Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?
For oil painting, wooden palettes are used. They are light, durable and easy to clean. They also look beautiful.
Many paintings of artists in their work have survived. Some of these depict wooden pallets similar to the one Vermeer used.
To prepare a wooden palette, clean the surface with an oil that is drying, such as linseed. This is essential because a thin layer of oil helps to keep the palette clean.
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 sturdy and solid. This prevents it from breaking under pressure. It can also be sanded and stained to add the color. click through the following website is also more durable than other kinds of materials, and it doesn't get damaged by fungi and insects. Palettes made of wood are ideal for mixing alkyds and acrylics.
The most popular kind of wooden palette is constructed of pine or maple, both of which can resist warping and cracking. However, it is essential to select a wood that has been treated with heat to stop the growth of fungi and insects. This process is essential to the longevity and quality of a pallet made from wood. A high-quality wooden palette's surface must be smooth and evenly finished. It should have a low level of moisture, which will decrease the possibility of paints becoming damaged or wrinkling.
Another benefit of a wooden palette is that it is easy to keep clean. After each painting session, artist can wipe the palette with a drying oil to condition it for the next. Linseed oil is a great option because it is cheap, readily available and fast drying.
The natural brown tone of a palette made of wood is perfect to mix colors because it is not too dissimilar to the dominant color on the canvas. This helps avoid the perception of the colors as being darker or lighter than they actually are. Vermeer used a typical wooden palette, and in his 1676 probate inventory there is mention of "twee schilders eesels, drye paletten" (two easels for painters and three wooden palettes). Frans van Mieris depicted a painted version of a palette modeled after Vermeer in his allegorical representation in Pictura and Roger de Piles recommended painters to paint the flesh tones from light to dark on a wood palette.
Sturdy
Artists have been using wooden palettes 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 easier to use and handle while painting. They are ideal for mixing alkyds and oil paints. It is essential to choose an alkyd palette made of wood of good quality that has been heat treated. This process eliminates the fungi and insects that can cause damage to the wooden palette.
A high-quality wooden palette is smooth and well-made that allows your brushes to glide effortlessly across it. It should be finished with drying oil that shields the wood from water and solvent damage, and helps it keep its shape. You can purchase ready-to-use, pre-finished palettes or make your own from raw wood. If you're using a wooden palette, make sure to clean it after every painting session. The paint that is left wet on a palette could cause it to crack or warp over time.
Wooden Palettes remain popular among artists. They were the first mixing surfaces to be used to mix oil paints. They're light and sturdy, and they can hold large amounts of paint without breaking. They are great for mixing thick paints like acrylics, alkyds and other thick-bodied ones.
In the time of Vermeer, the common palette with a hole to accommodate the thumb had replaced the rectangular type with handles. The painter held the palette with his thumb inside the hole, allowing him to free his other fingers to hold brushes as well as the mahlstick.
A good quality palette is made of wood like spruce or other that has been treated with heat to get rid of any insects or fungi. Heat treatment of wood makes it more difficult to scratch or sand its surface. After a long period of use, a well-used and maintained wooden pallet will have a smooth, almost glass-like finish. This is due to the buildup of thin layers of drying oil that help the surface retain 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 type of palette is popular with oil painters and will not chip or splinter as a glass one. You can either buy a wooden pallet that has been sealed, or make it yourself. To do this you'll need boiling linseed oil purchased from the hardware store, nitrile gloves and high-quality paper towels or rags (if it has bits, don't use it). The process of sealing a palette using drying oil fills in the tiny gaps in the wood and creates an even surface that will improve with each painting you make.
After you have your palette oiled you will need to recondition it after each painting session. This is important since it will keep paints mixing smoothly on the palette and shield your hands from solvents. Start by lightly sanding your palette with 180-grit paper. This will open the wood grain, allowing it to absorb oil more easily. Then pour a bowl of linseed oil on the palette and then use a rag to apply it evenly to the entire surface. Then, let the oil dry for a couple of days.
Once your palette is dry, you can use a paper towel to wipe it off and if any paint remains some OMS on a rag will take it off. 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 dried paint off your palette, it's best to use a soft brush instead of a knife. If you scrape too hard, you can cause damage to your palette.
Aesthetically pleasing
A wooden palette is a stylish and sturdy 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 smoothly across the brush when you mix and take in paint. Palettes made of wood are available in a variety of 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 has been around since the beginning of art. The wood has a warm brown hue that doesn't affect the hues of the paints. This is important because the predominant tone determines the perception of the color. A wooden palette can also help you see the hues of your paints as it has a mid value that shows the hues.
Vermeer's palettes are likely to be made of wood. The earliest palettes may be made from paper or tin, however they were most likely wooden. In a 1676 probate inventory, two painters easels were listed, along with three palettes. Vermeer's contemporary Frans van Mieris can be depicted using the same type of palette in an allegorical painting depicting Pictura. A traditional wooden palette used for oil painting is generally designed to hold the thumb hole, which is used to support the palette. the other fingers hold the brushes and the maulstick to steady the hand over the canvas while painting.
After cleaning the surface, wipe it clean with a drying oil -- linseed, or another -- to keep the palette in good condition until the next time you need it. This will fill the pores in the wood grain and create a smoother surface for your brushes. As time passes, an oiled palette will develop an attractive patina which adds to its character.