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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Riflessi dorati su San Marco (1)
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 94 x 133 x 2 cm Painting - 37 x 52.4 x 0.8 inch
€22,500
Perduto nel Blu
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 60 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€1,626
Peinture 01-2021-07
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 120 x 120 x 4 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 1.6 inch
€1,200
Les explorateurs des mondes sous-marins
Âme Sauvage
Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch
€75
Peinture 01-2024-08
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€1,200
Peinture 02-2024-13
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch
€1,200
Peinture 02-2025-18
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 140 x 140 x 2.5 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1 inch
€1,600
Peinture 02-2025-19
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 140 x 140 x 2.5 cm Painting - 55.1 x 55.1 x 1 inch
€1,600
Peinture 03-2025-21
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 150 x 150 x 2.5 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 x 1 inch
€1,700
Peinture 10-2021-72
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1 inch
€850
PEINTURE 06-2020-65
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€850
Woman walking with a dog
Schagen Vita
Painting - 56 x 41 x 1 cm Painting - 22 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch
€800
Les fenêtres bleues texturées - Peinture texturée
Anaïs LF
Painting - 90 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
€800
Petali di luce
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 115 x 139 x 2 cm Painting - 45.3 x 54.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,730
Peinture 03-2024-16
Alain Bécanne
Painting - 120 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch
€1,200
Echi di stelle lontane
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 180 x 200 x 4 cm Painting - 70.9 x 78.7 x 1.6 inch
€5,800
Galassie profonde
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 160 x 200 x 4 cm Painting - 63 x 78.7 x 1.6 inch
€5,600
Lo spazio cosmico si stà ingrandendo
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 160 x 200 x 4 cm Painting - 63 x 78.7 x 1.6 inch
€5,600
Bouquet of White flowers in a blue vase on red. Still life
Schagen Vita
Painting - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
€800
Bouquet of mimosa in a transparent vase by the window.
Schagen Vita
Painting - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
€800
The Memories Of Love
Kirill Postovit
Painting - 100 x 65.5 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 25.8 x 0.8 inch
€2,400
Sparks in the Fog
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 80 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,430
Riflessi dorati su San Marco
Antonino Puliafico
Painting - 160 x 140 x 1 cm Painting - 63 x 55.1 x 0.4 inch
€3,800
