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 paintings of artists working have survived. Some of them show the same wooden palette as the ones Vermeer employed.
To prepare a wood palette clean it using drying oils like safflower or linseed. It is essential to keep the palette in good working order by applying a thin layer of oil.
Lightweight
Contrary to glass or tear-off palettes, a wooden palette is light and can be carried easily at the easel. Its thickness also makes it strong and stable, preventing it from bending under pressure. In addition, it can be sanded down and stained to add color. A wooden palette is more durable and resistant to fungi and insects than other materials. Palettes made of wood are also great for mixing acrylics and alkyds.
The most popular wooden palettes are made from pine or maple. Both of these woods can resist the effects of warping and crazing. It is important to choose a wood that's been heat-treated to stop the growth of insects or fungi. This is crucial to the durability and quality of a pallet made from wood. Furthermore the surface of a high-quality wooden palette must be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have a low moisture content which reduces the chance of damage or wrinkling to paints.
Another advantage of a wooden palette is that it's easy to keep clean. Painters can clean the palette after each painting session using dry lubricant to condition it. Linseed oil is a great choice due to its low cost, readily-available and quick-drying.
The natural brown tone of a palette made of wood is ideal for mixing colors as it is not too dissimilar to the dominant color on the canvas. This helps to avoid the perception of the colors as being lighter or darker than they actually are. Vermeer employed the standard wooden palette. In his inventory of 1676 it is noted that "tweeschilders eesels" (two painters' easels) and "drye paletten" (3 wooden palettes) were present. In Pictura, Frans van Meieris painted a Vermeer style palette and Roger de Piles suggested that artists paint flesh tones on a wooden palette ranging from light to dark.
Sturdy
Palettes made of wood have been used by artists for centuries due to the fact that they're durable and sturdy. They are lighter than glass or tear-off pallets and more sturdy than paper palettes. This makes them more comfortable to hold and use while painting. These palettes are great for mixing alkyds and oil paints. It is essential to choose a wooden palette of high quality that has been heat treated. This process eliminates the insects and fungi that could cause damage to the palette.
A top-quality wooden palette will be smooth and well-made that allows your brushes to glide easily across it. It should be sprayed with a drying oil that protects the wood from solvent and water damage, and helps maintain its shape. You can find pre-finished, ready-to-use palettes or build your own using raw wood. If you use a wooden palette, be sure to clean it every time you paint. Leaving wet paint on a palette can crack or warp over time.
Wooden Palettes are still popular with artists. They were the first mixing surfaces to be used to mix oil paints. They're light, durable and can hold a large amount of paint without breaking. They are also great for mixing alkyds, acrylics and other thick-bodied paints.
In the time of Vermeer, the common palette with a hole for the thumb was replaced by the older rectangular kind that had handles. The artist held the palette by putting his thumb inside the hole, allowing him free the remaining fingers to hold brushes and the mahlstick.
Woods treated with heat, such as spruce and other hardwoods are used to create an excellent palette. New Wood Pallet For Sale eliminates any bugs or fungi. Heat treatment of wood makes it more difficult to scratch or sand its surface. After a few years of use a well-used, conditioned wooden pallet will have a smooth, almost glass-like finish. This is due a buildup thin layers of drying oil that help the surface to keep its shape.
Easy to clean
If you want a smooth, easy to clean palette that will last for a long time, then a wooden palette is the best way to go. This type of pallet is a favorite among oil artists because it doesn't break or crack like a glass palette. You can purchase a wood palette pre-oiled or seal it yourself. You'll need boiling Linseed Oil purchased from a 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 an even surface that improves with each painting you do.
After you have oiled your palette, you will need to refresh the surface after each painting session. This is crucial since it will keep your paints mixed smoothly on the palette and shield your hands from solvents. To recondition your palette start by lightly sanding it using 180-grit sandpaper. This will open the grain of the wood, allowing it absorb oils more easily. Put a small amount of linseed onto the palette, and use a rag or a cloth to wipe it across the entire surface. Let the oil dry for one or two days.
When your palette is dry you can use a paper towel to wipe it off and if you have any leftover paint a little OMS on a rag will remove it. Do not attempt to scrape off the dried paint using anything sharp as this could scratch and harm your palette.
If you have to scrape dried paint off your palette, it's best to use the soft brush instead of using a knife. If you scrape it too hard, you will splinter the wood and ruin the palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a beautiful and sturdy mixing surface that makes you feel like an artist. It is suitable for oil paints, as well as alkyds and acrylics. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and glides effortlessly across the brush as you pick up and mix paint. Wooden palettes are also lightweight and come in various sizes to accommodate your hands. They are available in different finishes and styles.
The wooden palette is one of the oldest mixing surfaces. It's been in use since the time of art. They have a natural warm brown tone that doesn't alter the colors of the paints on it. This is useful as the perception of colors is influenced by the dominant tone which they are mixed. A wooden palette helps you to determine the colors of your paints because it has a mid-value that shows the hues against.
Vermeer's palettes are likely to be made from wood. The first palettes could have been made from paper or tin, however they are most likely made of wood. The probate inventory of 1676 listed two "twee schilders eesels" and three paletten" (two easels for painting and a dry palette). In an allegorical picture of Pictura, Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Meieris and Jan Vermeer used the same type of palette. A traditional wooden palette used for oil painting is usually designed to hold the thumb hole that is used to support the palette. the remaining fingers hold the brushes and the maulstick to steady the hand over the canvas while painting.
After a clean-up, wipe the surface of your wooden palette with dry oils like linseed, or any other- to keep it conditioned for the next time you use it. This will fill in the tiny pores of the the wood and create an even surface that is easier for your brushes to work on. As time passes, an oiled palette will develop an attractive patina which adds to its appearance.