There are numerous palette knives you can purchase to create different effects within your paintings.
Here are the basics to knife art which will allow you to get started on creating art that is full of texture that is otherwise hard to achieve.
Flat knives can be used to mix paints before applying onto a support instead of mixing with brushes. This makes it much easier to prevent the contamination of colours. Simply scoop out your paint and push against it with a knife, adding more colours as you go.
Using a knife gives you much more control over the texture of your paint. As soon as you reach the texture you need or like, it’s much easier to scrape the paint up with a knife and apply immediately to the canvas without going back and forth with a brush, which would cause change to your previous texture.
It’s also easier to drag the paint out with a palette knife to change the transparency and colour.
Knives are much easier to clean than brushes, simply wipe with a paper towel or cloth in between uses.
Scrape paint onto the edge of your knife to begin painting and transfer to a palette easily. By keeping the paint on the edge you will be able to create lines, edges and dabbing effects easily. You can continue to push paint towards the edge of the knife to create a constant supply, which is much more convenient than using a brush.
Flat knives allow for so many different styles of painting because of the flat sides, sharper edges and point. All three elements of the knife will produce a different texture on canvas.
You can also scrape back paint with the knife to create illusions in the background, such as creating the look of branches on trees. Simply scraping away at the paint is much easier than adding another layer.
TIP: You’ll need a light touch to work with oil paints on a palette knife. Avoid mixing paints while on the canvas when working with knives.
