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Palette knife painting

The painting knife, or palette knife, as it is often called, has been a part of painter's tools for many centuries. Originally, it wasn't used to apply paint or to produce impastos but to mix pigments, to superimpose one layer of paint over another to modify it appearance or to remove excess paint from the canvas. Consisting of a curved handle and a flexible steel blade, its shape is comparable to that of a small trowel. It was during the Renaissance that the palette knife began to be used for something other than its original purpose and that artists started to use it to paint. Before that, painters sought to create a realistic and therefore smooth result. But artists such as Rembrandt, Titian or Fragonard noticed that scraping paint to create impasto helped to create eye-catching texture, relief and light.

Gustave Courbet is well-known for having brought palette knives back into fashion in the 19th century, a pivotal period when the art of painting, and art in general, underwent many changes and transformations. He was followed by the Impressionists and the modern painters (Monet, Van Gogh, Turner, etc) who used it to create thick impastos. Impressionists were particularly keen on this tool which was well-suited to the way in which they sought to represent light realistically, as our eyes see it. The invention of the easel and paint tubes allowed them to leave their workshops and to paint outside, enabling them to depict the shimmering reflections of water and the ever changing nature. They applied paint quickly in small thin strokes on the canvas and created texture using the knife. To create this effect, they used oil paint and acrylic, working them as little as possible so as to ensure their thick, dense appearance.

On Artsper, find works by Aude Herlédan and Judith HM, amongst others who have transcribed the use of the palette knife in unique ways in their contemporary practice!

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Painting, GR105, Anouck Botteron

GR105

Anouck Botteron

Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€1,500

Painting, GR101, Anouck Botteron

GR101

Anouck Botteron

Painting - 70 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Painting, GR7, Anouck Botteron

GR7

Anouck Botteron

Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€900

Painting, Fluid 4, Jo Sada

Fluid 4

Jo Sada

Painting - 42 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€89

Painting, Fluid 3, Jo Sada

Fluid 3

Jo Sada

Painting - 42 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€89

Painting, Fluid 2, Jo Sada

Fluid 2

Jo Sada

Painting - 42 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€89

Painting, Free, Gillian Brin

Free

Gillian Brin

Painting - 140 x 140 x 0.5 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 0.2 inch

€950

Painting, Marina, Frank De Blok

Marina

Frank De Blok

Painting - 52 x 60 cm Painting - 20.5 x 23.6 inch

€210

Painting, Looking up, Frank De Blok

Looking up

Frank De Blok

Painting - 20 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€210

Painting, La Diva, ShuJie Wang

La Diva

ShuJie Wang

Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, La Tempête, Frank De Blok

La Tempête

Frank De Blok

Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€1,700

Painting, Le Maghreb, Frank De Blok

Le Maghreb

Frank De Blok

Painting - 70 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€1,400

Painting, The Bridge, Frank De Blok

The Bridge

Frank De Blok

Painting - 60 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

€1,300

Painting, Intensity, Juliana Haggoo

Intensity

Juliana Haggoo

Painting - 60 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

€1,500

Painting, Winter, Juliana Haggoo

Winter

Juliana Haggoo

Painting - 54 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 21.3 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,500

Painting, Dreamscape, Vik Schroeder

Dreamscape

Vik Schroeder

Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,100

Painting, Bird 2, Schagen Vita

Bird 2

Schagen Vita

Painting - 25 x 25 x 0.3 cm Painting - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch

€180

Painting, Bird, Schagen Vita

Bird

Schagen Vita

Painting - 25 x 25 x 0.3 cm Painting - 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch

€180

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