palettes?

[barnest]

Hi,

Should begin oil painting in 2 weeks. I'm teaching myself (with the aid of several highly- recommended books). What sort of palettes do you recommend?

Do you hold it with your thumb and forefingers? Or place it on a table?

I was wondering, because glass was also recommended as the material. The waterjet here should be able to cut a thumbhole through the glass and without breaking it.



thanks!
-Bernard Arnest

[Flake]

Mine is a bit of glass that sits on a sort of cabinet in front of me with the painting I'm working on directly above it.

Edit- apologies for sketch quality but hopefully this shows how I've got the thing set up- I didn't have cash (or space) for easels etc so I knocked something together from this old cabinet that was sitting around the house and some glass and hardboard, not exactly stylish but it does the job. :)

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/7001/paintgsetupwo8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[dose]

I'd recommend either a piece of glass on a table, or a nice wooden thumb palette. It's mainly a matter of preference. There are some advantages to both. The glass is very easy to clean with a paint scraper (the kind with a razor blade is the best). With the wooden thumb palette and some metal thinner cups attached you can have everything you need on your arm, and are free to move around a lot.

I prefer the wooden thumb palette when painting from life, because I tend to move around a lot and often like mixing far from the easel. If I use the glass I tend not to step back as much, since I'm usually busy mixing next to it right by the easel. I also find I feel more immersed in the whole process with the thumb palette- it's right there under my nose and the whole process feels more organic.

In my studio I prefer the glass because I don't have much room to step back and prefer the easy cleanup.

If you're using the wooden palette, you may want to adjust the size & shape of the thumb hole. Most of the commercial ones available just drill a quick hole through the wood which can be pretty hard on your thumb & hand.

If you're using glass don't cut a thumb hole in it- use it flat on a table, with a nice sheet of white paper under it. Otherwise you're asking for cuts & breakage.

[barnest]

Hi,

Thanks! I'll try a wooden palette for a while first; coat it in a thin layer of epoxy to seal it. If I'm happy with the thumb hole (do you have a sketch of roughly what you prefer, to start from?), cutting a hole in class shouldn't really risk breaking it, not if an even hole; and a dremel bit will take off the sharp edge.


thanks!
-Bernard

[MarkHarchar]

You would be better of going to one of the craft or art stores and buying a small, let me repeat "small" palette that is light to start. They have acrylic and wood palette that you can buy and modify for your hand. You should be able to carry it around comfortably for 15 minutes without it becoming uncomfortable. You should be able to hold the palette in your hand while holding 3 or 4 brushes in the same hand. Don't go cutting holes in glass unless you have the tools to smooth the edges, otherwise you are going to cut your thumb off.

[Elwell]

Barnest, with all due respect...
DON'T TRY TO MAKE AN ARM-PALETTE WITH A THUMB HOLE OUT OF GLASS! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?!
:nohope:

[arttorney]

The wood ones are OK and they are cheap and they come ready made at the store. No reason to get fancy here. If you successfully made a glass one with a thumb hole you'll still have trouble mixing paint because you'll be seeing the grass or drop cloth that is down there on the ground (since the glass is probably clear). I topped off a wooden one with some neutral gray value 5 acrylic primer when I was learning to mix colors (in order to minimize my own confusion while I learned). That kidney bean looking kind that William Whitaker shows in his painting materials thread in this same forum is a good all around palette. (the smaller commercial one he shows) Rectangular ones are not as comfortable, at least to me. The kidney bean ones can lay across the top of your arm. If your thumb starts to get a bit tired you can reach your fingers over the lip that is right in front of you and pull that end of the palette down which relieves some of the pressure on your thumb. They're very versatile. You just have to watch it in a high wind so you don't get a palette full of paint blown up into your face. Don't get one of those plastic ones with a bunch of little wells around the perimeter. Those are for watercolor. If you look at Mr. Whitaker's thread he shows how to use some little weights to get the same effect I was talking about with the fingers pulling down.

[/ev]

I use any timber veneer/ply/offcut that has a descent surface and size to it. Keep it simple and cheap, u dont need to go out and spend a bunch of cash on a palette. Currently ive got a shaped piece of masonite that has warped and about a 16" long sheet of veneer. They aren't uncomfortable, they spend most of their time on the floor or bench. Both are well sealed with all the dry oils/medium/wax on them.