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Mucky palette....
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Message
Posted
Here's a question to keep the pot boiling in between removing more ********* spammers....
I always used to scrape my palette clean, dispose of the unused paint, polish the surface with turps, then give it a quick buffing with Linseed Oil. But as I've got older, I've got lazier; and I observe that many artists just don't bother with this ritual, to the extent that I now see little point in it - a) I use most of the paint on the palette anyway, not leaving much to scrape off; and b) I normally squeeze new paint onto the palette in more or less the same order, and if anything the areas of old paint remind me to do that - but am I just being disgustingly indolent, and deserve condign punishment? Am I the loathsome little sluggard, keeping company here with those who scrupulously clean their palette every time, even between painting sessions?
I can't guarantee that I shall take any notice if you tell me that yes, indeed, I am a disgrace to the profession and should have my brushes ritually snapped in front of me, but as a matter of curiosity - I'm wondering what most of us do.
Posted
Well Robert what an interesting topic and an awful thought, having your brushes snapped in front of you! Since the lockdown I’ve been using a pad of paper palettes which can still be carefully scraped when the paint dries to a lump, otherwise binned and a new one started. When I’m painting plein air I have an option of two different sized pochade boxes with built in palettes and those I do scrape off and clean as needed, but there is usually residue remaining. Then they get a thorough clean every so often. I had a tutor who had a disgusting palette which got well scraped but apparently never properly cleaned and always produced startled “ughs” by students!
Topically I have been chewing over buying a wooden palette, so perhaps this discussion might extend to which type, size etc you and others might recommend. I used to have one but it has disappeared into that great art studio in the sky.
Posted
Well, like Robert, I’m basically an animal when it comes to cleaning my palette. (Not that I’m saying he’s an animal)...
Anyway, the one I mainly use in the studio at the moment is I think a Mabef. It’s wood coloured melamine which does clean off more easily than some of my wooden ones that I have lying around. I just scrape off the paint and use a rag soaked in white household spirit, that’s fine for me - it does eventually become really discoloured and lumpy, but that’s no big issue!
Like Tessa, outdoors, I use the wooden one from my pochade box, I do tend to take more care of this one, but not oiling it or stuff like that! Perhaps I should!
There are some new shapes of palette available now, well, not exactly new, but much different to the traditional shapes we’re used to seeing. One of the manufacturers is New Wave, they’re possibly more ergonomic to use, but they have a hefty price tag of around the £80 mark. I will look after that if I do decide to buy one at some point.
The good old disposable palette in pad form are useful, that’s if you don’t mind mixing your colours on a white surface! Many don’t.
Posted
Yes Alan I’ve looked at the New Wave palettes and they are pricey. I believe Haidee-Jo uses and recommends them. The disposable pads are available in grey or what they call ‘timber’ shades but I haven’t tried either. My small pad fits nicely on top of the open desk drawer next to my easel which is quite useful, but I would like a wooden one. It’s something I’ve been considering for a while as the paper one is fast running out so I need to decide soon.
Posted
I currently use a grey disposable pad, which I like (though I also have white ones). I also "recycle" by using an eclectic mix of plastic tub lids; glass dishes that came with posh(ish) individual puddings; and jar lids! I have plastic pallets which I now only use for watercolours; but no proper wooden pallets, yet.
Posted
Well I haven’t seen the disposable pads in grey, that’s interesting!
Yes, Haidee-Jo does show one of these new shapes in her book, as I recall, I will probably buy one soon, the shape looks interesting. They’re pretty big, which is always a good thing for me, I do like to have plenty of mixes going on during a session.
Chopping boards Paul, well not for me, a good palette is the right weight and more importantly balanced, I do like my branded products, but that’s just me!
I never like to skimp on materials, whatever that may be, paints and brushes in particular, oil painting is difficult enough, I need to start off on the right footing!
Posted
I do have a number of palettes - the biggest one is home-made and cut (not by me! I am lethal with carpentry) in plywood, and I try to keep that at least flat, if not actually clean - i.e. the ridges get scraped off. The others are basically hardboard or ply art student palettes - passed on to me by an art student, indeed, and they were pretty well-used when she did (I think she bought a bigger one - I got the leavings).
I've seen the New Wave palettes - I would buy one, but at that price I'd just have to clean it properly; which is a good reason in itself for not getting one... I also took a glance at the Bob Ross palette - it's big, which I like; but it's made in a transparent plastic material .... wonder how long it'd last, and also whether I really want a palette I can see through.... The one thing about my wooden ones is that they may get disgusting to look at, but they'll long outlive me.
I'd rather have wood than the disposable paper palettes - or if I had a proper studio, rather than a corner of the flat, even glass or marble set on a table (a chap can dream...). I have used the disposable ones, but I think they're flimsy, I don't like any surface I've so far seen, they can rip under the painting knife (one is fairly clumsy...) and I don't want to go buying things I don't need. Let's be honest, they also strike me as a bit infra dig: proper painters use proper palettes, that's what I say......
And if I spent as much time checking my art supplies as I do nattering here, I wouldn't have run out of Raw Sienna, but that's something else again.....
Posted
A transparent palette just about sums up Bob Ross! I can’t imagine anything more confusing than a see-through palette!
I’ve not found the disposable ones too flimsy, they do have a stout backboard, but they’re tiny. Wood is definitely the best material.
You can mix raw sienna, can’t you? but you know that anyway!
Posted
The grey New Wave disposable pallet I have is 11 x 16 " which isn't too bad for size I find. I bought this for taking to art class but have continued to use it for acrylics in particular so as not to flush lots of acrylic paint into the drainage system.
I'm finding this discussion very useful and think I need to look at getting a wooden pallet to use with my oils (which I don't use nearly as much as I would like to as I don't really have anywhere I can leave them to dry safely)