Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
For oil painting wooden palettes are utilized. They are lightweight and easy to clean. They also look beautiful.
Many depictions of painters in action have survived. Some depict an unfinished wooden pallet, like the one Vermeer used.
To make a wooden palette wipe the surface clean with an oil that is drying, like linseed. It is essential to keep the palette in good shape by applying an oil-based coating.
Lightweight
A wooden pallet is lighter than glass or tear-off pallets, and is able to be held easily at the easel. Its thickness makes it rigid and stable. This prevents it from bending under pressure. It can also be sanded and stained to add the color. A wood palette is more sturdy and resistant to fungi and insects than other materials. Wooden palettes are also ideal for mixing alkyds and acrylics.
The most popular type of wooden palette is made of pine or maple, both of which can resist warping and cracking. It is essential to select a wood that's been heat-treated to keep insects or fungi. This process is essential to the longevity and quality of a wooden pallet. Additionally the surface of a good wood palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have a low moisture content, which reduces the chance of wrinkling or damage 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 dry lubricant to make it more sanitary. Linseed oil is a great choice due to its low cost and readily available, as well as quick drying.
The natural brown tone of a wood palette is ideal to mix colors because it isn't too different to the dominant color of the canvas. This can help avoid the perception that the colors are 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 included. In Pictura, Frans van Meieris painted a Vermeer style palette and Roger de Piles suggested that artists lay out flesh tones on a wooden palette from light to dark.
Sturdy
Artists have used wooden palettes for centuries because they're sturdy and durable. They're lightweight compared to tear-off or glass palettes and they're more rigid than paper ones. This makes them easier for you to hold and use while painting. They are ideal for mixing oil paints and alkyds. It is important to select an alkyd palette made of wood of good quality that has been treated. This process eliminates the insects and fungi that could harm the palette.
A high-quality wooden palette is made well and smooth, making it easy for your brushes to glide across. It should be finished in an oil that is drying to protect the wood against water and solvent damage and keep its shape. There are ready-to-use palettes that have been finished or pre-finished. You can also create your own using raw wood. If you are using an wooden palette, make sure to wash it every time you paint. If you leave wet paint on a palette can crack or warp over time.
Wooden Palettes are still popular among artists. They were the first mixing surfaces to be used to mix oil paints. They are lightweight and sturdy and can hold large amounts of paint without breaking. They are also great for mixing alkyds, acrylics and other heavy-bodied paints.
In Vermeer's time, the familiar palette with a hole for the thumb had replaced the earlier rectangular model with a handle. The artist held the palette by putting his thumb in the hole, which allowed him to free his other fingers for holding brushes and the mahlstick.
A high-quality palette is made of wood like spruce or other that has been treated with heat to eliminate any insects or fungi. The treatment process of heating wood makes it more difficult to scratch or sand its surface. A well-used, conditioned wooden palette will get a smooth, glass-like finish after years of usage. This is due to the buildup of thin layers of drying oil that helps the surface maintain its shape.
Easy to clean
If you are looking for a smooth, easy to clean palette that will last for a long time, then a wooden palette is the way to go. This kind of palette is a favorite among oil artists because it doesn't break or shatter like a glass palette. You can purchase a wood palette pre-oiled, or seal it yourself. To do this you'll need boiled linseed oil from the hardware store, nitrile gloves and high-quality paper towels or rags (if it leaves bits, don't use it). Sealing a palette using drying oil will fill in the small gaps and create a smooth surface. This will get better with each painting.
After you have coated your palette with oil after you have oiled it, you must recondition the surface after every painting session. This is essential because it will keep your paints in a smooth and even mix on the palette, and also protect your hands from solvents. Start by lightly sanding the palette with 180-grit papers. This will help open up the wood grain which allows it to absorb oil more easily. Place a pool of linseed on the palette, then use a rag or a cloth to wipe it over the entire surface. Then, let the oil dry for a few days.
If any paint remains on your palette, a small amount of OMS applied to a rag will remove it. You should not try to scrape the dried paint off with anything sharp, as this could scratch and harm your palette.
If you need to scrape a bit of dried paint off your palette, it's best to rub it with a soft brush rather than using a knife. If you scrape it too vigorously, you will splinter the wood and ruin your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a stylish and durable 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 you mix and pick up paint. Wooden palettes are available in different sizes and are lightweight. They are available in different finishes and styles to suit your preferences.
The wooden palette is among the oldest mixing surfaces. It's been in use since the beginning of art. They have natural warm brown tones that doesn't change the colors of the paints that are on it. This is important since the predominant tone determines the perception of color. A wooden palette also helps you to see the color values of your paints as it has a mid-value that will show the hues against.
Vermeer's palettes are likely to be made of wood. purchase used pallets may have been made from paper or tin, but they are most likely made of wood. A probate inventory from 1676 listed two "twee schilders eesels" and three paletten" (two easels for painters and a dry palette). Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Mieris can be seen using the same kind of palette in an allegorical painting of Pictura. A traditional wooden oil painting palette is made with a thumb hole that is used to support it. the remaining fingers are used to hold brushes as well as maulsticks for stabilizing the hand while painting.
After cleaning the surface, clean it with a drying oil - either linseed or another- to keep the palette in good condition until the next time you need it. This will fill in the tiny pores of the grain of the wood and create a smooth surface which 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.