Do a Palette Knife Painting

I have been getting so much satisfaction out of my creative life lately. I have been allowing myself to do what I feel like, instead of trying to stick to one project. It feels so freeing to be honoring my inner nudges again. I’m working with a counselor now! I’m feeling more and more plugged in to what matters most to me. Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of the creative life I yearned for. After I published the Faerie book, I spent a good part of two years wondering what to do next. I’m officially done wondering! I’m doing all the things that sound fun!

Today I want to share how to do a basic palette knife painting! All you need is a canvas, a set of acrylic paints, an old gift card or credit card, a palette knife, baby wipes or paper towels, and a pencil or charcoal pencil.

Step One: Start out with a background. Drop blobs of paint on the canvas, and spread them out to cover the surface with an old gift card or credit card. Wipe off the card as you go to remove excess paint and then go back over the surface and smooth out the rough edges as much as possible.

Step Two: Grab a pencil or charcoal, and loosely draw on your design. Don’t worry if you mess up, because the paint will cover the drawing. Be sure to use a color that is just slightly darker than the background to draw the image, so if the paint isn’t opaque enough you won’t be able to see the linework in the finished painting.

Step Three: Grab the palette knife and a tube of acrylic paint. Put a little paint on the palette knife, and rub it onto the canvas to create your design. Go a little at a time. Use the palette knife to create texture as you go. If you are new to creating this way, aim for a design that isn’t very detailed. If you want to add more color to an area, let the paint dry before going back in to work. Leave spaces here and there to add additional color and texture as you go. Wipe off the palette knife on a baby wipe to clean off the wet paint in between colors.

I’m really happy with my final painting! I cannot wait to display the work! My painting symbolizes the new freedom and peace I have been feeling in life and art. Happy creating!