Looking for hand-made balanced palette
 

I'm trying to find a light-weight wooden painter's palette that is weighted, balanced. I have seen them for as much as $150. Can anyone suggest a nice one for less? I heard there is a gentleman who makes them for about $70 and then another $70 for the box.
Thanks for your help...please email me at [email protected]. I don't check the Forum very often.

Many thanks,
Jean-Marie Koch

I made mine with only $5.00. You just need the measures and someone with the equipment.

Palette
 

Claudemir: Thanks for your information. I don't have a way to make my own, as I have no saws, etc. But I think if I had the pattern I could find someone to make it for me. Meanwhile, I'll keep looking for a source.
Many thanks,
Jean-Marie

Jean-Marie,

I think you might be thinking of the Lee Boynton Palette.

It is a beautiful handmade balanced palette. I've had mine for 14 years. Here is his website.

http://www.leeboynton.com/ArtPalettes.html

Palette
 

Peggy: Thanks for the information. I checked out his website and I think he may be the one referred to me. Which size do you have? The large one or the small one? Did you also purchase a box?
Jean-Marie

Max at Realgesso is apparently on the skill saw right now. Take a gander at this slew of posts from Cennini

I have the smaller palette. The large one is....large! I don't have the palette box, mainly because I haven't gotten off my duff to buy it. I do some plein air painting, where having a box for moving a loaded palette from place to place would be nice.

Palette
 

Thanks, Debra and Peggy:
The search for the perfect palette is turning out to be a little tricky! As portrait artists, I would think the color/value of the palette would be important. I found one in mahogony on one of the sites suggested to me, but it looks dark. What do you think about the color issue? Did you specify color when you bought yours? And what about the staining problem. How do you deal with that?
Thanks again...
Jean-Marie

Aside from mahogany, I've made them out of birch. I prefer the darker mahogany though.

Color of painter's palette
 

Max: Thank you for your remarks. I'm wondering why you prefer the darker wood when mixing skin tones for portraits. I would appreciate any other portrait aritst weighing in on this question. What color of wood or surface do you prefer on your palette?

Thank you for educating me on this.
Jean-Marie

When I get my wooden palette, I plan on painting it a mid-value neutral gray. It should be easier to judge value etc. that way. I love natural wood tones, but if they might throw off my ability to judge color/value, I am happy to paint over the natural grain. ;)

As far as the box goes, wouldn't a plastic storage box of similar dimension, with a lid be good? I use the Masterson palette box now, which would be too small, but it doesn't seem to be a whole lot more than a plastic storage container when it comes right down to it.

Thanks, Molly: I decided to by two palettes. One made by Lee Boynton 16x24 and one from Artisan, through Dick Blick. One will be darker wood and one will be rather on the small side, 11X18, and in the maple color. I'm used to the white paper palette, so I'm going to try the maple since it is closer to a flesh tone. The Artisan palette also has a rubber thumb hole that was recommended by Chris Saper, although she uses the walnut in the medium size.
So, I think I'm set for now. By the way, how do you keep the gray paint from flaking off when you scrap your palette? I think the gray surface is probably the best. I believe that's what Daniel Greene uses.
Thanks,
Jean-Marie

Jean Marie, you made good choices, I have the two palettes you're getting. I love the Boynton palette! It is so light and well balanced; I can't imagine using any other. We just got a box of palettes for our school store (made by a local man) and they aren't nearly as nice as mine. I always have to compare and I haven't run across one as good as Boynton's. I sanded the finish off mine and put linseed oil on it. Then I used linseed oil to clean it every day for a few weeks. I clean it daily with turp, and every once in a while I wipe it down with oil. Some people smear their left over paint around to give it the grey or maroon color, but I prefer the wood surface.

I use the artisan palette in my french easel. I like the thumb gasket, it fits well. But I didn't like the light color of the wood, so I'm working on darkening it to match what I'm used to using. I bought it this summer and have only used it seven or eight times, so I'm still trying to get it to the right color. It's not balanced which isn't that big of a deal since I usually lay it on the easel in front of me while I paint.

Debra: Thanks for your email. These materials are expensive, so I need to make smart choices so I don't go around buying up this and that and trying everything out and learning the hard way. That's why I'm being very particular about this purchase. My next is an easel, so brace yourself! To crank or not to crank, that is the question...Ha!

I'm wondering which color and size of Artisan you got. And how did you get through that surface coating to work on the color? Did you sand it? It seems like a lot of money to pay for a rubber gasket around a thumb hole if the color isn't right and it's not even balanced. Hmmmmm. What do you think? And which size Boynton do you have? Did you get the walnut? Can't recall if it came in wood choices like the Artisan.

Thanks for hanging in here with me...
Jean-Marie

I got the maple Artisan, 11x18 size. I didn't do anything to the finish on this one, I just started smearing my left over paint around at the end of painting sessions. I just checked it and I think it could probably stand a little more paint smearing to get it to the right value, but it still has a smooth feel to the surface. I have pretty small hands so I had my husband cut the u shape deeper so I can hold brushes and the palette with the same hand. It has a dent to fit my arm too, but I can't remember if that was there or if I had him cut it. I think I had him cut it because it seems like I remember it hurting my arm when I first got it. I had him match the cutting to my Boynton palette, which fits me very well.

I don't think I realized the Artisan came in color choices when I bought mine or I would have gotten a darker one. I bought mine directly from the store (Blick's) and got what they had in stock. My only reason for buying this palette was because (like a dummy!) I left behind the one that came with my french easel when we moved here. (We moved here for me to go to art school, and most of our stuff is in storage back in Washington state.) I tried the cheap $5 palettes, but they hurt my thumb, that's how I ended up with the Artisan. So I guess my recommendation would be that if you don't need it, don't buy it, but the thumb gasket is nice.

I have the smaller Boynton, and I'm not sure what kind of wood it is. And I would recommend that if you can buy only one palette that it be the Boynton. I love mine, I think I'll start a Lee Boynton fan club!

Debra: Now that you've shared about your Artisan, I think I'd like to get the walnut one, but they are out of stock until December. So I'm going to order the Boynton today and cancel my order for the maple Artisan. (Good grief!) I have Lee's phone number, so I think I'll call him and talk with him about the palettes.
I really appreciate your advice and help with this. I've spent a lot of money of things that didn't work out for me, so I'm trying to be more selective in my old age! Ha! Too bad I didn't do that in my personal life! Hee, hee.
Thanks, again,
Jean-Marie

I have a palette made for me by my Dad to my specifications, a very simple, flat birch panel, not balanced or with any particularly creative shape. It's about 10x14" or so. It's so small and lightweight that it doesn't need to be balanced.

I looked at the Boynton palettes at the Portrait Society event in D.C. and they did feel great, though!

I painted my palette grey, with oil paint. It doesn't come off when I scrape it and I really like the medium value color. I think it might even be a good idea to try a white palette if you paint on a white canvas, as I do, to make it easier to judge your colors. Since I paint with a grey palette I should probably stain my canvases the same color, but I don't (for various other reasons).

Michele: Thanks for sharing about your palette. I'm going to go ahead and get the Boynton for now. I don't think I can go wrong. My son does wood work, so I might have him use the Boynton as an idea and make me an even smaller one out of my choice of wood. I'll let you know how it turn out!
As for the white palette, Helen VanWyk says never to use them. I have a ton of her books, and she swears by the medium toned wooden palette. But now that you mentioned the white canvas....you've got me thinking. I always start white, so it's something to consider.
Take care,
Jean-Marie

Jean Marie, I think the color of your palette should complement the way you paint. After I transfer the drawing, my first step on the canvas is to complete a thin quick lay-in, getting as close to the values and color as possible. So my canvas is completely covered in a couple hours; that's why I like the darker wood palette. Grey would give the same effect. Someone who paints in sections and leaves the white for a long time would benefit from a white palette.

Jean Marie, I don't know if you have purchased one yet, or read my response at Cennini, but hopefully I can find the images and just to repeat.

Would palettes that are made of good hard wood are a standard throughout history. They become a lighter value the more you use them and the paint develops a natural patina. You can't beat them. Especially as you become more comfortable with values it will not be such a big deal, are you toning your canvas gray? Or a burnt sienna type brown, these figure in too.

The ones Max made for me based on Whitaker's patterns are not only made superbly but are finished in the best possible way for keeping them clean.

Because of the horn design, it eliminates the extra weight to balance the palette thus it stays very light. The smaller one that fits a Masterson Box, is lighter than a tube of paint.

On top of all of this they are very reasonably priced.

I forget how Max want's them ordered on his site, he doesn't have them specified yet, so just shoot him an email for more info. I recommend them highly, for they too are a work of art.

Real Gesso Panels

The making of a new palette
 

Beth and Debra: Thanks to both of you for your information and comments. I've not yet ordered my palette and will probably drive you all up the wall with this revelation: I'm going to ask my son to make me one! He has all the tools, and years ago made a beautiful classical guitar for his physics project. His subject was acoustics so he placed the sound holes in places that produced the desired result. That said, I would like to ask for some patterns and plans for balanced palettes. Anyone willing to wade in on this? It will be interesting to see what my son develops based on some of the tried and true designs. Perhaps I'll be able to play it!
Stay tuned.
Jean-Marie

I'm just going to second what Beth said - I just got my palette from Max yesterday. It is light as feather and feels great. Im not used to using a dark surface to mix, but I will adjust.

kim: Can you tell me why you chose the one from Max over the Boynton palette? I don't believe the Boynton is not as dark as the mahogony one that Max makes. But I'm not really certain of that. Have you compared the two?
Jean-Marie

Probably because I'm such a swell guy ;)
I've mixed paint on dark and light wood palettes but I usually just use scraps of gesso panel which are bright white, not for any particular aid to color matching, but because there's always a bunch of them around. The point I'm trying to make is that the color of the surface that I'm mixing on has very little effect on value accuracy, if I really need to make 100% sure of the value I use a gray-scale. Color and value matching is pretty easy once you grasp the rudiments of color theory, confidence also plays a major role. Trust your eyes!

Jean-Marie, I can confirm that Max is indeed a swell guy!

The Boynton palette is only balanced because of an extra piece of wood that is added on the down side which makes it much heavier. If you are so concerned about the mid value you can ask someone like Max to NOT finished the wood and you can paint it and do your own shellac, although it will Gray with use. Carl has a palette posted somewhere here that is a technological wonder with mid 5 Gray and a scale on the side.
Go into your kitchen and pick up a medium size sauce pan perhaps with a lid, then in your other hand pick up a 4 oz tube of paint and there you can see the difference. If my memory serves me Max's are more economical and I consider a piece of art in itself.