Palette (painting)

A palette (/ˈpælɪt/) is a surface on which a painter arranges and mixes paints.^[1][2] A palette is made of materials such as wood, paper, glass, ceramic or plastic, and can vary greatly in size and shape.^[2][3] Watercolor palettes are generally made of plastic or porcelain in a rectangular or wheel format, and have built in wells and mixing areas for colors.^[4] For acrylic painting, "stay wet" palettes exist, which prevent the paints from drying out and becoming inert.^[3]

Scribe's palette with styluses and residues of colors, from the Tomb of Kha and Merit. Between 1425 and 1353 BC (New Kingdom of Egypt). Museo Egizio, Turin.

An artist's palette

A classical palette is most often oval, but can also be rectangular, and is tapered to ensure optimal distribution of weight. It has a thumbhole and insert for brushes, and is designed to be held in the non-dominant hand while the other is used to mix and paint.^[1] However, some well-known artists have used more unconventional palettes; for instance, Picasso used a sheet of newspaper.^[2]

Palettes are also a universal symbol of painting and art in general, alongside paintbrushes, for example in the symbol of Microsoft Paint.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Color scheme
• Palette (computing)
• Palette knife