Thursdays, June 4 through June 25, 2026; 9:15 am - 12:00 pm - 4 Sessions

Palette Knife Painting with Oils

Add Texture and Loosen Up by Painting with a Palette Knife!

Holly has painted with palette knives since 2019. The only time she uses brushes is for underpaintings.

She takes advantage of the thickness of the paint to create vibrant, painterly, textural works of art.  The knife allows quick mixing and application, with no stopping to switch to brushes, and no need for solvents.  Once students have experienced knife techniques, they can decide how much of their paintings will be covered with knife strokes.

Learn how to:

• Draw a simple sketch to work out your composition

• Create an underpainting that will help you

• Look for texture patterns in nature

• Work in layers - from bottom to top

• Apply paint in a variety of ways

• Become comfortable using more paint

First Class:

Holly will do a demo painting while explaining her process: pencil sketch, panel sketch, underpainting, then palette knife.  Students are free to watch, or work on their own painting along with her.  She painted the two landscapes above in her March classes.

Remaining classes:

Students will bring their own reference photos and try out the process.  Meanwhile, Holly will start another painting, answer students’ questions about theirs, and offer tips along the way.  Artists can finish their paintings at home, and bring them in the following week for review, if they like.

LEVEL

All Levels - a bit of experience painting with oils helps.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are required to bring a container for acrylic and/or oil paint waste and will need to take it home to dispose of properly. It CANNOT be poured down the drains at our new location. Students are also encouraged to wipe brushes clean. 

SUPPLIES TO BRING

• Reference pictures for your painting. Any type of scene you’d like. 
• Panels or canvases: small size, from 8x10 to 12x16. Recommend Ampersand Gessobord.
• Oil paint: bring the paint you have, and your favorite palette colors. Recommend a Warm and Cool of each primary. I prefer Gamblin 150ml tubes. These are the colors I use:

• • Cad Yellow Light
  • Cad Yellow Medium
  • Cad Red Light
  • Quinacridone Violet (Alizarin Permanent also works)
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Cerulean Blue Hue
  • Cobalt Blue
  • Titanium White
  • Chromatic Black (Gamblin)
• Palette knives: bring the ones you have. Recommend Teardrop and Diamond shape in different sizes, and one with a square edge, about ½” wide.
• Wet panel carrier
• Brush for initial drawing: recommend size 4 or 6 filbert.
• Portable easel and palette
• Odorless paint thinner for drawing and underpainting: recommend Gamsol. If you don’t like to use thinner, you can use colored pencils to sketch on your panel, and paper towels to rub on the paint. Acrylic paints also work well for underpaintings.
• Disposable gloves
• Paper towels
• Plastic bag for used paper towels
• Small plastic paint cups for storing unmixed paint between sessions. About 1” round and ¾” deep. One for each color on your palette. I use Artist’s Loft from Michaels because they seal well.

QUESTIONS

Email or call instructor at hkernes@msn.com or 

720-935-1379 (text or call).

About the Instructor

Holly Kernes studied Graphic Design at Colorado Institute of Art, and Botanical Illustration at Denver Botanic Gardens. Over the years, she’s studied with many of today’s best artists.

She has painted with oils since 2009. She started painting outdoors, from life, in 2010. She painted her 400th plein air painting in 2023.

Holly started painting with palette knives in 2019. She won three First Prize awards and two Honorable Mentions at Plein Air Events in the last three years.

View her website: hollykernes.com