On a knife’s edge

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

■ Top tips and techniques for painting with knives and oils

■ Explore cold wax medium

■ Follow a step-by-step painting process

This month we look at creating rocks and other natural textures with palette knives. Only a limited number of knives are needed to create great effects. I tend to use the RGM 109, which has an angled blade with a nonstick coating, and the teardrop shaped RGM 4. These become the workhorses when creating mountains and rocky textures. In addition, the oval-headed RGM 60 comes in handy when tackling distant trees and foliage (above right).

These tools need very little maintenance, apart from a large bundle of kitchen roll to wipe the blade constantly and keep it clean. Dry paint can be removed with odourless thinners, although anything abrasive should be avoided to maintain the shiny coating. When creating rocks and textures, either acrylics or oil