What is knife painting?

As the name suggests, knife painting is a technique in which a knife rather than a brush is used to paint. It is an art that requires a little practice and some basic knowledge. But with a little perseverance, knife painting is easily learned. Its technique is rather different from painting with brushes or flat brushes.

Basic rules

To paint with a knife, you need to master some basic skills. It is necessary to work with vigorous strokes, but without applying thick layers of paint. If you do, cracks may appear after the paint has dried. The gestures must be well assured, the quantity of paint well dosed, the rhythm of the movements well regulated. The knife itself, its shape and size must also be adapted to master its handling. A flexible blade is one of the keys to success. Different shapes (straight, rounded, bevelled, trowel) exist to be able to achieve the desired result. Painting with a knife is possible on different surfaces: rigid surfaces such as wood, cardboard, or canvas frames, provided that a layer of acrylic paint is applied first.

Preparing the colours

One of the essential criteria for painting with a knife is to prepare the colours to be used beforehand. This step is similar to the preparation of plaster. The mixture must be homogeneous, without streaks or mottling and the composition must be smooth, not too liquid. If the texture seems a little too hard, a little linseed oil can be added. It is important to provide enough colours for the whole project. It is almost impossible to obtain exactly the same colour in a second preparation.

Elaboration

When working on the painting, it is best to have several painting knives at hand. Large knives can be used to paint important elements such as the sky, a forest or the sea. Smaller knives can be used for the details of the work. The paint should be removed with the back of the knife. Before each change of colour, the knife should of course be cleaned with a cloth. When painting with a knife, it is best to make very precise movements from top to bottom. The tip or the edge of the knife can be used depending on the desired result. To paint details, the tip is recommended, preferably an elongated one.  The important thing is to press the knife well to spread the paint without leaving any relief. It is also advisable to start by painting the background of the canvas. For a quality rendering, certain areas of shadow should be worked on. Finally, one of the advantages of painting with a knife is that it is easy to go back. If you want to make some changes, you can simply scrape off the part you don't like. Knife painting is also one of the most suitable techniques for layering colours.

Examples of knife painting

To have an overview of paintings made with a knife, go to ARTactif. Thanks to the architecture of this directory of contemporary works, you can make targeted selections of works: filter according to the name, techniques (painting, sculpture, drawing, installation...) mediums (acrylic, wood, resin, collage, graffiti...) themes (human, nature, object, animal...), as well as by dimension, orientation or colours. By selecting your desired medium, you will be able to find in a few clicks all the paintings listed among the thousands of works available on the site of ARTactif.