In oil painting palette has two meanings. The first refers to the surface on which the paint is mixed; the second meaning is the variety of colors used to paint.

Most artists prefer a wooden palette. Some use a thick piece of glass placed on top of a sheet of gray paper. But a glass palette is restricted to studio use and work on a taboret, which is a small table that holds most of your painting equipment.

My preference is for the wooden palette. Wood pallets come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the most popular is the oval shape which is designed to fit over the elbow and is held with the thumb through the hole in the paddle. The wooden paddle can be the size of a small plate or a large plate. As a teacher, I recommend that beginners use the smallest size palette.

Before the trowel can be used for painting, it must be primed with a sealer. Unsealed palettes will leach the delicate oils from the paint and rob it of its shine.

There are three different methods of preparing a palette for painting. A few coats of shellac can be lightly applied allowing each coat to dry completely before the next. Some artists who have invested in an expensive weighted palette painstakingly seal it with a French glaze to give it the look of a fine antique. However, there is a serious drawback to both of these preparations: the warm, dark tones of the varnish make accurate measurement of color mixing difficult.

The best method is this: invest in a liter of linseed oil. It doesn’t have to be artist grade. Raw flaxseed oil that is available at hardware stores is sufficient.

For a couple of tablespoons of linseed oil on your palette and with a clean cloth, evenly distribute the oil on your palette. Let the oil absorb for about an hour, and then repeat six to eight times. To prevent the lollipop from warping, it’s not a bad idea to work both sides evenly.

The goal is to saturate the wood with oil. Once fully saturated, set your palette aside and allow it to air dry for several days. However, even after a week, your palette will still feel oily. This is a good sign. It means that your palette is ready to start its journey.

Even though your palette is now fully loaded with oil, it will still leach the delicate emollients from your paint. But only for a little while.

At the end of each painting day, you should clean your palette. NEVER, EVER use white spirit to clean your paints. Turpentine is a solvent and will strip your palate like a crazed thief in a foreclosed development.

Instead, scrape off the paint with a paint knife and rub the rest on the palette with a cloth. In no time a smooth, wax-like surface will develop that will literally love your oil painting. This waxy surface also takes on a neutral gray color that allows you to accurately mix and measure the hue, tone and temperature of your color.

Your paint palette is an indispensable tool, and just like your brushes, it needs to be well cared for.