Heather Burton travelled from East Yorkshire to demonstrate painting in acrylic paint applied with a palette knife. The demonstration attracted a full room of members and guests. The painting work was projected onto the back wall to enable everyone to see the detail.

Heather explained how palette knives are designed to enable artists to hold the handle in a firm grip whilst the blade can be flat over the painting surface. This enables an even application of paint from along the blade if desired, loading with paint and tilted in order to spread sideways evenly.

There are many shapes and styles of palette knife. Various lengths, widths and edges.

Building up colours and layers

Heather showed how the palete knife could be used on paper and also on textured surfaces. She illustrated sweeping curves, circular sweeps, flicked grasses, stylized tree, house and windows.

Examples of paintings by palette knife by Heather Burton