Acrylics

Painting knifes allow you to create a vast range of painting styles. Follow Tim Fisher step by step to paint a bright and cheerful scene of beach huts using only painting knives

My interest in painting with a palette knife began even before picking one up, let alone using it. In my youth I was greatly attracted to the work of one artist, Sir John Kyffin Williams OBE, RA. There was something about those wonderful renditions of the Welsh landscape and farmlands with their chunky textured skies and simple cottages that really inspired me to paint. Using a brush didn’t seem to be able to reproduce the textures I admired, and it was only by observing a fellow artist using a knife with acrylics to create wonderful textures that I was inspired to try the same.

The advantage of the acrylic medium is that it is fast drying and textured layers can be quickly built up on the painting surface. Now I could produce layer upon layer, without the paint blending together. For those who desire to become more competent in their painting abilities, the palette knife offers a great opportunity to do just this. Something of a blunt instrument as opposed to using a brush, the painting knife, when mastered, can open up a whole universe of possibilities for creative work. This is especially so when combined with acrylic media and the occasional brushstroke. The use of these instruments also opens up opportunities to add various outside elements to your artwork. This gives greater scope to communicate a message or an idea. This can be done through the addition of collage or other found materials. Applying the acrylic paint thickly with the edge of a knife creates an almost seamless interface between the applied materials and the painting medium.