Saturday, November 26, 2016

Casein Palette


A few people asked about setting up a casein palette. I made this palette out of a metal lid from a colored pencil box that I spray-painted white. The steel tray holds onto the magnets embedded in my homemade palette.


Those colors give a pretty wide gamut. I often squeeze them onto a damp paper towel to keep them moist longer. I don't usually use a palette knife for pre-mixing, but sometimes it helps to set up some gradated pools of color. They only stay wet for 10 minutes for so, but having them there can encourage bolder and thicker handling.

This image is from "Portraits in the Wild."

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2 comments:

  1. MitchNovember 26, 2016 at 9:12 PM

    James,

    Here is a newbie question from someone who has only worked with watercolor: How do you remove dried casein from your palette?

    I'm really enjoying Casein Painting in the Wild, and just picked up a "Gurney Six Pack" to try.

    Thanks,
    Mitch

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  2. James GurneyNovember 27, 2016 at 3:20 AM

    Mitch, good question. I find it comes off pretty easy when you soak it in water. The emulsion isn't as strong as acrylic, especially soon after it dries, so it comes off with just a little scrubbing. You can also remove dried casein with a solution of ammonia, like one part ammonia to ten parts water. Glad you're enjoying it.

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