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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, Home Library, ShuJie Wang

Home Library

ShuJie Wang

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

$1,008

Painting, attraction, Gillian Brin

attraction

Gillian Brin

Painting - 93 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 36.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$771

Painting, Dreamy look, Gillian Brin

Dreamy look

Gillian Brin

Painting - 116 x 73 x 3 cm Painting - 45.7 x 28.7 x 1.2 inch

$771

Painting, Cascade, Shanon Bee

Cascade

Shanon Bee

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

$534

Painting, Geisha, Valerian Lenud

Geisha

Valerian Lenud

Painting - 146 x 114 x 2 cm Painting - 57.5 x 44.9 x 0.8 inch

$7,355

Painting, Cool van, Seb Paul Michel

Cool van

Seb Paul Michel

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

$652 $457

Painting, Illusion, Toussaint

Illusion

Toussaint

Painting - 92 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$2,017

Painting, Coquelicots N° 13, SAB

Coquelicots N° 13

SAB

Painting - 90 x 65 cm Painting - 35.4 x 25.6 inch

$4,152

Painting, Coquelicots N°11, SAB

Coquelicots N°11

SAB

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

$3,559

Painting, Coquelicot N°1, SAB

Coquelicot N°1

SAB

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,780

Painting, Coquelicots N°6 rose, SAB

Coquelicots N°6 rose

SAB

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,780

Painting, Coquelicots N°8, SAB

Coquelicots N°8

SAB

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$2,373

Painting, Coquelicots N°10, SAB

Coquelicots N°10

SAB

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,780

Painting, Coquelicots N°5, SAB

Coquelicots N°5

SAB

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,780

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