact that they're sturdy and durable. They're light compared to tear-off or glass palettes and are more durable than paper ones. This makes them easier for you to use and handle while painting. They are ideal for mixing oil paints and alkyds. It is essential to choose an alkyd palette made of wood of good quality that has been heat treated. This process removes fungi and pests which can damage the wooden palette.
A good quality wooden palette is well-made and smooth, making it easy for brushes to glide across. It should be finished with an oil that is drying to protect the wood against water and solvent damage and to help it keep its shape. You can find pre-finished, ready-to-use palettes or make your own from raw wood. If you're using a wooden palette, make sure to clean it after every painting session. If you leave wet paint on a palette can crack or warp over time.
Wooden Palettes were among the first mixing surfaces used for oil paints. They're still a favorite choice for many artists. They're light, durable and can hold a lot of paint without breaking. They are great to mix thick paints, such as alkyds, acrylics, and other thick-bodied ones.
Vermeer's palettes had replaced the older rectangular ones with handles. The painter supported the palette with his thumb in the hole, allowing him to free his other fingers to hold brushes as well as the mahlstick.
A high-quality palette is made from spruce or another hardwood that has been heat-treated to eliminate any insects or fungi. A treatment that heats wood can also make it harder to scratch or sand the surface of the palette. After a long period of use, a well-used and conditioned wooden pallet will have a smooth, almost glass-like finish. This is due to the build-up of thin layers of dried oils that allow the surface maintain its shape.
Easy to clean
If you want an easy-to clean palette that lasts for a long time, a wood palette is the best way to go. This type of palette is popular with oil artists and will not break or shatter as a glass one. You can purchase a wooden palette pre-oiled, or seal it yourself. To do this, you'll require boiling linseed oil 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 smooth the surface. This will get better with each painting.
After you have your palette cleaned, you'll need to condition it following each painting session. This is important because it will keep your paints mixed smoothly on the palette and protect your hands from solvents. To make your palette more reconditioned, begin by lightly sanding the surface with 180-grit sandpaper. This will help to open the grain of the wood and allow it to absorb oil more easily. Then pour pallets of wood for sale of linseed oil onto the palette and use a rag to wipe it evenly over the entire surface. Let the oil dry for a couple of days.
After your palette has dried you can use a paper towel to wipe it clean and if any paint remains a little OMS on a rag will remove it. You should not use any sharp object to scrape off the dried paint. This can cause damage to your palette.
If you are required to scrape dried paint off your palette, it is recommended to employ a soft brush rather than cutting. If you scrape too hard, you may cause damage to your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a stylish and sturdy mixing surface that makes you feel like an artist. It can be used with oil paints, acrylics, and alkyds. Its smooth surface is easy-to-clean and glides effortlessly over the brush when mixing and pick up paint. Wooden palettes are also light and come in many sizes to suit your hands. They are available in various styles and finishes to meet your preferences.
Wooden palettes have been around as long as art itself and are among the oldest mixing surfaces. The wood has a warm brown hue that doesn't alter the hues of the paints. This is useful as the perception of colors is influenced by the dominant tone on which they are mixed. A wooden palette can aid in identifying the hues of your paints as it has a mid value that shows the hues.
The first palettes were made from tin foil or paper however the ones Vermeer used were probably wood. In a 1676 probate inventories two easels of painters were listed, along with three palettes. Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Mieris can be depicted using the same type of palette in an allegorical painting depicting Pictura. A traditional wooden palette used for oil painting is typically shaped to hold the thumb hole, which is used to support the palette. the other fingers hold brushes and the maulstick to hold the hand against the canvas while painting.
After cleaning the surface, wipe it clean with a drying oil - linseed, or another - to keep the palette clean until the next time you require it. This will fill the tiny pores of the grain of the wood and create a smooth surface that makes it easier for your brushes to work on. As time passes, an oiled palette will develop an attractive patina, which will add to its character.