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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, Holy Night, Vik Schroeder

Holy Night

Vik Schroeder

Painting - 30 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$593

Painting, Cadaques, Josep Teixido

Cadaques

Josep Teixido

Painting - 65 x 81 x 2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch

$3,262

Painting, Coral Reef, Olga Nikitina

Coral Reef

Olga Nikitina

Painting - 20 x 20 x 1.8 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.7 inch

$712

Painting, New Chapter, Schagen Vita

New Chapter

Schagen Vita

Painting - 70 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

$1,305

Painting, Night of NY, Phil

Night of NY

Phil

Painting - 80 x 80 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 inch

$652

Painting, City, Gilbert Morales

City

Gilbert Morales

Painting - 50 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch

$2,254

Painting, Destiné, Gilbert Morales

Destiné

Gilbert Morales

Painting - 38 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 15 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

$2,017

Painting, Volonté, Gilbert Morales

Volonté

Gilbert Morales

Painting - 100 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$2,135

Painting, Africa, Gilbert Morales

Africa

Gilbert Morales

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

$2,254

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