Picking the right palette for oil painting or acrylic painting is a top priority for artists. All colors should be complementary to every other, from the lightest to darkest, and the colors should complement each other in terms of hue and value.
The debate over the best acrylic paint palette for oils or acrylics rages on. Though there is no “best,” there are certainly some good ones, and for most people, you’ll find that one of the below palettes will be enough to get you started. If you’re unsure which palette is right for you, consider painting with acrylics and oils first since you often can use oil-specific paints in acrylics and vice versa.
New Wave Glass Palette
This palette contains eleven shades, each pressed, finely-milled pigment, in a satin finish for eye shadows that glide on and blend seamlessly. The shades are Ash (pale gray), Bronze, Coffee, Crystal (pale blue), Emerald, Sienna, Tiramisu, Taupe, Violet, Warm Beige, and Warm Grey.
Caran d’Ache Palette Aquarelle
Caran d’Ache is a Swiss brand known for making some of the thinnest, most durable art pencils on the market. Its Aquarelle line is no exception. Even though it’s one of the thinnest pencils available, its vibrant brush tip holds a lot of paint, and it’s surprisingly absorbent, so it can keep a couple of layers on the canvas before it begins to look smeary.
Mijello Multi-Purpose Palette
The Mijello Multi-Purpose Palette is a fun way to easily access a wide variety of colors while on the go. The set comes with 20 single eyeshadows, a lip gloss, a matte eye shadow, a shimmery eye shadow, and a metallic eye shadow with a sponge tip applicator. The eyeshadows and lip gloss can easily be carried in a makeup bag for on-the-go touch-ups. They come in a wide range of colors, and they are also formulated with minerals, making them safe for use on the face. When using the eyeshadows, the sponge tip applicator makes it easier to blend colors to achieve your desired look.
Pro Art Oil Palette Pad
The Pro Art Oil Palette Pad is a 16-inch by 20-inch pad made from high-quality, thick paper, ideal for any artist. The pad is approximately 3/8-inch thick, and the surfaces have 2 grades—one for dry media and another for wet media, such as oil paints. The oil paper is acid-free and archival-safe, which means that it can be safely stored indefinitely, and when it has broken down after hundreds of years, it won’t harm the environment. The surface also easily accepts water, enabling you to blend colors and shapes. Artists don’t have to waste their time sponging or wiping off the pad. The acrylic and oil paints can be safely dabbed and smeared onto the paper.
Art Advantage Non-Stick Palette
Modern-day artists are no longer content with muted, earth tones in their palettes. Instead, artists favor vivid, bright colors. But no one wants to spend their free time washing paintbrushes after numerous color changes. The Art Advantage Non-Stick Palette and Thin Artist Brush Set provide artists with all the tools they need for bold, bright colors. The Non-Stick Palette is made of durable, reusable, non-stick clay with a snap-on lid. The set includes 6 colors, a stand, and a brush. The Thin Artist Brush set features 10 brushes in sizes 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 2.0mm, 3.0mm, 3.0/5.0, and 5.0mm.
Xpassion Palettes
Xpassion Palettes are a new indie brand that provides more than just eyeshadow palettes. In addition to eyeshadow palettes, It also offers eyeshadow singles, brushes, makeup organizers, and more. The brand’s eyeshadow palettes are vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the USA, and they come in a wide variety of colors.
Mijello Ellipse Peel-Off Palettes
The Mijello Ellipse Peel-Off Palettes are just like the regular Ellipse Palettes but easier. The palette design is the same, with sixteen eye shadows in a mirrored compact. The difference now is that the eye shadows are individually packaged in plastic. You no longer have to contend with the palette getting stuck to your fingers, and there’s less chance of losing any eye shadows. Best of all, the packaging is waterproof, so it wipes up nicely.
For color cosmetics novices, the folding metal palette can be intimidating. But it’s not difficult. All you need is these Peel-Off Palettes from the brand MIJELLO. The circular palette contains 12 shadows in various shades of nude and metallic. The shadows are easy to apply and blend, and unlike some powders, they don’t require a wet brush. Just shake the palette to get the powders out of the containers, put them on the lid, and swirl the brush in the powder until it’s fully covered. Then simply apply the shadow with the brush or fingers, and sweep it back of the eye. Makeup artists use similar palettes for their powder eyeshadows, highlighters, and blush, and the MIJELLO Peel-Off Palettes work just as well.
The best palette for painting oil or acrylics should depend on your medium of choice. The best palette for painting with acrylics tends to have more pure colors and more muted colors. Whereas, the best palette for painting with both tends to have pure colors that translate well to any medium.