Begin By Meeting The Steve Jobs Of The Wooden Palette Industry
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 of these depict a wooden pallet buying similar to the one that Vermeer used.
To prepare a palette made of wood, wipe it with drying oils like linseed or safflower. It is essential to keep the palette in good condition by applying an oil-based coating.
Lightweight
A wooden pallet 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. In addition, it can be sanded down and stained to give it the color. A wood palette is more sturdy and resistant to fungi and insects than other materials. Palettes made of wood are also great for mixing acrylics and alkyds.
The most commonly used kind of wooden palette is constructed of pine or maple, both of which can resist warping and cracking. It is, however, essential where to get pallets select a wood that has been treated with heat to prevent fungi and insects. This is crucial to the longevity and quality of a wooden pallet. Additionally, the surface of a quality wood palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should be free of level of moisture, which can reduce the risk of paints getting damaged or wrinkled.
Another advantage of a wooden palette is that it is easy to keep clean. After each painting session, painter can clean the palette with drying oil to condition it for the next. Linseed oil is a good choice because it is inexpensive, readily available and quick-drying.
The natural brown of wooden palettes is ideal to mix colors since it is similar to the dominant color of the canvas. This can help avoid the perception that the colors are lighter or darker than they really are. Vermeer utilized a common wooden palette and in a 1676 probate inventory, there's mention of "twee schilders drye paletten" (two easels for painting and three wooden palettes). Frans van Mieris illustrated the painted version of a palette modeled after Vermeer in his allegorical character in Pictura and Roger de Piles recommended painters to paint the flesh tones ranging from light to dark on a wood palette.
Sturdy
Palettes made of wood have been used by artists for centuries since they're durable and sturdy. They're lightweight compared to glass or tear-off palettes, and they're more sturdy than paper ones. This makes them more comfortable to hold and use while painting. They are ideal for mixing oil paints and alkyds. But, it's essential to choose a quality wooden palette palette that has been heated. This process kills fungi and pests that can harm the palette.
A good quality wooden palette is made well and smooth which makes it easy for your brushes to glide across. It must be finished with drying oil that shields the wood from water and solvent damage, and helps maintain its shape. You can purchase wood pallets ready-to-use, pre-finished palettes or Pallet prices make your own from raw wood. If you're using a wood palette, ensure that you clean it after every painting session. Paint that's wet on a wooden palette could cause it to warp or crack over time.
Wooden Palettes are still a favorite with artists. They were the first mixing surfaces that could be used for oil paints. They're light and sturdy, and they can hold large amounts of paint without breaking. They are ideal to mix thick paints, such as alkyds, acrylics, and other heavy-bodied ones.
Vermeer's palettes replaced the older rectangular ones with handles. The painter held the palette using his thumb in the hole, which allowed him to free his remaining fingers to hold brushes and the mahlstick.
The heat-treated hardwoods like spruce and other hardwoods are used to make a high-quality palette. This eliminates any bugs or fungi. Heat treatment of wood makes it harder to scratch or scratch its surface. After a long period of use, a well-used, conditioned wooden pallet will have a smooth, glass-like finish. This is due to a buildup of thin layers of dry oils that allow the surface to retain its shape.
Easy to clean
If you are looking for a smooth, easy to clean palette that lasts for years then a wood palette is the way to go. This type of pallet is popular among oil painters because it will not break or shatter like glass palettes. You can buy an unfinished wooden pallet that has been sealed or do 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 using drying oil fills in the tiny gaps in the wood and creates an even surface that improves with each painting you do.
Once you have your palette oily, you'll need to recondition it after each painting session. This is important since 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 open up the grain of the wood and allow it to absorb oils more easily. Put a small amount of linseed onto the palette, and use a rag or a cloth to wipe it over the entire surface. Allow the oil to dry for a few days.
After your palette has dried you can use a paper towel to clean it off, and if any paint remains a little OMS on a rag will take it off. You should not use any sharp object to scrape off the dried paint. This will scratch and damage your palette.
If you have to scrape some of the dried paint off your palette it's best to rub it with a soft brush rather than using the knife. If you scrape it too vigorously, you can break the wood and ruin your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a stylish and sturdy mixing surface. It makes you feel like a true artist. It can be used with acrylics, oil paints, and alkyds. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides smoothly across the brush when you pick up and mix paint. Palettes made of wood are also light and come in many sizes to fit your hands. They come in different finishes and styles.
Wooden palettes have been around for as long as art itself and are among the oldest mixing surfaces. They have a natural warm brown tone that doesn't change the colors of the paints it houses. This is crucial because the dominant tone is what affects the perception of color. A wooden palette can also help you to see the hues of your paints because it has a mid-value which displays the hues against.
The first palettes were made of tin foil or paper, but the ones Vermeer purchase used pallets were likely made of wood. In a 1676 probate inventory, two painters easels 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 of Pictura. A traditional wooden oil painting palette is designed with a thumb hole which is used to support it. the remaining fingers are used to hold brushes as well as a maulstick for steadying the hand while painting.
After a cleaning session, wipe the wood's surface palette with drying oils such as linseed or another- to keep it conditioned for the next time you will use it. This will fill in the tiny pores of the the wood and create a smooth surface that is much easier for brushes to work on. As time passes, an oiled palette will develop an attractive patina, which will add to its character.