# First Knife Painting WIP



## TerryCurley

I am loving doing the painting with the pallet knife. It is so loose and free. So here is the first one. It is using the picture of the Stuco House that was free on Windows XP. I'm not attempting to copy that picture, just use it as a guide for my own picture. 

So I need advice. How can I improve the shading? Your honest opinion of the texture. What would you do different if you were doing this?

I'm going to add the foliage and the little ladder with the herbs after it dries some. I mixed the paint with some Impasto Medium that is suppose to help it dry quickly from the inside out to avoid cracking so it should be dry enough to work on by Thursday.

I know it's totally silly but I'm all excited about doing this.


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## Bushcraftonfire

Very Nicely done


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## TerryCurley

Thank you David.


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## Susan Mulno

It is not silly. You are doing a great job!


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## TerryCurley

Thank you Susan. I just changed the window. It looks so much better than I'm getting on the photo.


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## leighann

That looks like fun, Terry. Probably a nice change from the portrait


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## Sorin

Doing fine, gal. Show your blades & talk about your favorite. Think about adding a few splotches of contrasting but muted colors in too, especially if you add veggies. They will affect your "white" quite a bit & you'll need cool/warm shadow.


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## TerryCurley

Leighann you are so right, this is a welcome change after the portrait.

Sorin thank you for checking out the picture, and your compliment. These are the blades (pallet knives) I'm using and the only ones I've tried so far. I'm also posting the picture I'm using as a reference. I'm not trying to make the picture look exactly like it but I'm trying to use it just as a frame of reference. 

What is a cool/warm shadow, do I need both cool and warm colors in the shadow; say like blue with part of it being a deep pink? Or are you meaning that for the foilage that is cool I should have a warm shadow and the foliage that is warm I should have a cool shadow?

I appreciate the help.


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## Sorin

*Next!*

Think about not only the effects of age, which mottles everything, especially a white, rough stucco wall, but also ponder the fact that light goes in all directions once reflected from multiple sources... Plants, earth, sky, etc. This light, of all hues, causes shadows to be changed. A deep shadow may have blue & a bit of purple/brown in it. It may have green from plants. yellows & browns from earthy things. The pic I've given has 4 or 5 sections in which I used Photoshop to depict colors & where they're found. Warms are the yellow/red/browns, cools are blues/greens. I often underpaint such & then topcoat with the highlights.
Your 2 blades are pretty stiff & not great for delicacy. You did well with them. Pat on th' back. My favorite blade is about 2" long, 1/4" wide & rounded. I slightly flex it so its not perfectly flat & I can "smudge" paint on without the hard lines created by the tip.


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## TerryCurley

Your picture is great Sorin. I'm now going to work on the wall some more before putting some foliage in. Thank you for showing me this. I believe I'm understanding what you are telling me now about the cool/warm shadows. I'm planning to try several different knives (blades) to see which one I like the best.


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## TerryCurley

OK Sorin tell me if what I did was kind of what you meant or not. I apologize for the glare -- wet paint is hard to photograph. 

Please ignore the mess at the bottom of the picture. That is cast shadowing of the ladder and plants I intend to put in front of them. What I need to know about is the rest of the house, honestly I kind of like it. The photo does not look as good as the picture itself.


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## Sorin

*Twall2*

Agree, I'm not crazy about strong colors on stucco.
Lighten up a bit on your color strengths till you get accustomed. Better to be too delicate than too strong cuz you can always add. Also, since you put down the lights first, realize that you can paint by elimination too, not just by putting paint ON. You can smudge your stuff in & then wipe it off of the high points. A little wiping, dabbing & lifting with a soft cloth & a little solvent. Try the same on your cracks so they're not so wide. The darks should be in the deepest areas, not on the outter surface which would only have lesser tones of age & much lighter.
Yer doin fine, T. 
On this pic I lightened the stone & the yellow smudge a bit.


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## TerryCurley

I Just read your post right now Sorin but I've been working on it some this morning before I read it. This is where I am at right now. I'll work on your suggestions some in a little while. Have to go grocery shopping.

I'm planning still to add a geranium plant on a stool as in the reference picture. To be honest I'm feeling for a first try using pallet knives and not being very experienced I'm happy with how it's coming out, and appreciate your guidance.


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## Bushcraftonfire

While this is a fine piece.. and a great accomplishment for your fist knife piece.. there's something about the colors that are somewhat bothersome.

Let me say when I saw the first installment of this.. it was lovely and could have been a finished piece (IMO) (BTW - I'm not saying it's not lovely now  )

I'm not sure I can identify it accurately, but the Burnt Sienna and the green in the window seem to contradict with the rest of the image. The mauve was wonderful.. I would have loved to see the shadows in dark mauve or purple (like in the original). Also.. maybe this is just me.. I think the crack on the right especially is distracting. The window is the main focal point.. but your drawn out of the picture by the crack.

Just my Thoughts


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## TerryCurley

David, you and Sorin both mentioned the crack and I completely agree with you, I'm going to tone it down a bunch and make it just a tiny crack or maybe even do away with it. I do like the idea of changing the colors of the reflections in the windows but I'm not sure if it is a good idea to have two focal points in a picture. I'm planning on the Germanium plant to be the main focal point but I really do like the idea of making the refection purplely...so I think I will when I get back to it after some house chores. I'm approaching this picture as a total learning and fun project. If it all doesn't work out that's OK too as long as I learned from it.


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## Sorin

*3*

Yup, she's learning & havin fun. The pink is a bit overdone but pooooo on it. Keep playing & learning.


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## Erilia

I don't know much about knife painting even if it's in plan to try at least once, so I can't really give you any advice on it , but I like your work on this, I like the little ladder you added, the blue is a nice addition to it.
Thank you for showing us your steps in your work


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## FanKi

Woooho! That's cool Terry! Keep going ^^


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## TerryCurley

Sorin said:


> Yup, she's learning & havin fun. The pink is a bit overdone but pooooo on it. Keep playing & learning.
> View attachment 15890


 I like the blue you added to the top side of the window. I'm going to do that. Thanks.


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## TerryCurley

I messed it up big time. I've decided I'm going to start over after I practice making the geranium and herbs. What I was trying to do is scrape off some of the pink and it has made the surface so rough it's ugly and I don't think I can smooth it out and honestly I don't want to, I want to start over so that's what I'm going to do. For the Stuco House version 1.2 I'm not going to have a ladder or a lot of grass or that brake in the wall. I'm going to make it simpler, just the window and a flower pot on a bench.


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## Bushcraftonfire

Terry.. 

I understand what you're saying about the Geraniums.. but the way the picture is set up.. The window is going to be the main focal point.. not much you can do to change that (short of changing the entire painting) The ladder draws you right up to the window.. and it's in the top right focal quadrant (the most widely recognized.. although not sure why)

D


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## TerryCurley

Well Davd you are definitely right with the reference picture. The whole point of the picture is to point to the window as the focal point because it was a screen saver picture for Windows XP. OK I concede the window is the focal point, so given that you think it would be a good idea to have the ladder. Yup I guess that's a good idea. But I want my picture to be different from the Window XP picture, at least a little. I'm going to make it white stucco with some muted colors for shadows for starters. The last picture was to get my toes wet...in this one I'm going up to my knees.


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## TerryCurley

The next version of the stucco house is not an old house it is a recently built house. No cracks, no fallen off stucco. 

Just FYI - I won't be able to work on this until Feb. 2, because I will have the kids here for 9 days starting tomorrow.


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## Bushcraftonfire

So you have the kids for 9 days.. why won't you be able to work on this until Feb?????

D


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## TerryCurley

Oh Geeese I am loosing my mind. I meant to say Aug 2.


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## Bushcraftonfire

Well that makes more sense


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## Sorin

I think I'd make it work for me... By dry brushing a light, mottled coat of the base white & then dabbing/wiping carefully with a slightly damp cloth. A faux effect I use a lot. Probably use a 2" chip brush.


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## SuddenLife

I understand you wanted to start over, but I have to say, the old one did look really nice!


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## Sorin

*Alternates*

Saw this on Pinterest this morn & thought it a good concept for anyone considering blade painting. A simple but effective work.


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## TerryCurley

I love the colors. The colors are not too realistic but they make a wonderful colorful picture. The Birch trees certainly are realistic. I think if the colors were muted it would be a less artist picture but more realistic. Thanks for sharing this Sorin, I'll keep this one in mind.


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## buiduchoabdh

TerryCurley said:


> The next version of the stucco house is not an old house it is a recently built house. No cracks, no fallen off stucco.
> 
> Just FYI - I won't be able to work on this until Feb. 2, because I will have the kids here for 9 days starting tomorrow.


Hi Terry !
I have something for your next version, you should describe the window more detailed , the green color fading, and some white-blue color in the sky in corner window ! it makes me feel good ! the view is so far !


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## TerryCurley

This is my very first completed painting using pallet knives. I don't have a good feel for them yet so some of it looks messy. I have been approaching it as a learning experience (as I do most all my pictures). Everyone has been very helpful, but this is what I have come up with on my own. 

Just BTW the kids have been over Jim's house since last night so I had some time to work on it after all.


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## FanKi

Wuhu! It's cool Terry ^^
I love the flowers, they are so pretty! 
Nice work


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## TerryCurley

Thank you FanKi. I'm going to definitely be doing more knife paintings. I like using the thick paint and the textured look and the impressionistic painting instead of trying to get it exactly right like in the portrait.


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## Bushcraftonfire

Looks good Terry


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## TerryCurley

Thank you David.


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## leighann

I really like it, it has such a unique look to it, which I love.


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## TerryCurley

Thank you Leighann


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## Susan Mulno

I like it! So,....what did you learn? Other than you like the style. Looks like it was a fun break after the portrait.


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## TerryCurley

Thank you Susan. What I learned from doing this painting is the feel of using something other than a brush on a painting. Started cutting a neuroplastic path in my brain that I can widen with each attempt. It definitely was a fun break after the portrait.


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## Sorin

Realistic can be boring... That coming from a guy who paints pretty durn realistic! But you can enhance reality. Make it better. More interesting. Plus, it lets you get away from the mundane & loosen up. Gotta get wierd once in awhile.


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## chanda95

TerryCurley said:


> This is my very first completed painting using pallet knives. I don't have a good feel for them yet so some of it looks messy. I have been approaching it as a learning experience (as I do most all my pictures). Everyone has been very helpful, but this is what I have come up with on my own.
> 
> Just BTW the kids have been over Jim's house since last night so I had some time to work on it after all.


What a fun and colorful piece! Nice job Terry. The potted flowers are especially lovely! You say you don't have a good feel for them yet..I can't wait until you do. This is a great start.


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## just

Looks great. The shadow of the legs on the stool are telling the viewer that they're in a straight line instead of a triangle.


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## TerryCurley

I see what you mean Mr. Just. In order to correct that I'm thinking the shadow of the middle leg should be detached from the leg of the chair? Like the picture I changed in the Paint program below? If not this tell me how to fix it because I want to do more things like this in the future. 

Also I kind of didn't like that bush. It started as a vine and then I got carried away and then I didn't like it any more. 

I'm not going to change the actual picture because this isn't something I'm considering saving. It was just a learning project.


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## just

Well that is a good start. The shadow has to be thinner and lighter. The angle is dependent on the source of light.


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## TerryCurley

I get the idea. I'm not very good at using the program "paint" but I will keep it in mind.


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