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Roseanna Chetwood

ARTIST

Five Top Tips for working in oil paint with palette knives


1) Making your oil paints go further

Oil paint can be a costly medium, and using impasto palette knife techniques can significantly increase the expense. To make your oil paints go further, I’ve found that mixing in a wax medium is a cost-effective solution. Not only does it help bulk up the paint, but it also reduces drying time and produces a matte finish. This matte effect creates a striking contrast when paired with the glossier finish of pure oil paint. My go-to wax medium is Dorland’s wax, which I highly recommend.





2) Give the Sgraffito Technique a try

Pairing up palette knives with the slow drying time of oil paints allows you the opportunity to incorporate exciting mark-making into your paintings. Sgraffito is a technique which involves scratching into wet oil paint with the tip of the knife, revealing a contrasting layer beneath. By carving illustrative lines into my own palette knife paintings, I can balance broad, sweeping strokes with finer elements, such as defining whiskers or emphasising the nostrils on a dog’s nose.





3) Creating a Variety of Marks with a Single Palette Knife

The type of mark a palette knife produces largely depends on how the paint is loaded onto its blade. The amount of paint and its placement on the knife significantly influence the outcome. For instance, applying a small amount to the tip allows for creating fine dots of paint, while spreading a larger amount along the full face of the blade results in broad, sweeping strokes. By experimenting with different amounts of paint and placement on the blade, you can discover a wide range of marks achievable with each uniquely shaped knife.





4) Embrace the Unpredictability of Palette Knives

Palette knives introduce an element of spontaneity and unpredictability to your work. Each time you press the knife to the surface and sweep it across, the marks it creates are fluid and unplanned, offering a sense of freedom. Instead of resisting this uncertainty, embrace it - it’s part of the creative process. And if things don’t go as intended, the beauty of working with oils and palette knives is the ability to simply scrape off the paint and start fresh.





5) Mixing Paint with Palette Knives

Explore mixing paint both on your palette and directly on the painting surface. For a solid, consistent colour, thoroughly blend your desired shade on the palette first, then apply it to the canvas with a confident sweep. To achieve a blended effect, work directly on the painting surface while the paint is still wet. Sweep the knife across the surface between two colours and lift it to reveal the blended tones. However, be cautious - over blending with palette knives and oil paint can quickly result in muddy colours. Keep it fresh, and resist the urge to overwork the paint!





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