Phoenix Oval Wooden Palette for Oil and Acrylic Painting
The oval is one of the best-known palette shapes. Its rounded board has a thumb hole and rests on your forearm while you paint. Phoenix makes it in several sizes; we stock three of them.
Which size should you choose?
- 20 × 30 cm: lightweight, for smaller formats and painting outdoors
- 25 × 30 cm: a versatile size for working at an easel
- 30 × 40 cm: for larger paintings and more shades at once
Oval or rectangular?
An oval palette is more comfortable to hold, while a rectangular one makes better use of table space. For oil painting, a wooden palette is usually treated with linseed oil before first use to stop it absorbing paint. Wipe off oil paint with a cloth and thinner after use; wash acrylic paint off with water before it dries.
How to arrange the paints
Shades are usually arranged on an oval palette in an arc along the far edge — from white through yellows, reds and blues to earth colours and black. Leave the centre and the area by the thumb hole free for mixing. If you always arrange the paints in the same order, you’ll find each colour by touch, without looking, and your mixtures will stay cleaner.
Find more tools from this brand in the Phoenix collection; brushes also pair well with the palette.
