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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Un lieu paisible, auprès du roi
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
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L'avenir de nos enfants
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 33 x 46 x 2.4 cm Painting - 13 x 18.1 x 0.9 inch
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Reflections in the Haze
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 113 x 97 x 2 cm Painting - 44.5 x 38.2 x 0.8 inch
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Paisible paysage de corail
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
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Objets volants en Antarctique
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
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Ebullition de l'océan
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
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La fraîcheur de l'Arctique
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
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L'entraînement du guerrier
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
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Les prémices des beaux jours
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
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Le vent se lève - Tableau monochrome jaune
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
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La baie en bord de mer
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 24 x 2.2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.9 inch
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Profondeur sombre des mers
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
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Sucettes roses et orangées
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
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Les magiciens du ciel
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
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Le vol des êtres de la nature
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
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