What is a palette?

• A. A type of brush
• B. A selection of colors found in a work of art, also term for tool used by artists
• C. A color wheel
• D. A painting technique

Answer: (B)

A palette is the surface or tray artists use to hold and mix their paints, and the term also describes the set of colors chosen for a work. This dual meaning means it covers both the tool used to blend colors (the palette itself) and the collection of colors selected for the artwork (the color palette). That’s why this option best fits: it recognizes both the physical object artists use and the array of colors that define the piece’s look. The other options point to a brush (which applies paint), a color wheel (a color theory diagram), or a painting technique (a method of applying paint), none of which describe what a palette is.