The Beginning of a Personal Language
My journey with palette knife painting wasn’t the result of a precise search. It was a fortunate discovery—an encounter with a humble tool that completely changed my way of expressing reality through art. This simple instrument, with its ability to shape color and matter, became the perfect companion in my ongoing exploration of the endless possibilities of painting.
The Power of the Palette Knife
The palette knife is the tool through which I feel I express myself most fully. It lets me sculpt the surface, create variations and vibrations, and explore the full depth of color.
There is a certain physicality in the way I apply paint: I don’t just lay it down—I build it, blend it, move it.
Often the colors mix directly on the canvas, generating unexpected and vibrant shades in the moment.
It’s a process that reminds me of sculpture, where each mark leaves a living presence, a rhythm you can almost touch.
And yet, when used gently, the knife knows how to caress: it spreads the color in light, fluid veils that almost float.
There’s also something deeply meditative in the repetition of gestures.
The rhythmic motion of building up the surface, block by Block—almost like a mosaic—draws me into the painting completely.
The act of painting becomes a quiet dialogue between myself and the canvas.
I talk more about this stroke-by-stroke approach in my first blog post, One Color at a Time: My World Between Palette Knife and Canvas.
My Favorite Tools
Among the many knives I use, two are my faithful companions.
One is a classic, flexible, rhomboid-shaped knife—ideal for rougher applications, for mixing paint directly on the canvas, and for adding richness and texture where needed.
The other is a long, thin triangle: my detail knife. I use it for small elements, sharp lines, highlights, and all those fine touches that complete the piece.
And the brush? It’s there, but it plays a minor role—mainly for cleaning edges and fixing small marks. The heart of my work lies entirely in the palette knife.
The Visual Effect I Aim For
Depth, light, movement—these are the words that guide me each time I face a blank canvas.
I love when the surface vibrates, when it catches the light differently depending on the direction and weight of the strokes. Every application has one goal: to give the painting a soul that breathes, moves, and communicates.
This is my technique—developed over time, shaped by repeated gestures, trial and error, and discovery. Every painting is a little journey, a personal vision transformed into living matter.
If you’d like to explore further, observe the dialogue between color, light, and structure, you’re in the right place.
Let your eyes and sensations guide you. Behind each stroke, there’s a thought, an emotion, a story.
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