Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
For oil painting wooden palettes are employed. They are light, durable and easy to clean. They also look gorgeous.
Many images of painters at work have survived. where to get pallets of these depict wooden pallets similar to the one that Vermeer used.
To prepare a wooden palette, wipe the surface clean with a drying oil such as linseed. This is essential because a thin layer oil keeps the palette conditioned.
Lightweight
Contrary to glass or tear-off palettes, a wooden palette is lighter and can be held easily at ease. The thickness of the wood makes it strong and sturdy. This stops it from bending under pressure. It can also be sanded and stained to give it colour. A wood palette is more durable than other kinds of materials and does not get damaged by fungi and insects. The wooden palettes are ideal for mixing alkyds and acrylics.
The most commonly used wooden palettes are made of maple or pine. Both of these woods can resist cracking and warping. It is important to choose one that has been treated to stop the growth of insects or fungi. This is vital to the long-term durability of the wooden palette. Furthermore, the surface of a quality wood palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should be free of concentration of moisture, which can reduce the chance of paints being damaged or wrinkled.
A wooden palette has another excellent benefit: it's easy to clean. The painter can wipe down the palette after each painting session with an oil that is drying to maintain it. Linseed oil is a great choice due to its low cost easily available and quick drying.
The natural brown of wooden palettes is ideal for mixing colors because it is a similar color to the dominant color of the canvas. This helps to avoid the impression that the colors appear as being lighter or darker than they actually are. Vermeer utilized the traditional wooden palette. In a 1676 inventory it is noted that "tweeschilders eesels" (two easels for painters) and "drye paletten" (3 wooden palettes) were present. Frans van Mieris painted the painted version of a Vermeer-style palette in his allegorical character in Pictura and Roger de Piles recommended painters to paint the flesh tones from light to dark on a wood palette.
Sturdy
Palettes made of wood have been utilized by artists for centuries because they are sturdy and durable. They're lighter than tear-off or glass palettes and they're more sturdy 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 important to choose a good wooden palette that has been heat-treated. This eliminates bugs and fungi that can cause damage to the palette.
A high-quality wooden palette is well-made and smooth, making it 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. You can find ready-to-use palettes that have been finished or pre-finished. You can also build your own using raw wood. If you're using a wooden palette, be sure to clean it after each painting session. Paint that is wet on a wooden palette could cause it to crack or warp over time.
Wooden Palettes are still popular with artists. They were the first mixing surfaces that could be used to mix oil paints. They are lightweight and sturdy and can hold large amounts of paint without breaking. They are also great to mix alkyds, acrylics, and any other thick-bodied paints.
In the time of Vermeer, the popular palette with a hole to accommodate the thumb had replaced the older rectangular kind that had handles. The painter held the palette using his thumb in the hole, allowing him free his other fingers to hold brushes as well as the mahlstick.
A high-quality palette is made of spruce or another hardwood that has been treated with heat to kill any insects or fungi. The treatment process of heating wood makes it more difficult to scratch or smooth its surface. A well-used, maintained wooden palette will acquire a smooth, glass-like finish after years of usage. This is due to the buildup of thin layers of dried oil that helps the surface to keep its shape.
Easy to clean
A wood palette gives you an easy-to-clean, smooth palette that will last many years. This kind of palette is popular with oil painters and will not break or shatter like glass ones. You can purchase a wood palette pre-oiled, or seal it yourself. To seal it, you'll need boiling linseed oil purchased 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 a drying oil fills the tiny gaps in the wood and creates an even surface that will improve with each painting that you do.
After you have coated your palette with oil after you have oiled it, you must refresh the surface after each painting session. This is essential since it will keep your paints in a smooth and even mix on the palette and protect your hands from solvents. To recondition your palette start by lightly sanding it using 180-grit sandpaper. This will open up the grain of the wood and allow it absorb oils more easily. Put a small amount of linseed onto the palette, then use a rag or cloth to wipe it over the entire surface. Let the oil dry for a few days.
If any paint remains on your palette, a little OMS spray on the rag should be enough to eliminate it. You should not try to scrape off the dried paint with anything sharp because this will scratch and damage your palette.
If you have to scrape a bit of dried paint off your palette it's best to rub it with a soft brush instead of using knives. If you scrape it too hard you will splinter the wood and ruin the palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a beautiful and durable mixing surface that lets you feel like an artist. It can be used with oil paints, acrylics and alkyds. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides easily across the brush when you pick up and mix paint. Wooden palettes can be found in various sizes and are lightweight. They come in different designs and finishes.
Wooden palettes have been around for as long as art itself and are one of the oldest mixing surfaces. The wood has a warm brown hue that doesn't affect the hues of the paints. This is beneficial since the perception of colors is influenced by the dominant tone which they are mixed. A wooden palette also helps you to determine the color values of your paints because it has a mid-value that displays the hues against.
The palettes of Vermeer are likely to be made of wood. The first palettes could be made from paper or tin, however they were probably made of wood. The probate inventory of 1676 listed two "twee schilders eesels, three paletten" (two easels for painting and a dry palette). Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Mieris is depicted using the same type of palette in an allegorical painting depicting Pictura. A traditional wooden palette used for oil painting is usually designed to hold the thumb hole that is used to support the palette, while the remaining fingers hold brushes and the maulstick to hold the hand on the canvas while painting.
After cleaning the surface, clean it with a drying oil, linseed, or another - to keep the palette conditioned until the next time you need it. This will fill in the pores in the wood grain, creating an even surface for your brushes. Over the years an oil-based palette will develop a gorgeous patina that will add to its appeal.