Knife Painting Demo
I will be giving a Knife Painting Demo on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM at the Kerrville Art Center, 228 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, TX. Contact Danish Clarke, Program Director, at jdclarke@gvtc.com, for more information. The demo will focus on how to paint “All Prima,” impressionistic knife paintings in a direct, bold, opaque manner. The techniques demonstrated will also help with traditional oil painting done with brush.
Painting with knife in oils can be a very expressive, powerful and enjoyable experience. The unique marks and texture left with knife produce bold, clean color and dramatic effects. And there is the added element of the three-dimensional and sculptural quality of the oil paint applied in this manner. Painting with knife can help the artist “loosen up” and become more lyrical and painterly. It is hard to become “too tight” when painting with knife. The artist is forced to think in terms of large, simple shapes, which is the foundation of any good painting.
Expressive, impressionistic knife painting is not about details or meticulous photographic rendering. The goal should be to create an impression, a mystery or gesture, which allows the viewer to engage their imagination and “fill in the blanks.” When done well this can be much more emotive and powerful than the literal.
Here are some examples of some of my knife paintings:
Painting with knife in oils can be a very expressive, powerful and enjoyable experience. The unique marks and texture left with knife produce bold, clean color and dramatic effects. And there is the added element of the three-dimensional and sculptural quality of the oil paint applied in this manner. Painting with knife can help the artist “loosen up” and become more lyrical and painterly. It is hard to become “too tight” when painting with knife. The artist is forced to think in terms of large, simple shapes, which is the foundation of any good painting.
Expressive, impressionistic knife painting is not about details or meticulous photographic rendering. The goal should be to create an impression, a mystery or gesture, which allows the viewer to engage their imagination and “fill in the blanks.” When done well this can be much more emotive and powerful than the literal.
Here are some examples of some of my knife paintings: