HOW IMPORTANT IS SETTING UP YOUR PALETTE?

 

HOW IMPORTANT IS SETTING UP YOUR PALETTE?

 

Palettes have changed over time, just like everything else in time. You can set you paint on wooden slabs, glass or ceramic plates. Picasso used newspaper...

I use a plastic covered paper plate for my acrylic paint. They're easy to mixed on, easier clean up. When your painting on a white canvas a white paper plate is the best to see true colors and get a feel for how the color your mixing will look on a white background. One thing I have found about painting with acrylic paint is no matter what the surface of you palette I have to spritz the paint with water often. The acrylic paint tends to dry out quicker than oil.

Palettes come in a variety of shapes too. I'm sure you have seen the wooden ones with a hole for your thumb to go through to hold on to it.

My best advice on palettes is try them all until you find one that works best for your style of painting.  Quickly on arranging your paint. This too is a personal choice, but I have found that if you always place the colors of paint in the same spot on the palette, your brain will become use to its placement and painting and mixing colors becomes automatic.

Once again it's your palette so do what's comfortable for you.

Prepare the palette before you start painting, lay out your brushes, water, towels, etc. Because once the flow of painting starts you don't want to have to stop to set your palette up.

Just one more thing; Get very serious about writing down the colors and amounts you mixed for a certain color you need for a painting. Chances are you wont remember it tomorrow when you return to your painting.

Be Inspired,

~Jean

www.zazzle.com/jeanhar1*