The portrait is probably the least likely candidate for painting with a palette knife. A portrait requires a high degree of control, but with a palette knife compared to a brush, you lose some of this control.
However, if you can pull it off, what you gain is a painting that may be more lively, more expressive, and more exciting. Kentucky artist Bill Guffey can pull it off. In this article, he provides some insight on the use of the palette knife, using a recent portrait as an example.
Following his insights and the image of the portrait, don’t miss the the close-up shots of his knife work. Also, be sure to check out the links to his online galley and his blog. You’ll find that his landscapes are equally as compelling as his portraits. –Greg
I’ve been painting just over a year, but have jumped head first into it. I paint everyday. Over 250 paintings since I started. If I don’t paint, I feel guilty. Really started painting with the palette knife about 3 months ago with a series of 50 small knife paintings, and have thoroughly enjoyed the learning process. That series was an invaluable group of lessons concerning working small with the palette knife. A lot of the knife work I’ve seen from other artists has been thick, impasto style. While I do like to add texture and some thick swatches of paint, I prefer to to tone the canvas beforehand, and then paint more thinly while not covering every single inch of space. I find letting the underpainting color show through gives the finished piece a harmony, or unity. The knife also gives me the ability to look at the subject at hand with an eye more toward value and color than detail. In other words it makes me simplify. Which is always good as far as I’m concerned.
I worked on this particular piece for two days, which is long for me, as I usually paint alla prima. I sketched the initial block in with the knife, laying in darks. After I was happy with that, I built each shape up beginning with the farthest away and working my way forward. If I try to lay a color down and find the paint on which I’m laying it is too thick, I’ll just take a quick swipe with the knife and scrape it down, then lay my color in. As you can see on the man’s face, I didn’t blend much, hoping that would be achieved by the viewer at a slight distance.
I’ve begun painting plein air pieces with the knife also. Again, it makes me simplify. Looking forward to trying another palette knife portrait very soon.
Bill’s blog can be found here, and his online gallery here.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
WOW. Amazing. I hope to one day be able to produce works this great. Great job!