How to Draw a Paint Palette Step by Step
This guide show how to draw a paint palette with paints on it. It consists of a total of five steps with simple illustrations and quick instructions.
The example drawing is of a wooden paint palette commonly used by artists. It shown with seven different colors of paint. The drawing is done as though the tablet is being viewed on an angle. This can be a fairly natural position to see one in when it’s held by an artist.
The guide explains how you can give the tablet a more three dimensional appearance and how you can help make the paints look shiny and oily or wet.
The tutorial is quite simple and does not necessarily require you to do any erasing. However, you should still start in pencil and make light lines just in case you might need to make a correction. Darken your lines after you have the palette and all of the paints outlined.
Step 1 – Draw an Outline of the Paint Palette
First, outline the paint palette’s main shape. Overall, make it similar to an oval but with an inwards curve on one side (the area where it’s held by the hand).
Step 2 – Draw the Thumb Hole
Inside the main outline add an oval shaped hole (where the thumb goes).
Step 3 – Draw the Side of the Palette
To show that the the material the palette is made from is not paper thin and to give it a more three dimensional appearance show it’s side. Do so by outlining it’s bottom edge. Draw the visible parts of the edge coming out of the outline from step one, somewhat following it’s shape, and then merging back into it. Show the edge around the bottom area of the palette’s main shape, the inwards curve for the hand and the hole for the thumb.
Step 4 – Draw the Paints
Draw the paints positioned around the palette’s edges. This is a fairly common way for artists to distribute them as the mixing is generally done around it’s middle. Draw each little pile of paint to be somewhat random in shape. You can generally give them a somewhat uneven and “wavy” overall outlines. You can also add little tips on top of a few of them. These can be created when the paint is squeezed out of the tube.
Step 5 – Color the Paint Palette
To color the drawing make the palette a light orange brown (so that it looks like wood). You can make the paints any color you like. In this example they are Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple and Brown (seven different colors in total).
An easy way to create the orange brown is to apply the colors in two layers using the corresponding color pencil crayons. For getting bright looking paints you can use markers. Also, to make the paints look shiny (like they are oily or wet) leave a little white spot inside each of them when coloring. This will show a bright reflection and help convey that they have a smooth texture. It may be a good idea to very lightly outline the reflection in regular pencil before coloring so that you don’t accidentally go over it.
Finally, also darken the side of the palette and the inside of the thumb hole by going over them with either a brown or a regular pencil. This will show that those areas have shadows over them and will make it appear as though the light is coming from somewhere above the palette. This will again, help give it a 3d look.
Conclusion
This guide shows how you can create a fairly simple but at the same time a nice looking drawing of a paint palette with different colored paints on it. It explains how you can give the palette a more three dimensional appearance and how you can make the paints look shiny and smooth.
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