Painting with a Painter’s Knife

Knife painting can add a fresh approach to an artist’s painting method.
Here's how to experiment with a painting knife instead of a paintbrush.

Using a Painter’s Knife or Palette Knife

A wide variety of painting knives hanging at an art supply store.
Artists use many different tools to create their paintings. Paintbrushes are the traditional tools for putting on the paint, but sometimes artists use painting knives instead of brushes. Brushes and knives produce very different results. Painting knives are great for putting on thick paint, or impasto. Some artists use painting knives along with their brushwork and others use the knives solely.
​Palette Knife vs. Painting Knife
There are two different knives that artists use. One is called a palette knife and the other is a painting knife. Though these terms are often used interchangeably, they are different tools. Both knives are typically made from stainless steel and have a wooden handle. But these tools serve different purposes and so they differ somewhat in shape or design.
  • Palette knife: mixing paints or scraping paint off the palette
  • Painting knife: placing paint on the canvas
 
A palette knife is not intended to spread paint on canvas. This tool is designed for use on the palette itself. A palette knife is ideal for mixing paints and mediums on the palette or it can be used to scrape up paint when cleaning the palette. On a palette knife, the tang is usually straight and flat where it leaves the handle. The flat blade is similar to that of a spatula. Sometimes it is long and narrow or it may be tapered with a rounded tip.
 
The painting knife is the correct tool for painting. It’s used in place of a brush for putting paints, medium, or pastes onto the canvas. The tang where it leaves the handle is a rounded wire and usually has a bend or crank in it just below the handle. This angle keeps the fingers high so that they don’t drag through the fresh paint. The blade itself is flat, but it can be found in a number of different shapes and sizes.
 
The Shapes of Painting Knife Blades
Painting knives are available in a number of shapes. The blades may vary by angles, sharpness of points, length, and flexibility. The most common shapes are:
  • Diamond
  • Trowel 
  • Pear 
  • Multi-sided angles
The shapes make differing marks with the paint. Certain short blades make angular strokes. A long blade can make broad sweeps. For first experiments with knife painting, a trowel shape is a good blade with which to start. It has a versatile shape and is easy to handle.
 
Choosing a Good Painting Knife from an Art Supply Source
The best painting knives are made of high-quality steel. They should be flexible, light in weight and have a balanced feel. A good stainless steel blade has a slight stiffness with a spring or a bounce to it. The edge should be dull enough that it doesn’t slice into the canvas. Painting knives can be precision tools, but dangerous if they become too sharp. 
Author: Karla Beatty About
​A painting knife can be a valuable artist’s tool. The blade is easier to clean than a paintbrush. Knives can be economical because they usually last longer than brushes. Most art supply sources carry painting knives in a range of sizes. Like handling a paintbrush, a knife is easy to hold and fun to use. Experimenting with painting knives is a great way to bring freshness to an artist’s working method.
Read more SimpleTens articles about painting, fine art, and creativity.

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