Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
Traditionally, wooden palettes were used to paint oil. They are lightweight, sturdy and easy to clean. They also look beautiful.
Many images of artists in their work have survived. Some of them show an unfinished wooden palette similar to those Vermeer employed.
To prepare a wood palette clean it using drying oils such as safflower or linseed. This is essential because a thin layer oil keeps the palette conditioned.
Lightweight
A wooden palette is lighter than glass or tear-off pallets and can be easily held at the easel. Its thickness makes it rigid and sturdy. This prevents it from bending under pressure. It can also be sanded and stained to add color. A wood palette is more durable than other kinds of materials and doesn't be damaged by fungi or insects. Palettes made of wood are ideal for mixing alkyds and acrylics.
The most commonly used kind of wooden palette is constructed of pine or maple, both of which can resist cracking and warping. It is crucial to select one that has been treated in order to prevent insects or fungi. This is crucial to the longevity and quality of a pallet made from wood. A quality wood palette's surface must be smooth and evenly finished. It should have a low level of moisture, which will decrease the risk of paints getting damaged or wrinkled.
Another great feature of a wooden palette is that it is easy to keep clean. After every painting session, the painter can clean the palette with a drying oil to condition it for the next time. Linseed oil is an excellent option because it is cheap, readily available and fast drying.
The natural brown color of the wooden palette is ideal to mix colors since it is a similar color to the predominant color of the canvas. This can help to prevent the perception of the colors as being lighter or darker than they actually are. Vermeer used a typical wooden palette, and in his 1676 probate inventory, there is mention of "twee schilders drye paletten" (two easels for painting and three wooden palettes). Frans van Mieris illustrated an image of a Vermeer-style palette in his allegorical representation in Pictura and Roger de Piles recommended painters to lay out the flesh tones from light to dark on a wooden 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 for you to handle and use when painting. They are also ideal to mix oil paints and alkyds. It is important to select an untreated wooden palette of top quality that has been heat treated. This process kills bugs and fungi that can harm the palette.
A good wooden palette will be well-made and smooth, allowing your brushes to glide smoothly across it. It should be finished with drying oil that shields the wood from solvent and water damage, and helps it keep its shape. You can purchase pre-finished, ready-to-use palettes or make your own from raw wood. If you use an wooden palette, make sure to wash it every time you paint. Leaving wet paint on a palette may cause it to warp or crack it 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, durable and can hold a significant amount of paint without breaking. They are ideal to mix thick paints, such as alkyds, acrylics, and other heavier-bodied ones.
Vermeer's palettes had replaced the older rectangular ones with handles. The painter supported the palette using his thumb in 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 to make an excellent palette. This will eliminate any fungi or bugs. purchase wood pallets of wood makes it harder to scratch or smooth its surface. A well-used, conditioned wooden palette will get an even, glass-like appearance after years of usage. This is due to the accumulation of thin layers of dry oils that allow the surface maintain its shape.
Easy to clean
If you want an easy-to clean palette that will last for a long time, then a wooden palette is the best way to go. This kind of palette is popular among oil artists and won't scratch or break like a glass one. You can either buy wooden pallets that have been sealed, or make it yourself. You'll need boiling Linseed Oil from the hardware store. Nitrile gloves, and high-quality paper towels or rags. The process of sealing a palette with drying oil fills in the tiny gaps in the wood and creates a smooth surface that gets better with each painting you make.
After you have coated your palette with oil and sprayed it with oil, you'll need to recondition the surface after every painting session. This is crucial since it will keep paints flowing smoothly on the palette and shield your hands from solvents. To make your palette more reconditioned, begin 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 apply it evenly to the entire surface. Then let the oil dry for a few days.
If there is any remaining paint on your palette, a tiny OMS sprayed onto the rag should be enough to eliminate it. Do not use anything sharp 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 use an easy brush instead of using knives. If you scrape too hard, you may damage your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a stylish and durable mixing surface that lets you feel like an artist. buy pallets uk can be used with acrylics, oil paints and alkyds. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides smoothly across the brush as you pick up and mix paint. Palettes made of wood are also light and come in many sizes to fit your hands. They are available in different styles and finishes to match your preferences.
Palettes made of wood have been in use for as long as art itself and are among the oldest mixing surfaces. The wood has a warm brown color that doesn't alter the hues of the paints. This is useful as the perception of colors is affected by the dominant tone on which they are mixed. A wooden palette can also help you see the shades of your paints since it has a mid value that displays the hues.
The first palettes were made of paper or tin foil However, the ones Vermeer used were probably made of wood. A probate inventory from 1676 listed two "twee schilders eesels, three paletten" (two easels for painting and a dry palette). In an allegorical image of Pictura, Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Meieris and Jan Vermeer employed the same kind of palette. A traditional wooden palette for oil painting is usually designed to hold the thumb hole, which is used to support the palette while the other fingers hold the brushes and the maulstick for securing the hand against the canvas while painting.
After cleaning, wipe the surface with a drying oil - Linseed, or another to keep the palette conditioned until the next time you require it. This will fill in the pores in the wood grain, creating an even surface for your brushes. Over time an oil-based palette will develop a gorgeous patina that adds to its appearance.