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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Palette knife painting

Éclat vert

Éclat blanc bleu

Éclat bleu gris irisé

Éclat or orange rose iridescent

Éclat or orange

Éclat or orange violet iridescent

Éclat chaud

Éclat bleu sombre

Éclat orange rouge marron

Éclat bleu gris iridescent

Éclat or bronze gris iridescent

Éclat jaune vert

Éclat verdoyant bleu

Éclat chaleureux

Éclat violet pâle bleu

Éclat bleu violet iridescent

Éclat bleu profond

Éclat bleu

Petit éclat rouge iridescent

Petit éclat rose rouge iridescent

Petit éclat rose iridescent

Petit éclat rose violet gris iridescent

Petit éclat bleu iridescent violet

Petit éclat bleu iridescent profond

Petit éclat bleu vert iridescent 2

Petit éclat vert bleu iridescent

Éclat or rouge

Éclat or verdoyant

Éclat or bleu

Éclat or vert bleu iridescent

Éclat rose iridescent

Éclat rose gris iridescent

Éclat or Marron

Éclat bleu 2

Éclat jaune orange

Éclat verdoyant

Éclat brasillant

Éclat violet bleu

Éclat rose violet iridescent

Petit éclat bleu vert iridescent

Grand fondu or cuivre

Grand fondu rose rouge violet iridescent

Grand fondu rose violet bleu

Grand Fondu Flamboyant

Grand Fondu Blanc Perlé Bleu Iridescent

Matrice bleue violette iridescente

Matrice flamboyante

Matrice or orange rouge grise iridescente

Matrice d'or

Matrice végétale

Matrice froide

Matrice chaleureuse

Fondu or vert bleu iridescent 2

Grand fondu rose bleu iridescent

Grand Fondu Rose Violet Iridescent

Grand Fondu Or Orange Pourpre

Grand Fondu Orange Rouge Violet

Grand Fondu Bleu Iridescent Violet

Grand Fondu Bleu Iridescent

Matrice or rose orange grise iridescente

Hommage à Monet II

Marilyn 2

The Watermill Of Autumn

An Autumn Libretto

The Rain

Light comes