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ABSTRACT PAINTING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS:
When to choose a brush and when to choose using a palette knife or other tool.
When you’re just starting out painting, it can be overwhelming.
So many paints, brands, mediums, tools…
Which to use and when?
What do you really need?
How can you save money on tools for acrylic painting?
Here is a very brief and easy way to determine if you want to use a brush or a knife.
Each is really a must to have in your acrylic painting toolkit.
This “washy” effect is best gotten with a fairly large flat brush, a little paint and some thin medium or water.
Here’s why:
When you want to create a flat look, a wash (like a watercolor effect) or just lay down paint on canvas, you need to use a brush.
Brushes will give you the most even coverage and can allow you to really cover a lot of canvas easily.
This is a medium-sized metal palette knife and thicker texture medium (like modeling paste or heavy gel)
Here’s a few example of working with a flat brush (my own personal choice for working with acrylics)
When do you want to use a knife or other tool?
Palette knives are awesome and I LOVE them. I have several in many sizes. This is when they need to be used:
You use a palette knife when you are laying down THICK layers, like impasto
You can use them when you need to apply a little bit of paint, like this:
Or you can use them when you apply texture mediums
As a matter of fact, you should ONLY use a palette knife or similar tool with texture mediums. These mediums are thick and can really ruin a brush if they are used and not cleaned out from the brush well.
Don’t ruin your brushes! Use a palette knife, or you can use similar tools:
Plastic knifes, spoons are good for scooping out and layering mediums, then use a palette knife to smooth them out.
You can use other tools like a scraper to apply texture mediums in larger, smoother swatches.
Use your brushes with paint and very thin mediums; use your knives and other tools with anything thick, goopy or when you want a thick (impasto) layers.
This entire painting was created 80% with a palette knife and about 20% with a brush. Layering paint over paint is the effect and leaves you with some pretty awesome texture!
You can see more up-close images of the texture on this artwork: MODERN PEEK original abstract painting
RESOURCES FOR ABSTRACT ART PAINTING
My favorite painting tools (some are not for painting) and the best mediums for creating upscale artwork
FLAT BRUSHES (a must in my opinion) this is a great cheap set that will work for you. Look for a set like this
FINISHING BRUSH – MOTTLER – These are more pricey (higher quality) but this is ideal for laying down the smoothest coats and for application of final varnish or glaze (you need at least one of these). Here are two examples:
Medium quality brush, good value, great for beginner/intermediate artists
Synthetic, very nice brush – this is the type I use
High quality Mottler, very best type (this will cover a large canvas with the smoothest strokes – no brush strokes)
PALETTE KNIFE – (secret tip) I often buy cake decorating knives because palette knives are pricey and sometimes not large enough! You can get these at craft stores or online.
This is a good all-around palette knife set for larger painting
I like this one for laying down textures
A great palette knife set for many uses (found in the cake decorating section!)
BEGINNER ART TUTORIALS
Here are two guided acrylic painting classes where you will learn how to work with both brushes and palette knives to create upscale original art
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