How to Clean an Art Palette

One of the hardest things for artist to clean up after a painting session is the palette. What kind of paint you used can determine the type of clean up you will need to do. Also, if the paint has dried you will have to clean the palette in a different way than if it were wet. I've had to clean many different kinds of palettes over the years, so I will share some of the tips I've learned with you here.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Something sharp like a razor blade or knife blade
• Solvent, like turpentine, if the paint is oil paint

Dry Palette

1. If the paint has already dried onto the palette, the best way to clean it is to scrape it.
2. Take the blade at a 45 degree angle.
3. Cut off the dried paint.

Wet Palettes

4. If the paint is water based, then you are in luck. Usually all you will need to clean your palette is warm water and soap.
5. If the paint is oil based then you will need a solvent to clean your palette, such as turpentine. Go to a very ventilated spot, put the solvent on an old rag and clean the paint off. You may have to re-wet the rage with solvent several times.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the area you scrape in is ventilated.
• Make sure you hold the blade away from the body.
• If you have a wooden palette, make sure that you don't cut into the wood.
• Scraping should only be done by an adult.
• There are non-toxic solvents on the market, you may want to give them a try.
• Do not use solvent in an inclosed area. It could make you sick.

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