Blog entry by Mauricio Fairweather

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Why Use a Wooden Palette For Oil Painting?

For oil painting wooden palettes are employed. They are light, durable and easy to clean. They are also beautiful.

Many images of artists in their work have survived. Some of them show the same wooden palette as those Vermeer used.

To prepare a palette made of wood clean it with drying oils such as linseed or safflower. This is important because a thin layer oil helps keep the palette in good condition.

Lightweight

WhatsApp-Image-2023-09-21-at-4.00.07-AM2.jpegA wooden palette is lighter than glass or tear-off Pallets of Wood for sale​ and can be easily positioned on the easel. The thickness of the wood makes it strong and solid. This prevents it from bending under pressure. It can also be sanded and stained to add colour. A wood palette is more durable than other kinds of materials and does not be damaged by fungi or insects. The wooden palettes are great for mixing acrylics with alkyds.

The most commonly used type of wooden palette is made of pine or maple, both of which can resist warping and cracking. It is, however, essential to look for a wood that has been heat-treated to keep insects and fungi out. This process is essential to the durability and quality of a pallet made from wood. Furthermore, the surface of a good wood palette should be smooth and evenly sanded. It should also have a low moisture content which will reduce the risk of cracks or wrinkling paints.

A wooden palette also has a excellent benefit: it's easy to clean. After each painting session, artist can wipe the palette with a drying oil to prepare it for the next. Linseed oil is an excellent option because it is cheap, readily available and quick-drying.

WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-17-at-5.15.44-AM1.jpegThe natural brown hue of a wooden palette is perfect for mixing colors, as it is similar to the predominant color of the canvas. This helps avoid the perception of the colors as being darker or lighter than they actually are. Vermeer used the typical wooden palette. In an inventory from 1676 it is noted that "tweeschilders eesels" (two easels for painting) and "drye paletten" (3 wooden palettes) were included. In Pictura, Frans van Meieris painted a Vermeer style palette and Roger de Piles suggested that painters paint flesh tones on a wooden palette ranging from light to dark.

Sturdy

Wooden palettes 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 of wood for sale​ and more rigid than paper palettes. This makes them easier to handle and use when painting. They also make an excellent choice to mix oil paints and alkyds. It is essential to choose an alkyd palette made of wood of good quality that has been treated. This process kills insects and fungi that could harm the palette.

A good quality wooden palette is made well and smooth, making it easy for brushes to glide across. It must be finished with an oil for drying that protects the wood from solvent and water damage, and helps maintain its shape. There are pre-finished palettes that are ready for use, or you can create your own using raw wood. If you're using a wood palette, ensure that you clean it after each painting session. Paint that's wet on a palette made of wood can cause it to crack or warp over time.

Wooden Palettes were among the first mixing surfaces for oil paints. They're still a favorite choice for a lot of artists. They are lightweight, sturdy and can hold a large pallets amount of paint without breaking. They are also ideal for mixing alkyds, acrylics and other heavy-bodied paints.

Vermeer's palettes were replaced by rectangular ones that were previously used with handles. The painter held the palette with his thumb inside the hole, which allowed him to free his other fingers to hold brushes and the mahlstick.

A high-quality palette is made from spruce or another hardwood which has been treated to eliminate any insects or fungi. The treatment of wood with heat can also make it harder to scratch or scratch the surface of the palette. A well-used and maintained wooden palette will acquire a smooth, glass-like surface after years of usage. This is due to a buildup of thin layers of drying oils that allow the surface retain its shape.

Easy to clean

A wood palette will give you a smooth, easy-to-clean palette that lasts for many years. This kind of palette is popular among oil artists and will not break or shatter like glass ones. You can either buy a wooden pallet buying​ that has been sealed or you can make it yourself. You'll need boiled Linseed Oil, which you can purchase from the hardware store. Nitrile gloves, and high-quality paper towels or rags. The process of sealing a palette with drying oil will fill in the small gaps and smooth the surface. This will improve with every painting.

After you have your palette oiled you will have to clean it after every painting session. This is essential since it will keep your paints in a smooth and even mix on the palette, and also protect your hands from solvents. Begin by lightly sanding your palette using 180-grit paper. This will open the wood grain and help it to absorb oils more easily. Place a pool of linseed on the palette, and then employ a rag or cloth to wipe it across the entire surface. Let the oil dry for a couple of days.

If there is any remaining paint on your palette, a little OMS sprayed onto a rag should eliminate it. It is not recommended to use anything sharp to scrape away the dried paint. This could cause damage to your palette.

If you are required to scrape dried paint from your palette, it's best to use a soft brush rather than using a knife. If you scrape too hard, you can harm your palette.

Aesthetically pleasing

A wooden palette is a stylish and durable mixing surface. It 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 smoothly across the brush when you pick up and mix paint. Wooden palettes are also light and come in many sizes to suit your hands. They are available in a variety of finishes and styles where to get pallets​ suit your preferences.

The wooden palette is among the oldest mixing surfaces. It has been around since art was created. The wood has a warm brown color that doesn't affect the colors of the paints. This is important because the predominant tone influences the perception of color. A wooden palette may 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 might be made from tin or paper, but they were most likely wooden. 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 seen using the same type of palette in an allegorical painting of Pictura. A traditional wooden palette used for oil painting is usually designed to hold the thumb hole that serves to support the palette, while the other fingers hold brushes and the maulstick for securing the hand on the canvas while painting.

After a cleansing session After a cleaning session, clean the surface of a wooden palette with dry oils - like linseed, or any other- to keep it conditioned for the next time you work with it. This will fill the tiny pores in the grain of the wood and create an even surface that is easier for your brushes to work on. With time, a well oiled palette will develop an attractive patina, which will add to its appearance.

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