Arts, Music, and Recreation Hobbies & Activities How to Hold a Paint Palette Share Flipboard Email Print MaaHoo Studio / Getty Images Hobbies & Activities Painting Learn to Paint Lessons & Tutorials Techniques Famous Painters Painting Supplies Hiking Paddling Fishing Sailing & Boating Scuba Diving Playing Guitar Playing Piano Drawing & Sketching Collecting Gambling Card Games Other Hobbies View More by Marion Boddy-Evans Updated May 13, 2017 01 of 03 Support the Paint Palette on Your Arm Hold a painting palette towards yourself so it rests on your forearm. Photo © 2008 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc. If you like painting standing up rather than sitting down, a palette is a very useful tool. It enables you to have your colors (and brushes) at an ergonomic working height and it's instantly accessible when you want to pick up a color or mix a color, whether you're standing in front of your painting or viewing it from a distance.If you're using a traditional wooden palette, a plastic one, or a disposable paper one as in the photo, the principle is the same: use your forearm to support the weight of the palette. This stops your wrist having to hold the weight, and is far less tiring.Insert your thumb through the hole, then curl your fingers around the edge or just rest the palette on top of them. Hold it firmly, but not in a panic grip. You don't want to get a cramp in your fingers, you just want to be sure you don't drop the palette when you put brush to paint.Be careful you accidentally don't lean into the paint on your palette. It's easy to do if you bend over to pick up a brush you've dropped, for instance. 02 of 03 Don't Rely on Your Wrist to Hold Up a Palette Your wrist will soon get tired if you hold a palette away from yourself. Photo © 2008 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc. If you use your wrist to hold up the palette, with the bulk of it floating out in the air, you'll get tired far more quickly. The palette also wobbles more as you pick paint off it with a brush, or mix colors on it.That said, you could rest the other end on your easel or table. This takes the weight off your wrist and gives more stability. 03 of 03 Holding a Palette and Brushes Holding the brushes you're using in your hand with a palette solves the problem of where to put a brush with wet paint without making a mess. Photo © Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc If you like to paint with multiple brushes, you can hold these in your fingers together with the palette. This means they're immediately available to use, without bending or stretching to reach them. It also solves the problem of where to put a brush with paint on it without marking a surface.You can hold one or two brushes or a whole bunch together with a cloth for wiping a brush. Your dexterity is the limit. You'll find that with practice you stop consciously "holding" the palette and it'll just rest in your hand. Continue Reading