How To Hold an Artist Palette
The artist’s palette is an essential tool in the creation of a painting. If you do not wish to squeeze your paints directly onto the surface of the canvas, then you are going to need a palette of one form or another. The hand-held palette has been popularly in use for hundreds of years, however it is important to learn how to properly hold the palette while you paint.
- Pick your palette. A traditional palette is oblong in nature with either a gentle or a sharp divot removed from the wood, giving the item a very distinctive look. Pick a palette large enough for your painting needs and select a ‘divot’ indentation that is roughly the thickness of your palm. The edges should be very smooth and free of lifts of wood that might lead to splinters. You can also choose artist palettes made of glass, Plexiglas or ceramic to avoid the splinter issue and to offer an easier surface from which to clean your paint off of.
- Slide the thumb of your non-dominant hand through the provided thumb hole and turn the palette so that the majority of its oblong length is now resting firmly against your forearm, this will bring the curving scoop of the divot to the outside and within easy reach of your fingertips.
- Cup your fingertips around the divot and bring them to meet your thumb as it pokes out of the hole. Do not hold your palette too tightly as this can cause your hand and fingers to cramp uncomfortably. Place your palette down as needed, on a clean, flat surface. It is important to keep your paints from sliding into one another.