How to Choose the Right
Artists Palettes
Decent artists palettes are an essential part of any artist's equipment.
Whether you're painting indoors or outside, you have to have somewhere to mix your paints.
Firstly, they come in a variety of guises...
Perhaps best known is the traditional wooden kidney shape, forever associated with the image of the artist in a smock and beret.
Then we have the multitude of artists palettes and paint boxes designed for the watercolorist, through to the special needs of the acrylic painter.
Here, the rapid drying of paints on the palette provides a constant challenge.
Painting Outdoors?
I'll start outside purely because if you're looking for artists palettes that work outdoors...
...they'll probably work as well inside. This isn't always the case in the reverse.
You can of course use virtually any paint palette wherever you want. However, practicalities dictate that you need to be as comfortable as possible whilst painting...
Especially outdoors... even the gentlest, warm breeze can feel like a howling gale when there's paint equipment around. Most artists are a bit unsure about painting outdoors at first.
The
small matter of passers-by looking over your shoulder and
passing (helpful??) comments is a distraction that you don't
want but you do get used to:-)
I prefer them to arrive just as I've started so there's nothing to see, or if the painting's going well and nearly completed.
Of course they never do!
It's always as you're having a minor crisis or it's halfway through and looks like nothing.
That's of course when that cumbersome tray with your paints on decides to join in the fun and add to your discomfort.
Believe me, I've made a few impromptu and unwanted brush strokes slide across a painting as I battled with hyper-active artists palettes. In some cases, it improved the composition no end. Happy accident? Maybe. But I don't recommend it.
You're usually improvising, making the most of the location, which often means standing up. Even if you're not, you probably won't have a convenient table next to you to put essentials on like paint palettes.
Anyway, there's quite enough to be thinking about painting with brushes in one hand, without worrying about an over-large, heavy, paint palette in the other.
Some Outdoor Tips
For outdoor painting, consider the following when looking at the wide selection of artists palettes...
-
For oils, try oblong wooden or melamine artists
palettes that slide inside an oil paints box
(often called a pochade
box) and around 12inches x 8 inches x 3inches).
When you finish, any unused paint can be left on
till you get home.
-
Also for oil
paints, a tear-off paint palette. Strictly
speaking these aren't artists palettes. They are basically
greaseproof paper glued lightly to a pad with a thick card
backing.
About A4 size, when finished, you tear off the top sheet with your used paints and dispose of it, leaving a clean paint palette for next time.
-
Both of these paint palettes have a finger hole to make it
easier to hold when standing up.
-
With acrylics, you can to use the special artists palettes
that keep your paint moist. But see the article on Choosing
& Using Acrylic Paints.
-
You also need to have this on a table or on the ground as
it's not as easy to hold, so you may need to find a seated
location before using acrylics outdoors.
-
Most watercolor
paints palettes are tough but lightweight plastic
or melamine. Even so, look for ones with a finger-hole for
the reasons already mentioned.
-
Whatever medium you use, get into the habit of always
putting your colors out in the same order around the edge.
-
There are various formats you can use, for example, all the
reds and browns next to each other, all the blues and so on.
Or you could put the warm colours on one side and the cool colors opposite. Or maybe the colors you mix most with each other could be adjacent. It doesn't matter - it's your choice.
-
If you have a regular system, you will instinctively know
where the color you want is on the palette, almost without
looking. This really will help your confidence as
your painting progresses...
-
A watercolor paint box often has an inner lid which doubles
as an extra mixing palette, so it can be packed away with
the minimum of fuss.
-
If you want to sit down and there's no table handy, choose a
low seat that means you can put your paint palette on the
floor beside you.
-
Some artists I know prefer to carry two lightweight chairs,
one for them and one for their brushes, art palette and
other accessories.
-
If you're using an outdoor
easels outdoor easel, you may be able to clip
or clamp your paint palette to it. Some easels
have special attachments to allow this.
- And remember, heavy-weight artists palettes suddenly become as light as a feather when you put them down and let the wind play with them.
If they blow away, They're guaranteed to land paint-side down on you, your equipment or your painting. Clip them, clamp them or weight them down whilst you're doing other things.
Let's Move Inside
If you've now come indoors, things get a whole lot easier. You can find a convenient table to put your paint palette on.
You can sit down. Even if you stand up, everything is to hand without battling the elements.
And if you do prefer to hold your palette in your hand, at least you can give yourself a rest without the thing blowing away.
And whilst we're in the calm of 'indoors', let's look at some other pointers to selecting artists palettes...
Wooden art palettes generally come in two shapes. The traditional kidney shape was so designed because it fitted comfortably on top of the artist's forearm, with his or her thumb supporting it via the thumbhole.
The oblong equivalents have, pro-rata, more mixing space, but may be more awkward to hold for some people.
You can get white melamine or hardboard versions and clear acrylic ones as well. Try holding them in an art store to see which is most comfortable. This is important if your preference is mainly standing up to paint.
Acrylic, 'stay-wet' artists palettes are described in more detail in the acrylic paints page. If you get one with an integral compartment for water for keeping your brushes wet, you need to have this flat on a table.
Watercolor
paint palettes are generally white plastic or white
porcelain. The latter has the advantage of weight so
it stays put if you need to mix paint with one hand.
If you pick one of the plastic watercolor palettes, make sure it has at least five or six large mixing areas and sufficient small recesses (wells) for your paints.
The big difference with watercolor palettes over the oil and acrylic equivalents is that you can leave the watercolor paint in indefinitely, just replenishing it as you require.
After each painting session, wipe the mixing areas clean. Next time, moisten and soften your paints with warm water before you start.
If you think plastic is too flimsy for your needs, you can get paint palettes in both brass and aluminium. These are normally painted white inside (so you can see the colors properly) and black on the outside.
They're quite a bit more expensive but a work of art in their own right and will give a lifetime's service.
I've made
reference to watercolor paint boxes. In
reality, these are basically palettes with the lid doubling as
a paint mixing area. There's a huge variety of
shapes, sizes and prices.
Some of them have a compartment for brushes and there are 'Field Boxes' which even have a built-in water bottle, water cup and a pocket sized paintbrush.
You can buy empty paint boxes and fill them with your own paints or they can come with the manufacturer's selection of pans or tubes. Look underneath for a metal loop that serves the same purpose as the thumb hole in a wooden palette.
Do remember that whatever your painting medium, your paint palette can be a real friend or a sworn enemy, depending on how you treat it!
Make sure you clean your palette as soon as you've finished using it, especially with oils and acrylics.
Once these paints go hard, they're the devil to get off and the smooth surface you need on which to mix your paints is lost.
Some artists prefer a dried film of paint on their palettes, but even they clean off the thick residue as soon as they've finished.
There's nothing worse than being inspired to paint and then finding you can't start till you've cleaned your equipment.
By the time you've done that you've probably lost much of the desire and time to paint anyway!
To Summarise...
There's no reason why you shouldn't be comfortable with whatever paint medium you use and whatever artists palettes or box you store and mix your paints in.
There's a wide range to suit every painting medium, every taste and depth of pocket.
Brushes, paints and artists palettes are perhaps the most indivisible of the elements in a good painting. They need to work together in harmony, with the artist. If he or she is not happy with any of them, it will surely manifest itself in the finished work.
I hope these pointers have given you some food for thought, not least once you've bought your paint palette.
They should help you cut through some of the uncertainties you may have over what artists palette best suits you, the medium you use and your particular painting style.
Now go and enjoy!
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