Cleaning your palette

This is for beginners. The rest of you know already or have your own methods.

Whether you paint in oils or acrylics you need to clean your palette from time to time unless you use one that's disposable. This is how I was taught to do it:

For Oils

I pour a little paint remover, from the hardware store, all over the palette in a well ventilated area, usually outside or in the garage. Then I take a 2 or 3 inch scraper and move the paint remover over the dried paint, let it sit a minute or so and start scraping. I add more paint remover and scrape until all the paint is loose. Then I scrape it all onto a newspaper, fold it and place it in a steel fireproof garbage can with a steel lid.

Then I take a paper towel and some paint thinner or turpentine and wipe the entire palette until it's smooth and free of paint. I let it dry outside. The palette is usually stained from the paint but the main thing is it's smooth.

For Acrylics

I use a glass palette. No need for anything but a little water and the scraper. The paint scrapes right off into a paper towel or newspaper. I wash the glass after and I'm good to go.

Some artists use glass for oils too. Not a bad idea.