The 12 Worst Types Of People You Follow On Twitter

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 beautiful.

Many images of painters in action have survived. Some depict the same wooden palette as those Vermeer employed.

To make a wooden palette wipe the surface clean with an oil that is drying, such as linseed. It is important to keep the palette in good working order by applying an oily layer.

Lightweight

A wooden pallet is lighter than glass or tear-off pallets, and can be easily held at the easel. The thickness of the wood makes it strong and solid. This prevents it from bending when under pressure. It can also be sanded or stained to give it colour. A wooden palette is more durable and resistant to insects and fungi than other materials. The wooden palettes are ideal to mix alkyds and acrylics.

The most common wooden palettes are made of pine or maple. Both of these woods are resistant to cracking and warping. It is important to choose the wood that has been treated with heat to stop the growth of insects or fungi. This is crucial to the durability and quality of a pallet made from wood. Additionally the surface of a quality wooden palette must be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have low moisture content, which will minimize the chance of wrinkling or damage to paints.

A wooden palette comes with a great feature: it's easy to clean. After every painting session, the painter can clean the palette with a drying oil to condition it for next time. Linseed oil is a good choice due to its low cost, readily available and quick-drying.

The natural brown of a wooden palette is perfect for mixing colors because it is similar to the predominant color of the canvas. This helps avoid the perception of the colors as being lighter or darker than they actually are. Vermeer employed a standard wooden palette, and in his 1676 probate inventory, there's mention of "twee schilders eesels, drye paletten" (two easels for painters and three wooden palettes). Frans van Mieris painted an image of a Vermeer-styled palette in his allegorical character in Pictura and Roger de Piles recommended painters to lay out the flesh tones from light to dark on a wooden palette.

Sturdy

Wooden palettes have been used by artists for centuries because they are sturdy and durable. They're lightweight compared to tear-off or glass palettes, and are more durable than paper ones. This makes them much easier to carry and use while painting. They are also a great option to mix oil paints and alkyds. It is essential to choose an untreated wooden palette of top quality that has been heat treated. This process kills insects and fungi that could cause damage to the palette.

A high-quality wooden palette is smooth and well-made which allows your brushes to glide effortlessly across it. It should be finished with dry oil to shield the wood from water and solvent damage and help it maintain its shape. You can find ready-to-use, pre-finished palettes or make your own from raw wood. If you're using a wood palette, be sure to clean it after every painting session. Wet paint left on a palette made of wood can cause it to warp or crack over time.

Wooden Palettes were one of the first mixing surfaces for oil paints, and they're still a favorite choice for many artists. They are lightweight, sturdy and can hold a lot of paint without breaking. They are great for mixing thick paints such as acrylics, alkyds and other heavy-bodied ones.

In Vermeer's time, the familiar palette with a hole to accommodate the thumb had replaced the rectangular type that had an handle. The painter supported the palette using his thumb inside the hole, which allowed him to free his remaining fingers for holding brushes and the mahlstick.

A high-quality palette is made of spruce or other hardwood which has been treated to kill any fungi or insects. The treatment of wood with heat makes it more difficult to scratch or sand the surface of the palette. After a long period of use, a well-used and maintained wooden pallet will have a smooth, almost glass-like surface. This is due to the build-up of thin layers of dried oils that aid the surface retain its shape.

Easy to clean

A wood palette will give you an easy-to-clean, smooth palette that will last for years. This kind of palette is popular with oil artists and won't scratch or break like glass ones. You can purchase a wood palette that has been pre-oiled or seal it yourself. You'll require boiled Linseed Oil from the hardware store. Nitrile gloves, as well as high-quality paper towels or rags. 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 you do.

Once you have your palette oily, you'll have to clean it after each painting session. This is essential as it will keep paints mixing smoothly on the pallet and also protect your hand from solvents. To recondition your palette start by lightly sanding the surface with 180-grit sandpaper. This will open the wood grain and help it to absorb oils more easily. Then, pour a small amount of linseed oil onto your palette and then use a rag to wipe it evenly over the entire surface. Allow the oil to dry for one or two days.

After your palette has dried you can use a paper towel to wipe it clean and if there is any remaining paint a little OMS on a rag will remove it. Do not attempt to scrape the dried paint off with anything sharp, as it can scratch and damage your palette.

If you need to scrape dried paint from your palette, it's best to employ a soft brush instead of cutting. If you scrape it too hard you will splinter the wood and ruin your palette.

Aesthetically pleasing

A wooden palette is a beautiful and sturdy mixing surface that makes you feel like an artist. It can be used with acrylics, oil paints and alkyds. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides easily across the brush as you mix and pick up paint. Wooden palettes can be found in a variety of sizes and are lightweight. They are available in different designs and finishes.

The wooden palette is one of the oldest mixing surfaces. It has been around since art was created. They have a natural warm brown tone that doesn't change the colors of the paints on it. This is important since the perception of colors is influenced by the dominant tone which they are mixed.  wooden palette​  can also help you to see the colors of your paints because it has a mid-value which will show the hues against.

The earliest palettes were made from tin foil or paper, but the ones Vermeer used were probably made of wood. In a 1676 probate inventory two easels for painters were included along with three palettes. In an allegorical picture of Pictura Vermeer's peers Frans van Meieris and Jan Vermeer employed the same kind of palette. 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 and maulsticks to steady the hand when painting.

After a cleansing session, wipe the surface of your wooden palette with dry oils - linseed or other -- to keep it conditioned for the next time you will use it. This will fill the tiny pores of the the wood and create a smooth surface that is easier for your brushes to work on. As time passes, an oiled palette will develop a beautiful patina that adds to its appearance.