Painting and Palette Knives | BLICK Art Materials

Blick Blue Comfort Grip Painting Knives

Metal Painting and Palette Knives

Painting Knives are blunt with a slightly flexible steel blade and no sharpened cutting edge. They are used in place of a brush for applying paint colors, paste, pigments, and so forth directly onto the canvas or painting surface. Between the handle and the blade there is usually a large crank, to keep the artist's hand off the paint surface. Painting knives come in a multitude of styles, shapes, and sizes./n/nPalette Knives are blunt with a very flexible steel blade and no sharpened cutting edge. They are primarily used for mixing paint colors, mediums, additives, paste, pigments, and so forth directly on the palette before applying them to a surface. Palette knives are symmetric, like a kitchen spatula, but often with a slight crank between the handle and the blade/n

Plastic Painting and Palette Knives

Paint and Palette Scrapers

Painting Knives and Palette Knives

Painting knives and palette knives are technically different tools, but they are sometimes used interchangeably. A palette knife is ideal for mixing paint and a painting knife is perfect for applying paint to canvas. They have blunt edges (rather than sharp blades) and are made of plastic or flexible steel with a wood handle. Both are also available in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Create sweeping strokes, details, and other textural techniques and effects with painting knives. Different shapes and sizes create different effects. The angle of the blade and amount of paint on the blade easily change up the appearance of the paint on the canvas.

Different areas of the painting knife can be used for different effects, too. Use the flat side for larger strokes of color, and use the tip or edge for a variety of details.