A palette is a thin, flat piece of wood that artists use to hold and mix their paints while working. Often ovoid in shape, the palettes have a thumb hole that allows a painter to hold it securely with one hand while painting with the other. The indention in the side of the palette allows for brushes held in the hand below to be fanned out and not touch each other. This allows an artist to have several brushes (loaded with different colors) to be in use at the same time. Rectangular palettes that can slide into grooves and held in place within a paint box are also popular. Because oil paint dries so slowly, an artist might choose to leave the thick globs of paint on a palette for weeks or even months. Palettes can be cleaned by scraping the paint off with a palette knife. After years of use, the palettes take on a colorful patina.

“My palette, in detail, consists of cadmium yellow—usually two shades—dark and medium; vermillion, as the only red; and mineral blue, which has the virtues of Prussian and Antwerp without some of their objectionable qualities, besides having a good record from its history in old pictures. An ivory-black and flake-white complete the list.”

~ Artist Henry Ward Ranger, 1914

Artists and art historians also use the term “palette” when describing the range of colors an artist uses. For instance, it could be said that the Impressionists used a high-key palette filled with bright colors whereas the Tonalists preferred a limited palette of rich earth-toned colors.

On occasion, painters have painted pictures directly on their used palette. The Museum used this idea to create Miss Florence’s Artist Tree, a 12-foot tree decorated with painted palettes by nearly 75 contemporary artists, which is on display during the holiday season each year. The artists are given a new unused palette, which they donate back to the Museum after they’ve completed their painting. 

“My palette, which originally contained a large variety of pigments, kept on reducing itself almost unconsciously until, during the last few years, it holds nothing but the three primaries and a black and a white.”

~ Artist Henry Ward Ranger, 1914

To learn more about a specific tool click below: