Technique
The most common use of a palette knife is to add texture to a painting. This is usually done with a larger, wider palette knife heaped high with paint. Then, the paint is smoothed onto the canvas like icing on a cake. Lifting the knife slightly off of the canvas while I swipe can produce beautiful, fluid ridges to build my painting upon. The more flexible the knife, the more control I have of the paint. It is important to remember to only paint wet-on-wet when using palette knifes for this technique. Dry paint can get damaged by the knife as it sweeps by. Painting with a knife adds texture and dimension to the canvas. Knife painting techniques produce lively, spontaneous results and can add dramatic movement to my art.
Palette knifes are ideal for laying down large swaths of color for layering. This technique is particularly helpful for creating beautiful skies and stunning water. Simply start with the darkest color and layer lighter ones half a swipe down. Painting with a palette knife forces me to loosen up. I focus on shapes and colors, not being consciously aware that I am painting a fruit or a marine. I let the colors and values that I place on the canvas tell that story. Painting with a palette knife also gives me more of an impasto surface. The paint has dimension, a quality I like. For this technique it is imperative that the paint is not allowed to dry, as it is virtually impossible to control the knife as it skids over the ridges of dried paint underneath.
The last step is Glazing : It tends to give colors more luminescence. The colors are not mixed together first before applying, rather, they are mixed optically using single transparent layers of color. Each layer must be completely dry before applying subsequent layers. Usually, the first step in using the glazing technique is to create a monochromatic (different values of the same color) underpainting of the subject. Using only one color will help me to focus on form and tone first, rather than being too preoccupied with color at this stage. I Wait until my under painting is dry to begin applying my first layer of color.