To remove paint from the blade, simply wipe it with a clean cloth or paper towel.Ĭarefully inspect the painting knife after each stroke once paint has begun to accumulate on the board. I hold the knife as a conductor would hold a baton and change the angle of the knife to the board to achieve the desired effect.Ī clean palette knife is essential when changing colors. Mix your colors on the palette without diluting the paint with medium Wielding the Painting KnifeĪpply paint with a knife as you would spread frosting on a cake-working the texture to achieve the desired thickness and swirls. Use thick paint when working with a painting knife. You need the paint to be thick so that it will maintain its shape and stay where it’s put. When painting with knives, mix your colors on a palette, but don’t add any medium that will thin the paint. Because some areas of the underpainting will be visible in the finished painting, I choose underpainting colors that are analogous (near each other on the color wheel) to final layer colors. The values of the underpainting are often a bit darker than those I anticipate using for the finished painting because light over dark yields a more desirable result. The values of the underpainting are often a bit darker than those I anticipate using for the finished painting With broad, loose strokes, I cover the white of the board, establishing color and value. I begin my painting knife pieces with an underpainting done in oil thinned with an odorless paint thinner, such as Gamblin Gamsol, and applied with a No. Ampersand Gessobord works well, and there are many other suitable surfaces on the market. I’ve found that the painting surface for a piece done with knives must be firm to prevent the paint from cracking as it dries.
The way you hold the knife, its angle to the board, the amount of paint on the blade and the direction you pull it through the paint or drag it on the surface all add to the painterly options and effects available to you. Both metal and plastic blades have rather dull edges, and although some blades have a sharp point, a painting knife isn’t so much a cutting tool as it is a spreading tool.Ĭhoose a painting knife for its shape, as different shapes will create a variety of effects. Below this knife are large, small and medium painting knives, which appear in the demonstration photos in this article.Ī knife with a metal blade has more spring to it than one with a plastic blade. The knife at the top of this image is a large palette knife that I use to indicate the surface texture of water. (Note: For the remainder of this article, when I use the word knife, I’m referring to a painting knife.) As its name indicates, a painting knife is used for actual painting.
On the other hand, a painting knife has a deep bend in the handle that keeps the artist’s knuckles out of the paint. The purpose of the palette knife is to mix colors or clean the surface of the palette. For the remainder of this article, when I use the word knife, I’m referring to a painting knife.Ī palette knife handle is generally straight, having at most a slight bend. Both are available in a variety of blade shapes and sizes.Ī palette knife handle is generally straight, having at most a slight bend. Both tools are made of either plastic or of wood and metal. The terms painting knife and palette knife are often used interchangeably when describing the technique of applying paint to a surface with the blade of an artist’s knife. Hillside Sun (oil, 28×52) by Deborah Quinn-Munson Painting Knife or Palette Knife? If you’ve ever spread frosting on a cake, you have an idea of the textural possibilities when using a painting knife to create an oil painting.ĭifferent from painting with a brush, this process can help you achieve a variety of effects, from the sweeping strokes associated with impasto to refined details.Įnjoy this technique article on everything there is to know to get started using a painting knife.
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