Thank you for taking time to make these wonderful videos. I have learned so much in the last hour just watching your videos than 1 full year at my uni. Thank you again!
Hi Jason, I came home and saw that you had a new video, YAY! Your wood palette with the patina is just beautiful! I use a glass palette laid over a piece of gray disposable palette paper. I have glass cut to fit the bottom of an aluminum disposable covered sheet pan, measures 12 x 8 x 1 inch, exclusive of the cover. I set my oil paints on the glass, and I add a tiny drop of oil of clove to each color, which keeps the color fresh for WEEKS! When I'm done with a painting session, I cover and put in the refrigerator. When I am ready to paint, I take the palette out of the fridge, and I'm good to go. I have a palette for grisaille, one for glazing, and one of colors. I have a spare piece of glass for mixing. I use very little paint when I work and this way, I waste next to nothing. I also store my tubes of paint in little covered plastic tubs in the fridge, and saturate a piece of paper towel with oil of clove, and place that in the tub along with the tubes, retards drying BIGTIME, and my oil colors last for a very long time. (I live in the high desert of New Mexico, and the air is very dry here, so tubes drying out can be an issue.)
I used Reynold's Freezer Paper for years as paper palettes. Great stuff. I usually kept 3 going at once. One for each part of the painting. I got turned on to glass and I've been using that for the last couple of years, but I might go back to paper. Things change so slowly with my tools; years go by and basically nothing changes.
Hi again. I always enjoy your videos and for some reason they seem to always kind of cheer me up and make me smile. Maybe it's the music, makes me feel I should be drinking a cocktail. Mines a Manhattan. Yes, I know that's a chicks drink, I like though lol. Cheers
That patina on your palette is lovely! I use a enameled metal butcher tray palette, which i love- sometimes with freezer paper over the top. I like that it has a smooth surface, and the raised edge keeps the paint contained and is easy for me to grab and move if needed.
LOL, I thought for sure this video was going to be about color palettes, and you had just started with talking about "the" palette itself! Three quarters of the way in I figured it out... :P I am a woodworker as well, and all of the product made from wood (for artists) are mainly made of birch plywood. I got plenty of that! I am currently making a plien air pachade box. I have heard different about sealing the palette using linseed oil, which is a finish a lot of woodworking use, and sometimes they even boil it into beeswax, which gives the wood a silky smooth feel, and a great smell too. I have tung oil too, but tongue oil does not harden like linseed oil does. The wood soaks it up, and you need about four coats for it to finally begin to stand up on the wood. Linseed oil it might do it in two thin coats. Down side is that linseed oil takes longer to dry. If you are going to finish your own palette, do not soak the top with oil, rub it in using a rag or cloth, using just enough to cover, let it dry in, then re-apply when dry. This will give you a better smoother finish and the oil will dry faster. Always a pleasure, stay safe!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you and yours, Jason. May 2019 bring only Peace, Good Health and Prosperity to you and those you love. Here's looking forward to all of your new videos in the coming New Year!
My favourite palette is the glass from a dollar store picture frame. I just tape a sheet of grey paper to the back, bringing the tape around the edges and I have a nice, lightweight, easy to clean, easy to store, extremely affordable, palette.
How not to contaminate the environment with solvents. This is a very thorough method for cleaning your brushes without leaving any contaminating waste at all. Use an old rag or two or three for this procedure as many many times as you want. First on one of the rags clean up thoroughly your brushes. The same movement as when painting. Preferably on the palm of your hand. After deep them briefly! in already used turpentine and again over a different rag absorb the paint that's dissolving in the turpentine. I find that 10 times per brush is enough. Some colours are dam stubborn. Then sequentially rinse your brushes in three different jars of increasingly clean turp. Don't forget between rinses to to dry the brush on a rag. Finally in warm water (250 ml) with very mild detergent/soap and a half tea spoon of olive oil do the final thorough wash. Rinse them in running warm tap water. Leave the brushes wet, reshape them with the tip of your fingers, and leave to dry overnight.
Brushes can be cleaned of oil paint using baby oil. That is what I have in my scrubber can. They can be washed afterwards in some dish soap or other soap. This means no solvents are needed. They can also be cleaned in walnut oil, the grocery oil or refined artist's oil. I save money for the cleaning part by using baby oil. I use artist's refined walnut oil as a medium if I need it. If I'm using my brushes again soon after I've used them, I don't wash with dish soap right away. I dip the brushes in just a bit of clean walnut oil, wrap them in foil wrapping, and wipe the oil away before using the brush the next time I paint. My brushes are much better now that I avoid the harsh methods of painting and cleaning that are hard on the bristles. For the most part, many things can be done that don't require solvents. Not only are they bad for the environment, some of us are too sensitive to use them.
@@DRPIreland Thanks for watching! :) Yes, it is possible to paint with oils solvent-free. If you use the baby oil, just be sure to thoroughly wash it out of your brushes. You don't want it mixing with your paints.
Have you seen/tried Mark Carder's (Geneva Paints) glass pallettes? Very nice, and they have a neutral (his neutral - light brown) backing. I had my own cut locally, and I really like them. Cleanable ;) Thanks for all your hard work! By the way, the Carder easel is to DIE for ;) Out of my price range, but gorgeous!!!
I use a Masterston box with paper palettes. If you'd like to keep paints leftover on it and not have to throw paint away and mix again, just scoop the paint onto a paper plate, throw away the palette paper in use, and then go ahead and use the leftover paint on the fresh palette paper.
While Tung oil may be good for the wood, it's not so good for the paint because ingredients in the Tung oil will eat away at the body of the paint. Better to use regular vegetable oils or variations thereof.
Thanks for watching! I should have specified that you need the tung oil to cure/dry fully before using the palette. Linseed oil would work well too though, plus the palette builds up a natural finish on its own after awhile.
Thank you Jason, always a pleasure to see new videos from you and I always learn something. My palette is a sheet of glass with cardboard behind it that I painted neutral grey color.
I have tried smaller wood palellets but didn’t find them satisfactory . I think it’s useful to use a large palette that, If one chose, could be carried closer to the easel. I use a glass one now but i like to paint standing up so that can be inconvenient, can u tell us where to get a palette like yours, it seemed the perfect size
Thanks for watching! My palette is a 18" x 26" Richeson wood palette. They come unfinished so you'll have to seal it before using it: www.dickblick.com/products/richeson-wooden-palettes/
I use the rectangular wood palettes on a wheeled table next to my aesel and I don't have an issue with it. I think every artist can use any palette that suits them, for academic use or not. @@fabrizio483
Hi Jason, I decided to go buy some pallet paper today and I noticed, at Michael’s, that they had their own brand for 6$ and then also a Strathmore brand which was 10$. Having never used palette paper before, I began wondering if artists actually had any preference in these sheets. I noticed that the store brand is SUPER bright white, almost toward the blue direction but the Strathmore is more the color of canvas. Being a bit of a geek I bought both but became curious what your opinion is on this topic because I’ve always seen you do all of your color testing, etc. on paper. Regarding paint tending to work better or mix better on some brands and also if the value of white that the palette has underneath your paint as you’re mixing matters… So I came home and found this video. Now I see that you have even a different brand but I just wondered if you had any deeper thoughts about what kind you use or if it just doesn’t even matter enough to care and you just buy what’s convenient. For some reason I feel like the color/value of the higher end sheets will suit me better… Thanks Jason, always enjoy your videos. Hopefully you get back to making content again, but sometimes in life certain things become more important than others that’s for sure!
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment! For myself I really prefer the Gray Matters Paper Palette by Richeson if I am using a paper palette...which I actually do not use that much in fact. The mid-tone gray of the surface really helps with color and value mixing. Mostly I use the paper ones for quick color test mixes, or when doing a video demo. When working on an actual painting, I always use my traditional wooden palette. If the bright white paper palette works for you then you should stick with that. Every person has their own way of working and there is no "right" one. Thanks for watching! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Right on makes total sense. I have a coated mdf palette that I have been using but I should make or buy a traditional style one. I have all the machines to cut and surface woods maybe I’ll make a little project out of it. But I can see how it would be preferred to work on… yeah I’ll probably do the same with the paper, pretty much for just with playing around with colors and mixing. Getting to know the pigments a little better. I got a few different lead whites and am excited to mix colors with them. Haven’t gotten any Rublev Lead #1 but I’ should still get some of the characteristics at least. I’m excited to be able to tone down hues without that awful washout you get from most titaniums. I’d like to get some genuine Naples yellow some day, it’s also very intriguing to me but I haven’t made the purchase yet… Thank you for your reply. Take it easy and enjoy the SoCal weather, it’s getting bitter cold in Michigan.
@@82camino96 I do hope you get to try the Rublev Lead White #1! It's fantastic stuff! There's an alternative to Naples Yellow called Lead Tin Yellow that I really like a lot and actually prefer. You can get that from Rublev as well and it is less expensive. It has essentially the same properties as genuine Naples. Enjoy! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Wow that’s great to know! I do recall you mentioning the lead tin yellow but I only remember you saying that it was a good alternative and not that you actually preferred it. So especially if it gives you that same atmospheric quality that is so unique I guess I’ll go for that. Thanks again!
@@walcottfineart5088 I picked up a pad of Gray Matters last month and I see why you like it. It’s a nice background value to mix on... Another great recommendation if you like to use pallette paper!
Thanks for another video! I got a $5 piece of opaque grey plexiglass cut to the size of my pochade box on Etsy so I could plop it right in - clean up is a dream compared to the wood palette (open box m pochade box). Mixing colors is more enjoyable as well - wish I had made the transition sooner! I’ll be getting a large piece of grey plexiglass for my studio soon!
Sweet idea of wax paper. I recently tested it after watching your video and it worked very well, easy to mix and grad the paint. Thank you for this tip!
Thank you Jason for another great video, question, I recently got a LG piece of gray ceramic floor tile at home Depot , using it as a palette, but now wondering, would this be absorbing the oil from my paint?
Great question! I would say since most tiles are glazed that it's not absorbing it. You can tell because there would be large oil stains spreading out around the paint piles and your paint would become very stiff and chalky. If it's remaining workable and smooth like it came from the tube then you are fine. :)
I would recommend against it unless you are using it as a tabletop palette, ceramic tile is brittle and when it breaks it shatters into very sharp pieces. another downside it most glazed tile does not have a perfectly flat surface, during the firing the glaze will often "bubble" up and leave a wavy surface, which will not allow you to clean it as easy. Even on a smoother glaze, there is still a lot of curve.
If a cover is added and a little clove oil is put under it the paint stays fresh for weeks. I use galvanized steel plates since I had 300 of them and they are more durable than the glass that I first used. Instead of a cover I use a small plastic storage container to put the palette in together with the clove oil. No more dried up paint ! Blue Ridge Colors are too nice to waste.
Yes! I have never tried the clove oil thing, but I do know it works pretty well. You can also cover the paints with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer. That will also keep them from drying.
@@walcottfineart5088 thank you! And thanks for your videos they're honestly so useful and well thought out and well explained, my technique has improved heaps! ♥
Very useful video. Thanks!
Thank you for taking time to make these wonderful videos. I have learned so much in the last hour just watching your videos than 1 full year at my uni. Thank you again!
Thanks for the nice comment and for watching! I'm so glad you've enjoyed my channel. :)
Hi Jason, I came home and saw that you had a new video, YAY! Your wood palette with the patina is just beautiful! I use a glass palette laid over a piece of gray disposable palette paper. I have glass cut to fit the bottom of an aluminum disposable covered sheet pan, measures 12 x 8 x 1 inch, exclusive of the cover. I set my oil paints on the glass, and I add a tiny drop of oil of clove to each color, which keeps the color fresh for WEEKS! When I'm done with a painting session, I cover and put in the refrigerator. When I am ready to paint, I take the palette out of the fridge, and I'm good to go. I have a palette for grisaille, one for glazing, and one of colors. I have a spare piece of glass for mixing. I use very little paint when I work and this way, I waste next to nothing. I also store my tubes of paint in little covered plastic tubs in the fridge, and saturate a piece of paper towel with oil of clove, and place that in the tub along with the tubes, retards drying BIGTIME, and my oil colors last for a very long time. (I live in the high desert of New Mexico, and the air is very dry here, so tubes drying out can be an issue.)
I used Reynold's Freezer Paper for years as paper palettes. Great stuff. I usually kept 3 going at once. One for each part of the painting. I got turned on to glass and I've been using that for the last couple of years, but I might go back to paper. Things change so slowly with my tools; years go by and basically nothing changes.
Good idea! I have used that freezer paper as a surface to transfer my paints to so I can put them in the freezer. Works well. Thanks for watching!
Hi again. I always enjoy your videos and for some reason they seem to always kind of cheer me up and make me smile. Maybe it's the music, makes me feel I should be drinking a cocktail. Mines a Manhattan. Yes, I know that's a chicks drink, I like though lol. Cheers
That patina on your palette is lovely! I use a enameled metal butcher tray palette, which i love- sometimes with freezer paper over the top. I like that it has a smooth surface, and the raised edge keeps the paint contained and is easy for me to grab and move if needed.
Great idea! An enameled butcher tray can also be used for watercolors so it is quite versatile. Thanks for watching!
LOL, I thought for sure this video was going to be about color palettes, and you had just started with talking about "the" palette itself! Three quarters of the way in I figured it out... :P
I am a woodworker as well, and all of the product made from wood (for artists) are mainly made of birch plywood. I got plenty of that! I am currently making a plien air pachade box. I have heard different about sealing the palette using linseed oil, which is a finish a lot of woodworking use, and sometimes they even boil it into beeswax, which gives the wood a silky smooth feel, and a great smell too. I have tung oil too, but tongue oil does not harden like linseed oil does. The wood soaks it up, and you need about four coats for it to finally begin to stand up on the wood. Linseed oil it might do it in two thin coats. Down side is that linseed oil takes longer to dry. If you are going to finish your own palette, do not soak the top with oil, rub it in using a rag or cloth, using just enough to cover, let it dry in, then re-apply when dry. This will give you a better smoother finish and the oil will dry faster. Always a pleasure, stay safe!
Thanks so much for the great comment and for watching! I actually do have other videos on the colors people use as well. LOL :)
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to you and yours, Jason. May 2019 bring only Peace, Good Health and Prosperity to you and those you love. Here's looking forward to all of your new videos in the coming New Year!
Thanks so much for the nice holiday wishes! Same to you and yours! Thanks for watching. :)
My favourite palette is the glass from a dollar store picture frame. I just tape a sheet of grey paper to the back, bringing the tape around the edges and I have a nice, lightweight, easy to clean, easy to store, extremely affordable, palette.
Thanks for watching...that a great idea too! For anyone on a budget your method would be perfect. :)
I use old CD case's. I just paint underneath the colour of the canvas stain.
Thanks for watching! If it works, it works! :)
How not to contaminate the environment with solvents. This is a very thorough method for cleaning your brushes without leaving any contaminating waste at all. Use an old rag or two or three for this procedure as many many times as you want. First on one of the rags clean up thoroughly your brushes. The same movement as when painting. Preferably on the palm of your hand. After deep them briefly! in already used turpentine and again over a different rag absorb the paint that's dissolving in the turpentine. I find that 10 times per brush is enough. Some colours are dam stubborn. Then sequentially rinse your brushes in three different jars of increasingly clean turp. Don't forget between rinses to to dry the brush on a rag. Finally in warm water (250 ml) with very mild detergent/soap and a half tea spoon of olive oil do the final thorough wash. Rinse them in running warm tap water. Leave the brushes wet, reshape them with the tip of your fingers, and leave to dry overnight.
Thanks for the brush cleaning tips and for watching!
Brushes can be cleaned of oil paint using baby oil. That is what I have in my scrubber can. They can be washed afterwards in some dish soap or other soap. This means no solvents are needed. They can also be cleaned in walnut oil, the grocery oil or refined artist's oil. I save money for the cleaning part by using baby oil. I use artist's refined walnut oil as a medium if I need it. If I'm using my brushes again soon after I've used them, I don't wash with dish soap right away. I dip the brushes in just a bit of clean walnut oil, wrap them in foil wrapping, and wipe the oil away before using the brush the next time I paint. My brushes are much better now that I avoid the harsh methods of painting and cleaning that are hard on the bristles. For the most part, many things can be done that don't require solvents. Not only are they bad for the environment, some of us are too sensitive to use them.
@@DRPIreland Thanks for watching! :) Yes, it is possible to paint with oils solvent-free. If you use the baby oil, just be sure to thoroughly wash it out of your brushes. You don't want it mixing with your paints.
Have you seen/tried Mark Carder's (Geneva Paints) glass pallettes? Very nice, and they have a neutral (his neutral - light brown) backing. I had my own cut locally, and I really like them. Cleanable ;) Thanks for all your hard work! By the way, the Carder easel is to DIE for ;) Out of my price range, but gorgeous!!!
Thanks for watching! I haven't used any of Carder's paints or supplies. Sounds like your DIY palette is a great choice! :)
I use a Masterston box with paper palettes. If you'd like to keep paints leftover on it and not have to throw paint away and mix again, just scoop the paint onto a paper plate, throw away the palette paper in use, and then go ahead and use the leftover paint on the fresh palette paper.
Thanks for watching and for the suggestion! :)
While Tung oil may be good for the wood, it's not so good for the paint because ingredients in the Tung oil will eat away at the body of the paint. Better to use regular vegetable oils or variations thereof.
Thanks for watching! I should have specified that you need the tung oil to cure/dry fully before using the palette. Linseed oil would work well too though, plus the palette builds up a natural finish on its own after awhile.
I love my guerilla box. .the slide out pallette has so many layers now its fun? Surprised ive somehow managed to keep it pretty colour wheel looking.
Thank you Jason, always a pleasure to see new videos from you and I always learn something. My palette is a sheet of glass with cardboard behind it that I painted neutral grey color.
Rich Klein So is mine, made it myself. Great minds think alike!
Thanks for watching! That is a great DIY palette! :)
Gerda Vogel yes indeed!
I have tried smaller wood palellets but didn’t find them satisfactory . I think it’s useful to use a large palette that, If one chose, could be carried closer to the easel. I use a glass one now but i like to paint standing up so that can be inconvenient, can u tell us where to get a palette like yours, it seemed the perfect size
Thanks for watching! My palette is a 18" x 26" Richeson wood palette. They come unfinished so you'll have to seal it before using it: www.dickblick.com/products/richeson-wooden-palettes/
Small palettes are meant to be used for doing details, when you're applying the last layers. In other words, for academic painting.
I use the rectangular wood palettes on a wheeled table next to my aesel and I don't have an issue with it. I think every artist can use any palette that suits them, for academic use or not. @@fabrizio483
@@dannym.7563 They surely can. However, that isn't the point.
@@dannym.7563 exactly, you could use the back of youre hand if you want. There's no rules to what you do, rules take the fun out of art.
Hi Jason, I decided to go buy some pallet paper today and I noticed, at Michael’s, that they had their own brand for 6$ and then also a Strathmore brand which was 10$. Having never used palette paper before, I began wondering if artists actually had any preference in these sheets. I noticed that the store brand is SUPER bright white, almost toward the blue direction but the Strathmore is more the color of canvas. Being a bit of a geek I bought both but became curious what your opinion is on this topic because I’ve always seen you do all of your color testing, etc. on paper. Regarding paint tending to work better or mix better on some brands and also if the value of white that the palette has underneath your paint as you’re mixing matters… So I came home and found this video. Now I see that you have even a different brand but I just wondered if you had any deeper thoughts about what kind you use or if it just doesn’t even matter enough to care and you just buy what’s convenient. For some reason I feel like the color/value of the higher end sheets will suit me better… Thanks Jason, always enjoy your videos. Hopefully you get back to making content again, but sometimes in life certain things become more important than others that’s for sure!
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment! For myself I really prefer the Gray Matters Paper Palette by Richeson if I am using a paper palette...which I actually do not use that much in fact. The mid-tone gray of the surface really helps with color and value mixing. Mostly I use the paper ones for quick color test mixes, or when doing a video demo. When working on an actual painting, I always use my traditional wooden palette. If the bright white paper palette works for you then you should stick with that. Every person has their own way of working and there is no "right" one. Thanks for watching! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Right on makes total sense. I have a coated mdf palette that I have been using but I should make or buy a traditional style one. I have all the machines to cut and surface woods maybe I’ll make a little project out of it. But I can see how it would be preferred to work on… yeah I’ll probably do the same with the paper, pretty much for just with playing around with colors and mixing. Getting to know the pigments a little better. I got a few different lead whites and am excited to mix colors with them. Haven’t gotten any Rublev Lead #1 but I’ should still get some of the characteristics at least. I’m excited to be able to tone down hues without that awful washout you get from most titaniums.
I’d like to get some genuine Naples yellow some day, it’s also very intriguing to me but I haven’t made the purchase yet… Thank you for your reply. Take it easy and enjoy the SoCal weather, it’s getting bitter cold in Michigan.
@@82camino96 I do hope you get to try the Rublev Lead White #1! It's fantastic stuff! There's an alternative to Naples Yellow called Lead Tin Yellow that I really like a lot and actually prefer. You can get that from Rublev as well and it is less expensive. It has essentially the same properties as genuine Naples. Enjoy! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 Wow that’s great to know! I do recall you mentioning the lead tin yellow but I only remember you saying that it was a good alternative and not that you actually preferred it. So especially if it gives you that same atmospheric quality that is so unique I guess I’ll go for that. Thanks again!
@@walcottfineart5088 I picked up a pad of Gray Matters last month and I see why you like it. It’s a nice background value to mix on... Another great recommendation if you like to use pallette paper!
Thanks for another video! I got a $5 piece of opaque grey plexiglass cut to the size of my pochade box on Etsy so I could plop it right in - clean up is a dream compared to the wood palette (open box m pochade box). Mixing colors is more enjoyable as well - wish I had made the transition sooner! I’ll be getting a large piece of grey plexiglass for my studio soon!
That's a great way to go too! I'm glad you are enjoying your plexiglass palette. Thanks for watching!
Sweet idea of wax paper. I recently tested it after watching your video and it worked very well, easy to mix and grad the paint. Thank you for this tip!
Thanks for watching! I'm glad you found my video useful. :)
Thank you Jason for another great video, question, I recently got a LG piece of gray ceramic floor tile at home Depot , using it as a palette, but now wondering, would this be absorbing the oil from my paint?
Great question! I would say since most tiles are glazed that it's not absorbing it. You can tell because there would be large oil stains spreading out around the paint piles and your paint would become very stiff and chalky. If it's remaining workable and smooth like it came from the tube then you are fine. :)
I would recommend against it unless you are using it as a tabletop palette, ceramic tile is brittle and when it breaks it shatters into very sharp pieces. another downside it most glazed tile does not have a perfectly flat surface, during the firing the glaze will often "bubble" up and leave a wavy surface, which will not allow you to clean it as easy. Even on a smoother glaze, there is still a lot of curve.
If a cover is added and a little clove oil is put under it the paint stays fresh for weeks. I use galvanized steel plates since I had 300 of them and they are more durable than the glass that I first used. Instead of a cover I use a small plastic storage container to put the palette in together with the clove oil. No more dried up paint ! Blue Ridge Colors are too nice to waste.
Yes! I have never tried the clove oil thing, but I do know it works pretty well. You can also cover the paints with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer. That will also keep them from drying.
@@walcottfineart5088 also a good ideal- I use a outside fridge but a freezer might be better! (at least with that $700 lapislazuli tube- just kidding)
I use just a tile i got from the hardware shop. to make it a bit easier to use, i glued a piece of cheap carpet on the back.
That's a great idea for a palette. The key is that it's non-absorbent and easy to clean between painting sessions. Thanks for watching! :)
@@walcottfineart5088 thank you! And thanks for your videos they're honestly so useful and well thought out and well explained, my technique has improved heaps! ♥
Thank you so very much, :)
Thanks for watching! :)
who is the one "thumbs down" and where does he live?