Homemade Glass Palette

Intro

I find that Glass Palettes are far better in terms of Colour Mixing and Colour Definition compared to Tear-Off Palettes that I have used previously. However I still use Tear-Off Palettes when I have some small details to do in between the main body of my Painting so I always keep one to hand. I also find that I can keep paint fresher on Glass Palettes when I leave them overnight. I use Cling Film wrapped loosely around my Palette and it keeps the paint relatively good for up to three days.

1. To make your own Glass Palette get a piece of glass from an old picture frame, preferably one you have no more use for. You could also use a shelf from an old Fridge, one that has no ‘Ripples’ or ‘Indentations’. These can be better as they are made from ‘Hardened Glass’ and are less likely to break. However they are a lot heavier than standard glass and are not as comfortable to hold for longer periods, but they a fine if you use then flat on your work surface. (It is important to say be careful working with glass especially if there are children around). Firstly paint one side of the glass with Acrylic Paint. Use a ‘Neutral’ colour, I usually use a Grey Tone, I find this works best in respect of visualising the colour I am trying to achieve on the palette. I use a wide flat brush to apply the paint. Three coats of paint is usually good enough to get a nice balanced look. Let each coat dry completely before applying the next coat.

2. When the last coat is completely dry use a good quality Duct Tape’ to cover the painted surface which will be the back of your Palette. Do this in strips using a sharp craft knife to cut to the edge of the glass. When the surface of the glass is covered, rotate the glass 90 degrees and cover with a second layer of tape ‘Diagonally’ to the first layer.

3. Flip over the glass and cut a strip of tape to the dimension of the glass. Place inward approx. 1cm and fold the remainder of the tape neatly to the back of the palette. These Palettes last a long time, when the tape surface edges get a bit frayed due to cleaning, simply strip off the edging tape and replace it with new tape. I use the Green Glass Cleaning blade shown in the finished picture to remove both hard and wet paint. A light rub-down with odourless white spirit and the palette is perfect to start using again