Last Light over Washstones, Tim Fisher, canvas covered board, 7x10in (20.5x25.5cm). Created using angled and trowel shaped knives

Learn how to handle a knife when painting with oils, creating texture and effects

Painting with knives and oils

Top: The offset or angled knife - allows for greater control and precision. Bottom: Trowel knife - ideal for applying thick textured paint and creating impasto effects. 

Palette knives offer a whole new dimension to painting. Originally used for mixing paint, artists soon discovered that knives were also useful for making interesting marks. Over time the painting knife has evolved from a straight-handled basic knife shape, to a multitude shapes. Each shape allows you to crate numerous techniques.

Practice using your palette knife

Flatten the paint onto the palette then scrape the blade of your angled knife through to create a roll of paint on the edge of the knife.

Place the knife onto the painting surface using the broad edge at a sharp angle. Drag along, gradually closing the angle to create a flat even stroke. 

You can use the same technique by using the narrower edge for a finer stroke. 

Clean the blade with a cloth and apply another roll of paint and this time just touch the surface to create a strip of paint. As you use up the paint the strips should become finer.

You can also create these basic strokes with the trowel shaped knife. This knife allows for a little more precision to create rounded shapes, such as the tops of trees or cloud edges.

If you're new to oils, don't stop here! Explore our other beginner-friendly guides to learn all you need to progress and develop your oil skills.

TOP TIPS

• When starting with knives, it is tempting to try to make them do everything that a brush can do. Painting knives have their own unique abilities allowing for a variation of techniques and finishes.
• Before you start a painting, it’s worth exploring some of the marks that the knife can make. A flat palette is ideal for placing and mixing the colours. Have some kitchen roll or cloth handy to wipe the knife clean.
• For accurate representational work with knives, it is best to work quite large.
• Oil paints are a great choice when first working with knives as this slow-drying medium is more forgiving. Oils give you more time for adjustments or alterations. You can scrape the paint off easily and then overlay with fresh paint. 

Creating texture with painting knives

Working with wet paint and knives is a great way to discover new methods of portraying textures.

Eiger with Alpines, oil on canvas board, 12x12in (30.5x30.5cm)

You can achieve quite a lot by using the offset/angled knife. Start on a piece of canvas-covered board by applying a sky background using a pale blue mixed from blue and white. Pressing quite hard, drag the paint cross the surface and scrape away any excess.

A mixture of burnt sienna, ultramarine and red are then uniformly mixed on a flat surface. Collect the mixture on the edge of the blade as a roll of paint. Paint thickly onto the surface by dragging lightly, creating the shape of a mountain range. 

Using a soft flat ¾in synthetic brush, blend the base of the mountain shape away to give a soft misty effect. To add snow, repeat step 2 using titanium white. Drag very lightly over the wet paint underneath. 

Cleaning your palette knives

These tools need little maintenance, apart from a large bundle of kitchen roll to wipe the blade constantly and keep it clean. You can remove dry paint with odourless thinners, although you should avoid anything abrasive to maintain the shiny coating. 

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