Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
Traditionally, wooden palettes have been used to paint oil. They are lightweight, sturdy and easy to clean. They also look gorgeous.
Many depictions of artists in their work have survived. Some depict wooden pallets similar to the one Vermeer employed.
To make a wooden palette wipe the surface with an oil that is drying, such as linseed. This is crucial because a thin coating of oil helps to keep the palette clean.
Lightweight
Contrary to glass or tear-off palettes wooden palette is light and can be easily held at ease. The thickness of the wood makes it strong and solid. This stops it from bending when under pressure. In addition, it can be stained and sanded to give it the color. A wood palette is more durable and resistant to insects and fungi than other materials. Wooden palettes are also ideal for mixing acrylics and alkyds.
The most commonly used kind of wooden palette is made from maple or pine both of which can resist cracking and warping. It is important to choose one that has been treated in order to prevent insects or fungi. This process is essential to the longevity and quality of a pallet made from wood. Additionally, the surface of a good wood palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have low moisture content, which will reduce the risk of damage or wrinkling to paints.
A wooden palette also has a great feature: it's easy to clean. The painter can clean the palette after each painting session using an oil that is drying to condition it. Linseed oil is a good choice due to its low cost and easily available. It also has a quick drying time.
The natural brown of wooden palettes is ideal for mixing colors, as it is a similar color to the dominant color of the canvas. This will help to avoid the perception that the colors are lighter or darker than they really are. Vermeer utilized the traditional wooden palette. In a 1676 inventory it is noted that "tweeschilders eesels" (two painters' easels) and "drye paletten" (3 wooden palettes) were included. In Pictura, Frans van Meieris painted a Vermeer style palette. Roger de Piles suggested that the painters put flesh tones on a wooden palette ranging from light to dark.
Sturdy
Artists have been using wooden palettes for ages because they're strong and durable. They're lighter than tear-off or glass palettes and they're more rigid than paper ones. This makes them more comfortable to hold and use when painting. They are ideal for mixing oil paints and alkyds. It is crucial to choose a wooden palette of high quality that has been heat treated. This process gets rid of the fungi and insects that can harm the wooden palette.
A high-quality wooden palette will be well-made and smooth which allows your brushes to glide easily across it. It should be finished in dry oil to shield the wood from water and solvent damage, and help it maintain its shape. You can purchase pre-finished palettes that are ready to use, or you can build your own using raw wood. If you are using a wooden palette, make sure to clean it every time you paint. Paint that's wet on a wooden palette could cause it to warp or crack over time.
Wooden Palettes were one of the first mixing surfaces used for oil paints, and they're still a popular option for many artists. They're light and sturdy and can hold large quantities of paint without breaking. They are also ideal for mixing alkyds, acrylics and other heavy-bodied paints.
In the days of Vermeer, a popular palette with a hole to accommodate the thumb was replaced by the older rectangular kind that had handles. The artist held the palette with his thumb inside the hole, allowing him to free his remaining fingers for holding brushes and the mahlstick.
A high-quality palette is made of spruce or another hardwood that has been treated with heat to kill any fungi or insects. A treatment that heats wood can also make it harder to scratch or sand the surface of the palette. After years of use, a well-used and conditioned wooden pallet will have a smooth, glass-like finish. This is due to a buildup of thin layers of drying oil that helps the surface maintain its shape.
Easy to clean
If you want an easy-to clean palette that lasts for years then a wood palette is the way to go. This type of pallet is a favorite among oil artists because it will not break or shatter like a glass palette. You can either buy an unfinished wooden pallet that has been sealed or do it yourself. You'll need boiling Linseed Oil from the hardware store. pallet buying , as well as high-quality paper towels or rags. Sealing a palette using drying oil will fill in the small gaps and create a smooth surface. This will improve with each painting.
After you have your palette oiled you will need to condition it following each painting session. This is important as it will keep paints from mixing in a smooth manner on the pallet and also protect your hand from solvents. To restore your palette, start by lightly sanding it using 180-grit sandpaper. This will open the grain of the wood and allow it to absorb oils more easily. Then, pour a small amount of linseed oil onto the palette and then use a rag to wipe it evenly over the entire surface. Let the oil dry for a day or two.
If there is any remaining paint on your palette, a tiny OMS sprayed onto a rag should take it off. It is not recommended to scrape the dried paint off using anything sharp as this could scratch and harm your palette.
If you need to scrape dried paint off your palette, it is best to employ the soft brush instead of using a knife. If you scrape too hard, you may harm your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is an elegant and durable 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 easily across the brush when you mix and pick up paint. Wooden palettes are also light and come in various sizes to accommodate your hands. They are available in various styles and finishes to match your preferences.
Palettes made of wood have been in use as long as art itself and are among the oldest mixing surfaces. They have a natural warm brown tone that doesn't alter the color of the paints it houses. This is crucial because the dominant tone is what determines the perception of color. A wooden palette may aid in identifying the hues of your paints as it has a mid-value that displays the hues.
The palettes of Vermeer are likely to have been made of wood. The earliest palettes may have been made from paper or tin, however they were probably made of wood. The probate inventory of 1676 listed two "twee schilders eesels" and three paletten" (two easels for painting and a dry palette). Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Mieris can be seen using the same kind of palette in an allegorical painting depicting Pictura. A traditional wooden oil painting palette is designed with a thumb hole which is used to support it while the other fingers are used to hold brushes and maulsticks to steady the hand when painting.
After a clean-up After a cleaning session, clean the wood's surface palette with dry oils - such as linseed or anotherto ensure it is conditioned for the next time you use it. This will fill the tiny pores of the the wood and create a smooth surface that is much easier for brushes to work on. Over purchase wood pallets -oiled palette will develop a gorgeous patina, which adds to its appearance.