How to Make a Glass Palette

How to Make a Glass Palette

Hi loves! Since I only paint on glass palettes and make them myself, I figured it’d be helpful to show you guys how to make one yourself. You don’t have to use a glass palette in art,but it is extremely helpful for saving materials, mixing up accurate colors, and making cleanup simple

 

Materials Needed:

  • Glass Sheet
  • Hardboard panel(cut to the same size as the glass sheet)
  • Neutral grey, white, or black paint OR palette sheets
  • Shipping clear tape
  • Sealing glue (glue gun, gorilla glue, etc)
  • Foam board

 

Step 1:

  • Gather your materials and purchase a glass sheet and hardboard panel from a hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes. 
    • Depending on the size of palette you need, you can get any sheet from as little as 8x10 to 24x30 and larger. 
    • I stick to a 16x20 palette (which is pretty big) simply because I paint almost everyday. 
    • When you get a hardboard palette, make sure you have it cut at the store to the same size as your glass sheet

Step 2

  • Paint the shiny side of the hardboard the desired color you want your palette to be
    • Most artists either work on a grey or white palette. 
    • I recommend grey because it's a neutral tone so when you do your underpaintings, the colors you mix up on your palette will match when you put them on your canvas.

   

Step 3

  • Glue the bottom of the hardboard panel to the foam board 
    • Make sure the foam board is cut the same size as your hardboard and glass sheet
    • The side of the hardboard that you painted should be facing up
    • Wait for it to dry

Step 4

  • Place the glass sheet over the hardboard 
    • The sides of the glass sheet I purchase are smooth so I don’t wear gloves, but as a precaution you can wear gloves
    • Make sure you’re working in a careful open low space (not on a small table) so you don’t risk dropping the glass

Step 5

  • Tape the top of the glass sheet to the bottom of the foam board
    • Place the shipping tape along the borders of the top of the glass
    • The border doesn’t have to be too big but make sure you have between 1/4th an inch to half an inch of tape bordering the whole glass sheet
    • Tape about 3 layers for each side of the glass sheet

 

 

 

Extra Glass Palette Tips

  • If you’re using acrylics, to clean up your palette, spray or pour some water on top. The paint will easily come up
  • If you’re using oils, I recommend getting a glass scraper (not the sharp kind) to clean up the dried up paint. You’ll need to use a medium to break down old oils (such as odorless mineral spirits)
  • Over time your glass sheet may get scratches, depending on how you’re mixing up your paint. This is normal but if you want, you can always replace the glass if you want

 


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