Palette

The organized planning of the palette is a great aid to competent painting. Too often the beginner fails to realize the necessity of instinctively knowing where a particular color lies on his palette. Just as a typist automatically reaches for his keys, so a painter should automatically reach for his colors.

Shown on the facing page is my palette (not necessarily the only arrangement) starting with the warm colors — yellow ochre, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, cadmium orange, cadmium red, alizarin crimson; then the earth colors—Indian red, sepia, umber, burnt sienna; then to the cold colors — French ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, Antwerp blue, Payne's gray, mauve; and then the greens—emerald green, Hooker's green No. 2, Rembrandt green; and finally black. There are additional colors, such as orange, oxide of chromium, sap green, and vermilion, which are sometimes used to achieve certain effects, but this suggested palette should be sufficient. Place colors around the edge of palette and leave the center free for mixing. For a palette I use a 19 by 13-inch porcelain butcher's tray.
 
I would strongly urge you not to be too sparing with your pigments as you prepare your palette; use about half a tube of each color. Nothing is more annoying when laying in a wash than to find you have no more color. By the time you squeeze out more color, the area being painted may have dried, causing serious trouble. If a color has been lying on the palette for some time between painting sessions and shows signs of cracking, a drop of glycerin will soften it.

I do not want to ignore pan colors, but I personally do not recommend them because in a pan-type box the mixing area is too limited and pans placed on the palette are unsteady.

All good brands of watercolor paints today are permanent with the possible exception of alizarin crimson, which is a coal-tar product. It should be used very sparingly. Do not make the mistake, even if you are a beginner, of buying cheap color. It is no economy because you use more of it, there is no guarantee of permanency, and the colors are not true. Get accustomed to good color and what it can do for you.

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