Knife Painting: The Art of Texture

Explore the essential tools for mastering the technique of the knife painting and bring your work to life with unique textures.

Painting knives

Painting knives are essential tools for expressing your creativity in unique ways. Their use allows you to play with textures and details in astonishing ways. Dive into the fascinating world of the painting knife and let your imagination run wild to create truly unique and captivating works of art.

Choosing your knives

Painting knives must be of excellent quality, and in particular their blades must be particularly flexible.
Reject low-end knives, which are often sold in sets, as their blades are too rigid and will restrict your creativity.

My preference is for Senneliers knives, which are really supple and pleasant to use.

I particularly like shape no. 1025, which is good-sized and tapered. It's great for quick flat tints as well as the finest details.

Carefully maintain your equipment, especially your knives.

Paintings

Paints used with knives should be of the right consistency to enable fluid, creative application. Acrylic and oil paints are particularly recommended.

The paint with a knife consumes a lot of material.
In terms of equipment, opt for large tubes of at least 200 ml in fine or study quality.
Many brands share the market: Sennelier Rive Gauche, Pébéo, Amsterdam, Gorgian... etc.

My paint set is actually made up of several brands, but I really like the "Sennelier Rive Gauche“.

In addition to the paints, I use an additive: Lukas' Medium V, also known as "Painting Butter".
This alkyd-based paste increases paint volume, speeds drying and protects against cracking.

Which colors to choose

For choose It's important to analyze the pigment composition of your colors. This is indicated in small print on the tube, often on the back.
It takes the form of a code, e.g. PW6 for the white PB15 for phthalo blue, or two codes if it's a mixture: PW6 - PB15, for example.

Never buy mixed colors! (With the exception of certain yellows)
For example, there is the so-called Primary blue, which is composed of phthalo blue and titanium whiteto be avoided! PB15 pure phthalo blue is perfect as a primary blue.
Be sure to check the composition on the back of the tube.

Here are the colors I recommend:

Phtalo blue - PB15
Magenta - PR122
Yellow - PY40
Phthalo green - PG7
Orange - PO43
Violet dioxazine PV23
Ultramarine blue - PB29
Yellow ochre - PY43
Burnt sienna Pbr7
Titanium white, for warm colors - PW6
Zinc white, for cool colors such as sky blue. PW4

To find out more, see my blog on the pigments and colors.

Supports

Supports for knife painting must be sturdy enough to withstand thick layers of paint. Cotton canvas is ideal for this technique.
Linen canvases are best suited to fine brush painting.
Cotton canvas, on the other hand, retains paint better and is preferable for knife painting.

The palette

The pallet is an important part of your equipment.
It needs to be large enough, as mixing colors with a knife takes up much more space than with a brush.

I use a 5 mm plywood pallet that I paint medium gray, measuring 70 cm x 40 cm.

Cleaning and maintaining the palette is the most time-consuming part of painting.
I've solved this problem by covering my pallet with a sheet of transparent plastic, which extends 10 cm underneath and which I secure with scotch tape.
It works great!
Simply replace the plastic to start a new painting.

This plastic is readily available in DIY stores in the painters' tarpaulin section.

It's best to take a model on a roll and cut it to the size of the pallet.

Additional equipment

Absorbent, lint-free cloths

Absorbent, lint-free cloths are indispensable accessories for gently wiping your palette knives before storing them. Choose high-quality cloths, ideally made of cotton, to avoid any risk of leaving fiber residues on your tools.

Use a cloth soaked in solvent to remove persistent stains of oil paintingThe knife's metal surfaces must not be damaged.

Specialized cleaning bins

Specialized ultrasonic cleaning tanks are essential tools for maintaining your palette knives after use. They effectively dissolve oil-based paint residues and protect your hands from aggressive solvents. Choose one with grooves to facilitate in-depth cleaning of the blades.

We recommend changing the thinner or solvent in the container regularly to ensure optimum cleaning of your tools and prolong their life.

Tips for maintaining your painting equipment

1. Regularly clean pallet knives

It's essential to clean your palette knives thoroughly after each use. Use a clean cloth and turpentine to remove all traces of paint. Be sure to dry your knives thoroughly before storing them, to prevent rust from forming. Regular maintenance will prolong the life of your tools and ensure optimum performance.

2. Protect brushes from dryness

Brushes used for oil painting require special care. After cleaning, let them dry flat to prevent the bristles from warping. To prevent dryness, keep your brushes in a place protected from dust and humidity. You can also wrap them in greaseproof paper to protect them during transport or storage.

3. Store paint tubes correctly

Oil paint tubes must be stored under optimum conditions to preserve their quality. Keep them in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. Be sure to reseal tubes properly after use to prevent the paint from drying out. Proper storage guarantees a long life for your paints, and maintains their texture and gloss. color of origin.

The different types of pallet knives

Traditional palette knives

Traditional palette knives are essential tools for artists practicing oil-knife painting. Their blades are generally made of stainless steel and can vary in shape and size. Some models have a straight blade, ideal for broad, flat color applications, while others have a curved blade, perfect for creating fine, precise details.

Serrated palette knives

Serrated palette knives feature a serrated blade that creates interesting textures in paint layers. These knives are ideal for adding depth and dimension to your work, imitating relief or material effects. They offer a wide variety of patterns and styles to stimulate your creativity.

Angled palette knives

Angled palette knives are designed to offer a different working angle, making it easier to apply paint in hard-to-reach areas or at tight angles. Their ergonomic shape allows better control of the gesture, ideal for creating delicate details or subtle transitions between colors. These knives are highly versatile and can be used for a wide variety of painting techniques.