Today I'm going to talk a bit about a tool I feel has rather been forgotten or neglected in recent years by the modern classical artist. The art knife. There are two types of knifes used in art. The palette knife and the painting knife. They both, however, consist of a wooden handle with a long metal blade sticking out and with a round pointy end (they can be found in all sizes and shapes, but the round/pointy one is the most common.) The latter just has a lowering towards the end making it a bit more versatile in its use. The palette knife, as you probably can imagine, is normally only used on the palette mixing larger quantities of paint, and the painting knife applies the paint to the canvas.
What makes this experience out of the ordinary, other than the fact that is fun to use, is the edges and textures you can create. I even dare state that there is no other way of creating such unique edge as when using a painting knife.
With it, the paint can be laid in thick bravura strokes (what its most frequently used for - using white alone for example when you want to paint the lightest value) or with gentle, subtle strokes – such as the classical Russian artists used them for. You can even scrape off the paint from your canvas if you’re not entirely happy with its outcome and want start over. The possibilities are endless and did I mention its fun to use?
Just remember; when buying palette knives or painting knives, follow the golden rule of art and buy the most expensive tools you can afford. The quality may vary, but the most important thing is that they have a sharp springy blade with a pointy end. And for Gods sake – Don't buy the plastic ones.
M.
