Palette
The palette is the watercolorist’s violin. Scales of hues are laid across the palette like violin strings. In the mixing area the different colors come together like musical chords.
A concert musician will search far and wide and pay a steep price to find the perfect instrument. For years, I searched in vain for a good palette maker. Almost two decades later I found my man: Steve Henry Fanelli. He has built a business hand-making palettes, one at a time, for watercolorists. How good is Steve? At the time I’m writing this his waitlist is two years.
My Palette
My Fanelli palette is made of solid German Silver. It contains the exact number of wells I need to hold my paints (14) with several mixing areas and a rectangular vessel for water. Customized to fit comfortably in my left palm, I can hold everything needed in one hand allowing me to stand as I paint.
Palette opened and ready for painting
For road trips or hikes, I sometimes use a smaller plastic palette called the Portable Painter. For people who would like to paint in watercolor but don’t want to spend the money for a custom-made palette, this palette is an excellent choice.
With 12 color wells on the palette, I fill them with the colors I use most. If I need to use additional colors, I squeeze them into the smaller mixing areas on the palette.
Everything fits in one hand, including not one, but two water vessels (see image below right).
At around $30, it’s a great way to go for people new to painting, or any painter on a budget.
Visit Portable Painter and enter promo code SCOTT during checkout to receive a 10% discount on your order (promo code is case sensitive).
My inexpensive Portable Painter Palette
