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

La Petite Rivière

Sens bruni

Sens jaunâtre

Sens violacé

Sens verdoyant

Sens flamboyant

Éclat fragmenté jaune

Éclat fragmenté d'algues

Éclat fragmenté brasillant

Éclat fragmenté bleu profond

Éclat fragmenté bleu

Between Light and Memory

Éclat concentrique violet bleu

Éclat concentrique bleu sombre

Éclat concentrique vert bleu

Éclat concentrique d'algues

Éclat concentrique rouge

Éclat concentrique rouge violacé

Magic Berries

Watkins Glen State Park in New York City. Impasto impressionism painting.

Kolczuga

Ephémère

Murmure des nymphéas

Rouge Magenta

Matin mauve

Hommage à Monet IV

Limpidezza

Abstrait floral

Volupté

Campo di fiori 2

Blue cerf

New Beginning

Irises. Flowers. Inspired by Van Gogh.#4

Grand éclat noir et blanc

Grand dégradé carré or rose violet

Éclat orange rose violet iridescent

Éclat or violet

Matrice spirituelle

Envers

Inverse

Fondu vert

Magical Tea Party

Fondamenta Degli Incurabili

Couleur majorelle III

Romantic dreams

Romantic woman

Woman with umbrella in a rainy city

Snoopy pensif

Tropical Coral Reef Underwater painting was made underwater at the depth of 8 meters

Red Fish Stream

Underwater painting Abstract coral reef was made underwater

Vive les fleurs en skate

Reflet Majorelle

Reflets au parc

White flowers abstraction

Petit éclat de lueur jaune violette

Petit éclat verdoyant

Matrice jaune orange rouge

Matrice or orange rouge iridescente

Texture couteau blanc nacre or

Texture couteau blanc bleue violette

Texture Couteau Blanc Verte Pomme

Texture couteau blanc verte Véronèse

Dog driver

Mediterranean Harbor

Puppies in a garden