Hi Jesper. Is he making a distinction between painting knives and palette knives? I used mine almost exclusively for mixing, and for me it depended on the medium. With Golden acrylics, they have a soft, butter on a warm day feel, so I liked something flexible and cheap (plastic) in case I didn’t clean it fast enough. With oils, I ended up using Holbein Aqua Duo (a Japanese brand, water mixable), and they are quite stiff, so I chose stiffer but thin metal ones. My favorite is very small so that I’m not wasting tons of paint in my mixing. I don’t have anything specific to recommend, other than to try as many different kinds (borrow from friends or if there’s a painting club near you, maybe through them?) and see what you like. Then figure out the features you like and dislike from each, and upgrade when you are more certain about what you want. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else says.

Hi Jesper. I haven’t seen this yet, so I’ll just share what I’ve learned from the wonderful family-owned shop where I get materials and what I’ve picked up online. Hopefully it will help until some experts chime in. Many companies have multiple lines of paints, or student grade and pro grade, and as I understand it, the pro lines have more pigment. The less expensive ones have a larger carrier to pigment ratio. It’s better to paint than not to paint, or to be afraid of using your paints because they are so expensive, so get the best that you can afford. When substituting, sometimes the company pigment codes can give you helpful information. Also, pay attention to opacity. You might think a color looks great and just like what you want on a chart, especially online, but if you need a color that’s opaque and you sub in something that is transparent, you will probably be unhappy with the product, and have difficulty getting the desired results. Another thing you might consider is whether or not you’re willing to work with paints that contain heavy metals. This will depend on where you live, ease of hazardous material disposal, your priorities and that of your audience. Good luck and happy painting 🎨!