The Art of Palette Paintings. Palette Knives produce a wider mark than the marks of a paintbrush, which is why, up close, it can sometimes be hard to fully make out the image in the painting. Most paintings show a clearer image when viewed from a distance. Also, by using a palette knife, the thickness of the layer of paint makes the colours look more vibrant, and not as dull as they might look if were mixed with water, and diluted.