GB2277490A

GB2277490A - Artist's palette extension

Info

Publication number: GB2277490A
Application number: GB9307462A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Louis Klein
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-04-08
Filing date: 1993-04-08
Publication date: 1994-11-02
Also published as: GB9307462D0

Abstract

The extension 10 or 22 has an upper paint-receiving surface 20 or 24 and on a lower surface resilient clips (18, Figs. 1 and 2) for securing the module to a peripheral portion of the palette 34. The extension may be associated with a tubular container (32, Fig. 3) closed at one end and provided with a liquid-tight bung (30) at the other. After being detached from the artist's palette at the end of a painting session, the module - laden with unused paint deposits - is inserted into the tubular container together with a filling of water, or other liquid or gaseous preservative medium, after which the tube is closed by the bung. A single tubular container may contain a pair of extensions maintained spaced apart by integral spacer flanges (14). <IMAGE>

Description

ARTIST'S PALETTE DEVICE This invention relates to an artist's palette device for use, particularly but not exclusively, by an oil-colour artist.

At present, before beginning a painting session an oilcolour artist squeezes from his various paint tubes desired quantities of differently coloured paints, depositing them at spaced locations around the periphery of his palette.

During the course of the painting session, the artist takes (by brush or other means) desired paints from the paint deposits disposed around the periphery of the palette, and whenever necessary uses the central portion of the palette to mix additional colours for his use.

After completion of the painting session, the artist cleans up his palette, usually with turps, thus throwing away all of the unused (but otherwise usable) quantities of paint from the peripheral and central parts of the palette.

At the commencement of the next painting session, the artist again loads the periphery of his palette with desired quantities of different paints, and again mixes additional colours (possibly the same as those mixed in the previous session) in the central part of the palette, all in the same manner as before.

Again, at the completion of the painting session, the palette is once more cleaned, with a further loss of unused paint.

This procedure is not only wasteful of costly paints, but it is also wasteful of the artist's time spent in mixing at a second or subsequent painting session paints that were specially mixed during the previous session.

The present invent ion seeks to avoid the disadvantages of the procedure described above.

According to one feature of the present invention, there is provided a palette extension module arranged for attachment temporarily to a peripheral part of an artist's palette for the duration of a painting session, and to receive on a paint-receiving surface thereof at spaced positions thereon various deposits of paint to be used during the painting session.

According to a further feature of the present invention, there is also provided a container arranged to receive the module on its removal from the palette at the end of the painting session, the container being provided with a removable closure member for enclosing the module in the container in a liquid or gaseous preservative medium which will substantially preserve (without contaminating) until the next painting session any paint carried on the module.

That preservative medium may conveniently comprise a partial or complete filling of water.

Advantageously, the container comprises a tube (preferably of circular cross section) having one end closed and the other arranged to receive said removable closure member in a leak-proof manner.

The container may be arranged to receive and store two or more such palette extension modules simultaneously.

Each such module may comprise a linear strip of a suitable material having upstanding from its paint-receiving surface at least two wings preferably disposed at or near the respective end portions of the strip, the wings being arranged to space the strip from the internal surfaces of the container, or from the paint-receiving surface of another such module enclosed in the container, thereby to avoid contact of paint carried on the strip with the container or with said other module carried in the container.

Conveniently, each such strip is provided (preferably integrally) with resilient fixing clips secured on the side of the strip remote from the paint-receiving surface, and suitable for gripping the peripheral portion of the artist's palette.

The paint-receiving surface of each such strip may be subdivided, if desired, by upstanding partitions into a plurality of separate paint-receiving areas.

Other features of the present invention will appear from a reading of the description that follows hereafter, and of the claims appended at the end of that description.

Two artist's palette extension modules and their associated container (and various modifications of them) all according to the present invention, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows pictorially one artist's palette extension module; Figure 2 shows pictorially an alternative artist's palette extension module; Figure 3 shows pictorially the two modules of Figures 1 and 2 enclosed in a transparent tubular enclosure; Figure 4 shows pictorially an artist's palette having the modules of Figures 1 and 2 temporarily attached to two adjacent peripheral edge portions of the palette; and Figure 5 shows an end elevation of the palette board and extension modules of Figure 4, as seen in the direction of the arrow 'V' shown in Figure 4.

Referring now to Figure 1, the artist's palette extension module shown there comprises an integral plastics structure 10 comprising a base strip 12, upstanding wings or platforms 14 at the respective ends of the base strip 12, narrow raised partitions 16 disposed at regular intervals along the length of the base strip 12, and two longitudinally-spaced resilient clips 18 protruding from the lower surface of the base strip 12. The partitions 16 separate the respective paint-receiving areas 20 on which differently-coloured tube paints may be deposited for use during a painting session.

The module may be of any convenient size to suit the size of the palette with which it is intended to be used.

However, one convenient size is approximately 240mm x 42mm x 2mm. It is important to choose a light-weight material for the module, since the module adds to the out-of-balance weight of the palette to which it is applied.

The resilient clips 18 may, if desired, be made separately and secured in any desired manner to the base strip 12, e.g by insertion in slots formed in the base strip.

Figure 2 shows a module 22 which is generally similar to that shown in Figure 1, with the difference that the raised partitions 16 of Figure 1 have been omitted. With such an alternative module, the spacing of the paints to be deposited on the paint-receiving surface 24 of the base strip 12 is in the discretion of the artist.

Figure 3 shows an air and liquid-tight enclosure 26 comprising a transparent plastics cylindrical tube 28 which is closed at one end, and a removable bung 30 closing the open end of the tube. Enclosed within the tube are the two modules of Figures 1 and 2 respectively, in face to face relation, and with their respective wing portions 14 in contact with one another. Small clips for securing the wings together in that relationship are provided, but are not shown.

The enclosure 26 is provided with at least a partial filling 32 of water, sufficient to prevent paints deposited on the paint-receiving surfaces of the modules from deteriorating during the period of storage before the modules are again brought into use at the next painting session. For short periods of storage in the enclosure, water vapour from only a small filling of water will suffice, though for longer periods of storage it is desirable to completely immerse the paint on the modules in water, so that it is necessary to substantially fill the container with water.

By appropriate design of the module and enclosure sizes, it can be arranged that the modules are secure against unwanted movement when in the enclosure.

When a painting session is about to commence, the bung 30 is removed from the tube 28, the water filling is emptied away, and the modules are extracted and clipped to respective edge portions of an artist's palette 34 in the manner shown in Figure 4. The artist then has at his immediated disposal the colours that were deposited by him on the modules during an earlier painting session.

On completion of that painting session, the modules are unclipped from the palette, secured together in face to face relationship, and then inserted in the tube. The bung is replaced, after first filling the tube with the requisite amount of water.

The palette 34 of Figures 4 and 5 may comprise a conventional palette board of wood or other suitable material, or it may comprise instead a so-called 'tear-off' paper palette comprising a cardboard backing member carrying a pad of oil-proof paper palette sheets.

It will be appreciated that not only will the tube paints deposited on the modules be preserved for use at a later painting session, but also that any colour mixed on the central part of the palette and duly transferred to a vacant paint-receiving area 20 or 24 of one of the modules before insertion of the modules in the enclosure will also be preserved for use at the next painting session.

Whereas in the above-described embodiment, the paint preservative medium is water, any other non-contaminating paint preserving medium may be used instead. Even a suitable gaseous medium (e.g. nitrogen) - at atmosheric pressure or at a lower pressure - may be used instead of or in combination with a liquid medium. For example, it is possible to use air at a lower than atmospheric pressure, by pumping air out of the container, with for example a manual pump such as is used for reducing the air in a partly emptied wine bottle.

Where a gaseous medium other than air is to be used, the enclosure 26 has to be provided with suitable valves to enable purging of air from the enclosure and the filling of the enclosure with the gaseous medium from, for example, a pressure capsule.

Whilst the invention has been described specifically in relation to oil paints, it may be used with other forms of artist's paint, provided that an appropriate liquid or gaseous preservative medium is used in the enclosure 26.

The use of palette extension modules and an associated storage container according to the present invention provides at least the following advantages: (a) it keeps in good condition paints deposited from paint tubes, and mixed paints transferred from the palette at the end of a painting session, so that there is no wastage of paint at the end of a painting session; (b) the preservation of mixed paints gives greater continuity in mixed colour tones in successive painting sessions; (c) the artist is not inhibited in depositing substantial quantities from his paint tubes, since there will be no discarding of unused paints at the end of the painting session; (d) it leaves a larger proportion of the central area of the artist's palette available for mixing additional colours; and (e) it simplifies the cleaning of the palette, since only the mixed colours have to be removed therefrom. This is particularly so where a tear-off paper palette is used, since after transfer of mixed colour deposits from the paper palette sheet, that sheet is simply torn off the palette pad and discarded, leaving the next clean sheet ready for use at the next painting session.

Claims

1. An artist's palette-extension module having (a) a paint-receiving surface adapted to receive at respective spaced locations thereon respective deposits of paints of different colours or shades, and (b) palette-gripping means arranged for gripping as required a peripheral portion of an artist's palette thereby to form when secured to an artist's palette a removable extension of the palette.

2. A palette-extension module according to claim 1, wherein the module comprises a substantially linear strip of a suitable material having upstanding from its paintreceiving surface at least two spacer wings disposed at or near the respective end portions of the strip, the spacer wings being arranged to space the strip from any surface adjacent which the module is placed when not in use.

3. A palette-extension module according to claim 2, wherein said strip is provided with resilient fixing clips disposed on the side of the strip remote from the paintreceiving surface and suitable for gripping a peripheral portion of the artist's palette.

4. A palette-extension module according to claim 3, wherein said resilient fixing clips are formed integrally with said strip.

5. A palette-extension module according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, wherein the paint-receiving surface of said strip is sub-divided by upstanding partitions into a plurality of separate paint-receiving areas.

6. A palette-extension module according to claim 5, wherein said resilient fixing clips are formed integrally with said strip.

7. A palette-extension module according to claim 1, having a storage container arranged to receive the module on its removal from the palette, which container is provided with a removable closure member for enclosing the module in the container in a liquid or gaseous preservative medium which will substantially preserve any paint deposits carried on the module until the next use of the module on the artist's palette.

8. A palette-extension module according to claim 7, wherein the container comprises a tube having one end closed and the other end arranged to receive said removable closure member in a leak-proof manner.

9. A palette-extension module according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the module comprises a substantially linear strip of a suitable material having upstanding from its paint-receiving surface at least two spacer wings disposed at or near the respective end portions of the strip, the spacer wings being arranged to space the strip from the internal surface of the container when enclosed therein, thereby to avoid contact of paint deposits carried on the strip with the internal surface of the container.

10. A palette-extension module according to claim 9, wherein said strip is provided with resilient fixing clips disposed on the side of the strip remote from the paintreceiving surface and suitable for gripping a peripheral portion of the artist's palette.

11. A palette-extension module according to claim 10, wherein said resilient fixing clips are formed integrally with said strip.

12. A palette-extension module according to claim 9, wherein the paint-receiving surface of said strip is subdivided by upstanding partitions into a plurality of separate paint-receiving areas.

13. A palette-extension module according to any one of the claims 7 to 12, wherein said container is arranged to accommodate in addition at least one other paletteextension module similar to the first-mentioned module.

14. A palette-extension module according to any one of the claims 7 to 12, wherein said container is arranged to accommodate in addition a plurality of other paletteextension modules similar to the first-mentioned module.

15. A palette-extension module according to claim 13, wherein each module comprises a substantially linear strip of a suitable material having upstanding from its paintreceiving surface at least two spacer wings disposed at or near the respective ends of the strip, the spacer wings being arranged to space the strip from the internal surface of the container when enclosed therein, thereby to avoid contact of paint deposits carried on the strip with the internal surface of the container.

16. A palette-extension module according to claim 15, wherein said spacer wings of each module are also arranged to space said strip from the paint-receiving surface of any other module enclosed in the container, thereby to avoid contact of paint deposits carried on the strip with any other module carried in the container.

17. A palette-extension module according to claim 15, wherein each said strip is provided with resilient fixing clips disposed on the side of the strip remote from the paint-receiving surface and suitable for gripping a peripheral portion of the artist's palette.

18. A palette-extension module according to claim 17, wherein said resilient fixing clips are formed integrally with said strip.

19. A palette-extension module according to claim 15, wherein the paint-receiving surface of each said strip is sub-divided by upstanding partitions into a plurality of separate paint-receiving areas.

20. A palette-extension module according to claim 7, wherein the module is enclosed in said container, and said container also encloses a partial or complete filling of a preservative medium.

21. A palette extension module according to any preceding claim, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

22. A palette extension module comprising any novel and inventive combination of features described in the aforegoing description, other than a combination as defined in any one of the preceding claims.