Monday 24 February 2014

Pocket palette

This is a really clever idea from Maria Coryell-Martin. It is a pocket travel palette the size of a business card holder. It holds 14 colours in small, shallow metal pans that are held in by a magnet. Such a good idea! You can read about how it was developed on her website.
Pocket Palette from
http://expeditionaryart.com/shop/product/pocket-palette/

The palette open as it arrives.
There is no doubt it is small with a very flat mixing area, but if you are working with a water-brush on a small sketchbook, which was the intention for this palette, then it is amazing how little paint you actually need. I've just filled mine with my ultimate mixing palette that you can see here. I'll try it out and will be curious to see how long the paint will last.
Mine filled with my perfect beginner palette selections.

She sells extra pans and also larger square pans (that hold as much paint as a half pan) if you want to work with less colours. Her sample colours are lovely, and coming from Seattle it's not surprising that they are Daniel Smith. Hansa Yellow Medium, Quinacridone Gold, Pyrrol Red, Quinacridone Rose, Indanthrone Blue, Phthalo Blue RS and Phthalo Green BS.
Here is my new Pocket Palette all filled up, along with the optional larger pans, it's protective bag,
and the sample colours Maria recommends.
So if ever you are looking for a super-slim travel palette, this could be for you! I just think it is a lovely idea and worthy of sharing.


2018 update - the palette has been slightly re-designed with an edge to the mixing area and the extra tabs on the lower lip removed. It is also now in aluminium so is even lighter.

The little pans are now coated to resist rust and come in half sizes. I have shown one here made up with my Ultimate Mixing Set. The phthalo blue and phthalo green are in the new tiny pans. I think for urban sketching pyrrol scarlet and pyrrol crimson are better as tiny pans.

There are also super larger pans - the size of 4 normal ones - that some use as an extra mixing space.

If you want one in Australia let me know as I have them filled (AU$90) or empty (AU$40) plus shipping.


14 comments:

  1. It's great to see your palette all filled up! Happy painting and I look forward to following your adventures, Maria

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    1. I couldn't wait to get it filled and ready for action :-) Must talk colours some time - so many of mutual interest.

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  2. I love my little magnetic palette from Maria. It and my pocket watercolor Moleskine were my constant companions on an extended trip to Italy last fall. Just ordered more pans so I can have lots of colors to switch out.

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    1. I am not at all surprised Arlene. Being able to have a compact palette with you all the time is wonderful and this its the bill. I am looking forward to putting it through its paces.

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  3. Do you still use this set as much as other travel palette sets? I still use my winsor newton field box but was seeking slim alternatives if it's just as useful

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    1. This palette is slim enough to have with you all the time, and holds 1/4 of a full pan of up to 14 colours. There is enough surface area of each colour to be able to use a decent sized brush if you like, though a water brush works beautifully with it. On the downside, there is very limited mixing space with no 'edge' so you can't mix wet washes in the palette. As I see it, that's the only downside, and it's possible to carry an extra sheet of plastic or something to mix in if needed. It really is the slimmest travel palette I have come across yet is still practical.

      My other alternative is a hand made brass palette that was also designed to go with me everywhere. That is much more expensive, and heavier, (though lovely) than the pocket palette that I thoroughly recommend to my students and other plein air sketchers.

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  4. Hi Jane, I'm just getting back into painting & found your website. Wow so much information, very helpful. I love your work & the colors you use. Do you sell the pocket palette filled with your perfect beginner palette selections in the US?
    Marie

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    1. Thanks Marie. I can sell the filled palette for $65 plus postage to the US. I don't know what that would be but it isn't a heavy object. If you are interested contact me through my website and give me your address. Payment is very easy through PayPal. I'd get a quote for the shipping so you only pay the actual shipping cost.

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  5. Hi Jane: You mention on you Palettes page: I am spraying the outside and inside of the little metal pans for greater longevity of this lovely palette :-)". What is it that you are spraying?

    I have had one of these boxes since December and look at it every day, but have yet to take the leap and actually fill it with pigments. I admire your 12 and 14 pigment palettes, but as I live in a northern region (Canada) and mainly do urban sketching, I wonder if your bright palette would work for me.

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    1. Good question - I spray them with epoxy enamel paint - black on the outside, white on the inside, in two light coats so they are just covered, though of course just one colour all over would do. I do it in a cardboard box to keep the spray contained. As the little pans are metal, they may rust otherwise.

      It is interesting that you describe my ultimate palette as bright - I suppose it has plenty of bright colours as it is designed to be able to paint anything at all from florals to landscapes and urban sketches. You might choose to cut back to just one red - the quinacridone rose - so you can include Indian red and perhaps another earth colour. I have just posted a suggested 12-colour urban sketching palette here - http://janeblundellart.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/i-received-couple-of-portable-painter.html. It doesn't have the very bright phthalo blue and phthalo green, and only has one red. You could add two more colours to that. I'd probably add a couple of convenience greens to make it up to 14 - like the lovely DS undersea green and sap green for example. While I like to mix greens, they can be useful to have on location. One does hope there is still plenty of greenery in urban sketches ;-)

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  6. Hi Jane, what alterations would you suggest for this pocket palette for urban sketching in the U.K.? We'll just miss your Bath workshop dates!

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    1. This palette will work anywhere in the world, for any subject. However for urban sketching you may choose to add in the Indian red instead of the pyrrol crimson. Indian red is so useful for brickwork and roof tiles.

      While this range is designed for 'ultimate mixing' options, if you prefer not to use staining colours, for example, you might put a convenience Sap green in instead of the phthalo green and perhaps another earth colour instead of phthalo blue.

      Or, If you only want to have one bright red, use quinacridone rose and remove pyrrol scarlet and pyrrol crimson. Add in other favourites.

      Shame you will miss Bath - I love teaching 5-day workshops :-)

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  7. Hi Jane, do you still sell the pocket palette? I'm want the empty one. Does the AU$ 40 include the 14 pans in it? I'm in Jakarta, Indonesia, but you can send it to my friend in Perth by early October if it's possible. Thanks in advance.

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    1. Yes I have them and yes the price includes the empty pans.
      Send me the address to jane@janeblundellart.com and we'll take it from there...

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