Confessions of a Color Lovin' Palette Junkie!

9:17 AM

As promised, here is way too much information about my addiction to palettes (all photos are clickable). It's a long and littered road.....

Lipstick or Stealth Palette
Business card included for scale
Stealth Palette closed
This is the Stealth Palette, formerly a lipstick sampler from Trish McEvoy. I use this when I'm sketching out in public and don't particularly care for anyone to know. It is the size of a thick credit card. I spray painted the mirror area with white gloss enamel for a wash area.
Angora Palette
Business card included for scale
This little palette was given to me. The paints that came in it were like chalk so I tossed 'em and put in my preferred colors. Since it didn't have enough wells, I altered it by adding my own. The top was painted with white gloss enamel to make it easier to see the paint colors in a wash. If you look at the lower right hand corner, you'll notice the broken corner. That's one of the downsides to plastic palettes—they do break! (But it's still functional!)
Daler-Rowney Palette
Empty and Unaltered
Altered and filled!
Since my waterbrush would not fit in the palette and the space was going to waste, I decided it needed to have paint in it. So I created another nine wells. These are quarter pans—one half of a half pan size. This is a great palette for quick sketches on the go, but is limiting if you try to use it as a plein aire palette where big brushes and puddles of paint are important. 
Altered Quarter Pan Palette
Note the "legend" of paint names in the upper lefthand corner
This is the palette that appeared in this post. It is also a quarter pan palette that I altered to add more wells. The two middle rows were open space. Since the palette is only 2.25" x 3.25,"(about the size of a Sucrets or Altoids box) no self-respecting brush was going to fit....so, more paint wells. Unfortunately, this is a no-name palette. It is cheaply made as well. It is a knock-off of an old Winsor and Newton bijou box from well over 50 years ago. You will occasionally see one of the old WN's on eBay. (I've called the shop where I bought it and they currently do not have any in stock. Nor did they know what I was asking about. I'll check again in a month or so to see if they have received anymore.)
27 Half-Pan Palette
This is my favorite workhorse palette (for out on location) and it's about to undergo a change in colors and layout (swapping out some of the half pans for wholes). It was one of those palettes that used to have tubes in it. It had brackets spot welded into the bottom of it...until I decided they needed to leave. And what do you know—27 little half pans fit very nicely in there and there's still room for a brush! This is also a cheap knock-off, no name deal.

If you remember, I decided to use these smaller palettes as a way to use some of the exotic (and not so exotic) paints that I just had to have and then never get around to using. And for that purpose, I have to say these palettes are wonderful. Besides that, they just make me happy 'cause they're so darn cute!!

I have to stop now (even though I haven't exhausted my supply) as I've noticed a look of concern on my husband's face....he has no idea........hee.............

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18 Creative Thought(s)

  1. ...thanks for posting this one. It gives me ideas (I also liked the post you did on the paper/watercolor pencil palettes earlier). I'm going to have about an hour and a half wait for Matty over the next 6 weeks once a week (in a dark indoor tennis facility). I think I might try to bring my watercolors and paper...

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  2. Oh wow....you have certainly whetted my palette!!!! Fun to learn about your loves and your painting. Love the Fall paintings, especially the crop of the pumpkin. Long time since I visited, trying to get my schedule back on!!!

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  3. You certainly know the way to an artist's heart, posting all this eye candy!

    How did you make the added quarter-pan barriers? I have one like that Bijou knock-off from Wet Paint; I had to seal the dividers with a hot glue gun before filling. It currently holds a Sakura Koi waterbrush that comes apart in the center space.

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  4. Arent you clever. I love the idea of the lipstick sampler being filled with paint. Fun to have with you so you can sketch if you see something you really need to sketch quickly.

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  5. Kelly, I look forward to what you come up with!

    Good to see you, Theresa!

    Seems only right to share, Vicky! I'll cover how I do that in alter the palettes in another post.

    It's a wonderful way to carry a palette, Cris! I recommend going to the dollar store and getting an eye shadow palette (easier to clean than the lipstick)!

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  6. I have a few palettes similar to yours and I keep looking for more ideas and places to store and use them. It must a spin-off of looking for the perfect sketchbook. lol

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  7. Yep! That's exactly what it is, Teri! Just another area to be obsessed with!

    But cheaper than therapy!

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  8. You are having just too much fun here. I only have three palettes. One small travel size and two big ones. Hmmmm....

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  9. I had to laugh at "a look of concern on my husband's face" as my sister once said when she saw my craft supplies "your husband has NO idea of the money in here does he?" and this reminded me of that. No he didn't/doesn't and that's quite okay. Go ahead and try some more palettes. It's a good way to play!

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  10. Some things are just better left.....alone!!

    As I said, cheaper than therapy!

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  11. I think you need to sign up for Palettes Anonymous and get therapy. LOL.
    Me, I seem to collect drawing pens and can never decided on a brand of preference!
    Great ideas, again, Laure. x

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  12. Yes, Gillian, I do need to sign up for Palettes, Pigments and Art Stuff Anonymous! May have to start my own chapter!

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  13. I even love the name of the "stealth palette." I see that you have at least one palette for every occasion...how fun is that? I don't paint nearly as much as you do, but I have three palettes myself. How does this happen???

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  14. Hi Laure, I think you and I are both addicted to color! I love seeing all your palettes so nicely laid out. Makes me want to go paint!!!

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  15. If I only knew how it happened maybe I could stop it! Three, KJ???? :•)

    And I say it loud and proud, Jacqueline! Care to join me?!

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  16. Wonderful! I have to make up a sampler card because I *forget* the colors I so carefully chose once upon a time...plus, they help me select the best shade when I get stuck on a tricky subject. What a great selection of travel palettes! You're one of those art enablers, aren't you? :D

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  17. I love to read these kind of confessions - I like the first one; in a lipstick sampler - great idea!

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  18. So cool to see some of your palettes....I wish your husband hadn't disturbed the moment, I want to see them all!!!! Thanks for sharing.

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