Insights
Brushwork and Edges
by Alana Knuff | February 17. 2026 | Edges
Brushes and palette knives are painting tools. Brushes apply light to heavy paint and palette knives render thick impasto application. To emphasize objects in the foreground, thick intense hues are appropriate. To emphasize objects far away, thin muted colors work best. The variety adds depth and interest to paintings.
A painting that has all hard edges appears is like a photograph. Value painters use all soft/lost edges. My preference is a combination of soft and hard edges with the hard edges near the point of interest. An exception to this occurs with portraits. In portraits the eyes are the focal point, and soft edges are a must in rendering eyes.
Patience
I have been working on a large portrait which is several months from being finished. What I have come to realize is that one must be very patient. After an initial layout, work begins on small areas keeping true to the overall values and shapes of the original layout. I step back every few brush strokes and consider the whole of the piece (grand picture of values and shapes), then return making adjustments and focusing on the likeness of the individuals (details and fine measurements). If as artists we do not exercise patience, our efforts will fail us.
Creating the Composition
Always have a digital camera available to catch those images that stir creative energies. The opportunities are endless. By converting my digital photos to black and white, I have the ability to create a strong composition and focus on the emotional message for the painting.
Seeing Values
Often stated, if the values are right, the hue is unimportant. This is so true. Squint, squint, squint to see the values. A grey scale of ten values is my trusty companion. Ten oil colors from dark to light values might be ivory black, dioxazine violet, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, viridian, cadmium red, yellow ochre, cadmium orange, cadmium yellow, titanium white. Of note, colors will vary by manufacturer. To test your ability to see values log onto this website http://www.xrite.com/online-color-test-challenge.
Playing With Color – Creating a New Palette
Whenever a new painting is started, there is an opportunity to play with new colors. Usually a cool red, blue and yellow and a warm red, blue and yellow form the base with white and black. One color will dominate. Mixed with its compliment, it should give the needed neutral. Making a matrix shows some of the variations that can be created. Limiting the palette to a few hues produces color harmony. As a result, you will have a new palette to use again.
Welcome
During this journey as an artist, I realize there is much worth sharing. With the launch of my new website, Alana Knuff Fine Art, I now have a forum upon which to communicate to you my thoughts – what inspires my work, lessons learned and insights into the world of art. And to show you my art.
To many I have said that “Art is a lifelong addiction.” It enters every day thoughts and demands attention. Paintings are painted “alla prima” in one’s head before on the canvas. The subjects, style and expression are unique to each artist creating a rich environment to explore. My time is devoted to painting and our time is short. Blogs will be brief, to the point and hopefully helpful. The paintings speak for themselves. Please join me as I continue this journey.