An assemblage of arts and sorts. Decorative painting, punch needle, penny rug, altered art, artist trading card, altered book, collage art, rubber stamping, scrapbook, paper art

 

I have been teaching all levels of decorative painting since 1989.
I hope these mini lessons will help you.

These are to be used in conjunction with instructions, and to help with the basic techniques,
  I use my books and pattern packets and painting classes. 

Decor Delights - Custom Line #1

All instructions on the Decor Delights web pages are copyright 1997 ©  Melinda Frewin and Decor Delights

Beginning Lesson Index
Click on selection below to view lesson
 
On your way to your first painting class?  Here are some supplies
  you may wish to take with you.
 
 Floorcloth Basics      Dry Brushing Brush Mixing

Painting on Glass

Dots

Wood Preparation

Varnishing

Side Load or Float

Brush Care and Cleaning

Tin and Metal Preparation

Beginning Stroke Roses

Round Brush Strokes

Using a Liner Brush

Flat Brush Strokes

Stippling

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Painting on Glass

There are several ways to paint on glass, I hope these lessons will answer you questions.
Please keep in mind that glass is a non-porous surface and it will take your
paint longer to dry than it would on wood, paper or fabric.  You could use a hair dryer
set on a low heat setting to help the paint dry a little quicker.

Using Regular Acrylic Paints
Glass Prep
Krylon 1311
JWetc's Undercover
Finishing Up
Cleaning or Washing the Painted Glass

Using Enamels or Glass Paints
Glass Prep
Finishing Up
Air Dry or Bake in Oven
Cleaning or Washing the Painted Glass

Using Regular Acrylic Paints: do not bake if the project has been painted with acrylics
Glass Prep - When prepping glass to paint with acrylics, first clean glass of all fingerprints and oils with hot water and soap.  Washing in the dishwasher is a great idea!  After the glass is clean, you may wish to rinse off any soap residue with rubbing alcohol or white vinegar.
Krylon 1311 - Spray the glass with Krylon Matte Finish 1311.  This will give the surface of the glass a little "tooth" so the paint can "grab" onto the glass.  The paint my roll up or separate if you paint acrylics directly on the glass.  If you don't have any Krylon 1311, any matte varnish should work.  You can also use a matte brush on varnish.  Please note that by using this method, your entire glass will look dull and not shiny.   You can restore the shiny glass look when you varnish with a gloss varnish..
JWetc's Undercover - this is an all purpose surface primer and it works GREAT on glass.  It has a white appearance, so it won't be clear.  But, you can mix your paint color with the Undercover to give it a hue and make it more durable on your glass surface.  Brush it on only in the areas you will be painting.  Let each layer of Undercover dry before adding the next layer (to prevent lifting).  The more coats you add and longer it sits, the more durable it becomes!!!  You can get Undercover from us.
Finishing Up - When your painting is thoroughly dry, brush or spray on your favorite varnish.  If you want it to look shiny, like glass, use a gloss varnish.
Cleaning - Acrylic paint can be very tender and sensitive to soap and water.  I recommend that you only hand clean your painted glass with a moist, soft cloth.  Anything more harsh could scratch off or loosen your painting.

Using Enamels or Glass Paints: these paints can be baked or air dried for 2 weeks before using.
Glass Prep - Read the glass cleaning instructions according to the enamel paint manufacturer.  Some may recommend that you use their glass conditioners.  I have had great success with using rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball to clean my glass surfaces before using "glass paints".  Of course to have the absolute best results, use the manufacturer's instructions.
Finishing Up - when you're done painting, let the paint dry according to manufacturer's instructions.  I like to use their glazes or varnishes over the top of the painting for extra protection.
Air Dry or Bake in Oven -
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for baking temperatures and baking times listed on the bottle.  Here is my experience with air dry or oven baked:   I have had much better results if I have baked the glass in the oven (I followed the manufacturer's instructions listed on the bottle).  Most will let you air dry, but I have found that the paint washes off, or chips off.  The baked glass held up after use and cleaning.  I recommend baking the glass in the oven.  If you prefer not to bake, let the project sit for 2 weeks before handling, and then be sure to only hand wash and never let your project soak in the sink.
Cleaning or Washing the Painted Glass - Enamel or glass paints are much more durable and can be hand washed with warm soapy water, and some can even be washed in the dishwasher on the top rack.  I recommend hand washing.  This eliminates anything that could go wrong in the dishwasher.  I've had the best results by hand washing.

I hope you found this helpful!  Now get out those old jars, paint some fun drinking glasses even paint some glass Christmas ornaments!

Decor Delights - Custom Line #1

Dots

I have had several requests about dots, so here is a lesson on the almost perfect dot.

It is very easy to make the almost perfect dot. I call it the almost perfect dot because of one characteristic - it has texture/dimension. The perfect dot would be flat on your painted surface, no texture/dimension whatsoever.

One Dot - With a fresh puddle of paint on your palette, take the WOODEN end of your paint brush, at a 90degree angle dip it into the paint puddle and then lift out. Next, again with a 90degree angle, place the wooden end of your brush (with the paint on it) where you would like your dot to be. Lift straight up, and voila, a dot. One Dot
Many Same Sized Dots - In order to get a row of dots that are the same size, you will need to wipe the paint off the wooden end of the brush AFTER EACH DOT. Then, redip in the paint puddle for the next dot. Many Dots
Descending Dots - Descending dots are very easy. You will only need to dip the wooden end of your brush in the paint ONCE. Place you first dot, lift, place the next dot (which will be slightly smaller than the first), lift and repeat until your dots have descended as small as you want. Descending Dots
Ascending/Descending Dots - For this set of dots, you will need to dip into your paint puddle twice. The first dot is the largest, and therefore will go in the center. Now follow the numbers to see the order in which to place your dots. example= 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 7, 8, 9, 10
Hey! Where did #6 go? Let me explain. After you have descended the dots after the first dip, you will need to dip again for the other side. But since you want the center dot to be the largest, you will need to make the next dot smaller. How to do it is very simple. Dot #6 goes on your palette or scratch paper, this will make the next dot automatically smaller. Then proceed with dots 7, 8, 9, 10 on your project.
Ascending/Descending Dots
Tutti Dot - Tutti dot is a name for a simple design made up of 3 dots. Notice how the design is a triangular shape. You will dip the wooden end of your brush into the paint once. Next you will make three descending dots. I teach my students to place the dots in the same patterns for each set of tutti patterns you do. This will help make your projects look more professional if your tutti dots are always consistent in their shape. Tutti Dots
Dot Hearts - or as we call them, Dolly Parton Hearts. Dip the wooden end of your brush into the paint puddle. Next place a dot and another dot SIDE BY SIDE. Make sure they touch. Take the wooden end of your brush and place it where the two dots meet, now quickly pull the end of the brush towards you, pulling the paint into a point. These take a little practice, but you will dotting hearts in no time! Dot Hearts
Dot Flowers - Easiest flowers!!!! I like to start with the flower center first and then place the flower petal on afterwards. Pick a different color for the center than the petals. Dot the center, wipe off, dip in petal color and dot on flower petals. You can have your petals descend in size or you can have them all the same by wiping and re-dipping for every petal. Dot Flowers

Dots are a great way to add to a project. You can make repeating patterns, simple flowers and I'm sure you can come up with many more.

Decor Delights - Custom Line #1
WOOD PREPARATION

Wood Preparation: "To have the best possible wood surface to paint your artwork on, please take the time to prepare the wood."

Fill any holes, scratches or gouges with wood filler. Let dry.

Sand wood with 150 or 220 grit sand paper. Please sand along the grain of the wood. If you sand across the grain, it could leave tiny scratches that could be seen after you paint.
CAUTION: if using an electric sander, please wear safety equipment.
Sander

Seal the wood with either a water-based or oil-based wood sealer. Let dry. Wood is a porous material, and without sealing it before you paint, the grain could raise, leaving you with a rough and bumpy surface.
CAUTION: please seal your wood in a well ventilated area.

Sand one more time with 220 or 400 grit sandpaper. Some painters also use the unprinted side of a brown paper sack to sand with. This final sanding smoothes any rough surfaces left after sealing. This should give you a nice smooth surface.

Remove any sanding dust with either a tack cloth, or I prefer to blow the dust off with my air compressor. A tack cloth might leave some reside behind. CAUTION: when using an air compressor, take care not to blow directly onto your skin and please wear a dust mask and eye protection to keep your eyes and lungs safe. Now you are ready to paint on your wood!

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Decor Delights - Custom Line #1
VARNISHING

Varnishing - there are many different types of varnishes out there, sprays & brush ons, matte, satin & gloss - which one do you need? Well, that is up to you, but here is some information you might need:

Matte - Non-shiny, dull

Satin - a semigloss, velvety finish

Gloss - very shiny finish

These come in a spray can or in a brush on form.

Be sure to carefully follow the manufactures instructions and cautions on the container. Most require you use them in a well ventilated area and to dispose of any used rags outside in a metal container away from any structures. With some varnishes the rags can catch on fire without any flame present

What really helps me to get a nice finish on my projects is patience!

Use thin, light coats.

Let each coat dry before applying next coat.

After about 4-6 coats you can lightly sand in between coats for a more durable professional finish. Use a 400 grit or higher sandpaper. An unprinted paper sack is good for this sanding process too.

Let dry 24 to 48 hours.

Use a furniture wax to finish your piece.

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SIDE LOAD OR FLOAT

Side load or Float - One way to achieve highlights and shades on your projects is to use a side load or float technique.

Use a large flat brush that is in good shape (no splits, bristle curls or anything that keeps your brush from staying flat). The larger the brush the better. I usually use flat brushes that range from a size 10 on up to a 3/4 inch. The larger the brush the less likely you are to make a mistake.

Your brush needs to have some water in it, not too much and not too little. I know that sounds complicated but it is difficult to explain in words. It would be a whole lot easier if I could show you. What I usually do it the following:

Dip your bristles in clean water.

See how your bristles look very shiny and wet? Lay your brush flat onto a paper towel and as soon as the shiny goes away, lift your brush off the paper towel. That usually is about the amount of water that you will need.

With one corner of your brush, dip it into a puddle of paint. (note: the greater the amount you dip, the wider your float will be) Blend this color on your palette by brushing your bristles back and forth in the same spot until the color appears to be floating across your bristles. Make sure that the color ends before it reaches the other side of your bristles. If your brush is too wet, pinch the water off the corner without the paint.

Check your blend on your palette to make sure that you are happy with it. If you are, then place your side load/float onto your project. As long as it is still moist on your project, you can work over it. Please stop fiddling with it before it dries :)

HINTS:

Use retarder or extender to slow the drying time of your float.

After blending the first time, reload your paint and blend again, this will give you more paint to apply to your project.

Double-Load your brush. On corner of your bristles is dipped in your base coat color, and the other corner is dipped in your shade/highlight color. Blend in the same spot on your palette. Apply the float to your piece making sure the colors are in the right places. (Oh, how many times have I made that mistake!)

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BRUSH CARE AND CLEANING

There have been and will always be great discussions and opinions on how to take care of your painting brushes, so I will give you a few differing opinions and you can decide for yourself which care and cleaning methods you decided to try. The one thing that we all agree on is that your brushes DO need care and they DO need cleaning.

Now, the debate begins:

Brush Anatomy

BRUSH CARE

Never leave your brushes sitting in your water bucket! This could permanently curl or bend the bristles. It could also make the ferrule wiggly - how? - well I am glad that you asked, the water is absorbed in the wooden handle of your brush and the moisture makes the wood expand, and expanding wood means expanding ferrule. When the moisture evaporates out of the handle, the wood shrinks back to its normal size, but the metal ferrule doesn't. Another thing that can happen is the glue that helps hold the ferrule onto the handle gets wet and then no longer glues them together.

Storage of your Brushes:

Opinion A: Let your brushes lay flat. Never stand your wet brushes bristles up, the water and/or leftover paint could run into the ferrule and ruin the glue.

Opinion B: Store your brushes, bristles up, in a cup or brush holder. This keeps them from rolling around and preventing possible damage - being stepped on, having the brush roll and the bristles might get bent.

Opinion C: Leave soap in bristles to help them retain their shape during storage or transport, wash soap out before you paint.

Opinion D: Never leave soap in bristles. You would never let soap dry in your hair, so don't let it dry in your bristles.

Never let paint dry in the brush ferrule! Most all acrylic paints have binders in them. As the paint dries the binders harden and the bristles begin to separate leaving you splits in between your bristles. It also makes nice strokework much more difficult than it has to be.

BRUSH CLEANING

Always clean your brushes after painting (unless you like buying new brushes all the time).

Opinion A: Mild soap, works very well to clean out any paint left in your bristles.

Opinion B: Brush cleaners were made to clean brushes, so use them instead of soap.

Opinion C: Clean brushes as if they were your hair. You would never use anything harsh on your hair, so don't use it on your bristles!

Opinion D: Rubbing alcohol works very well to clean any paint left in your bristles. There are some cautions here - Make sure you are in a well ventilated room, don't get any on the painted part of your handle, it could take the paint off.

Opinion E: Leave extender/retarder in your brushes, that way the paint never dries in your bristles.

Opinion F: Clean your brushes with 409, Simple Green, Murphys oil soap. Any of these will get paint out of your brushes.

So, are you totally confused? I will tell you how I take care of my brushes. You may not agree with me, but please feel free to try different storage and cleaning methods. I still have brushes that are 8 years old, and they are in great shape.

After painting, I give my brushes a good rinse with a mild soap (like Ivory) and water.

If I will be transporting my brushes to a class, then I will brush my moist bristles into Ivory soap and let the soap dry. I feel my bristles hold their shape very well, with little or no bristle bending or splitting until they reach the class.

If there is some paint build-up in my brushes, I clean them with rubbing alcohol, making sure that I don't get any on the brush handle.

If I have been very careless and have a lot of paint-build up in my bristles, I will clean them with DaVinci's brush cleaner. It has acetone in it (same as fingernail polish remover). I use it as a last resort, I feel it may be a little harsh. DaVinci's is a great product and it will get your brushes clean. Be sure not to get any on your brush handle, it could eat off the paint.

I store my brushes both flat and bristles up in a cup and I haven't noticed any difference between the two.

I only use my best flat brushes for sideload/floating, when they get old they get demoted to a base coating brush. Take care of those brushes, they cost a lot of money!

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Decor Delights - Custom Line #1
TIN AND METAL PREPARATION

The most important thing to remember about prepping your metalware is that it needs to be very, very clean before you prime the metal.

Dirty rusty metal - If you would like to paint on the dirty, rusty piece of metal you must get all the rust off and wash off the dirt. One of the best ways to do this is to sandblast your metalware. Since most of us don't have access to a sandblaster, the next thing to do is to get out your wire brush and brush the rust off. I have heard that some people rub a raw potato to get rust off. I have never tried this method, I would be interested to know if it really works.

Shiny rust-free metal - Even though it looks clean, you now need to wash your metalware with soap and water. Get off any dirt or dust and rinse. Now, get out some white vinegar and use it to rinse off any soap residue that might be left behind. When this is done, let your metalware totally dry.

Drying clean shiny metal - If your piece is small enough, you can dry it in a warm oven. Preheat your oven to 250 degree and then turn it off. If the temperature is any higher than this, the solder on you piece could melt. After you turn off your oven, place the metalware in the oven and leave it in there until your oven is completely cooled. Your metalware need to be completely dry or your primer won't adhere to the metal.

Priming - My favorite method of priming metal is to use Blair Metal Primer. It is a gray metal primer in a spray can. CAUTION: if you use a spray primer, please use it outdoors or in a very well ventilated room. Remember that this primer will stick to anything it gets sprayed on. It will be permanent on your concrete or outside of your house. Spray with light even coats to avoid running drips. Let each coat dry before spraying on the next coat. Follow the directions on the can for drying time.

The most environmentally friendly way of prepping your metal is to use JoSonja's All Purpose Sealer. It is a non-toxic waterbased sealer and will be very safe. You can either brush on several coats of sealer, or if you are basing in with a JoSonja color, you can mix your JoSonja color in with the sealer - seal and base at the same time. If you use this method (mixing paint and sealer) you can use the oven drying method, described above, to get a very durable basecoat.

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BEGINNING STROKE ROSES

Complete Stroke Rose

A QUICK LESSON IN COMMA STROKES

You will need a good round brush, the larger the brush the bigger your strokes will be. With water in your bristles, load a generous amount of paint on your brush (you should have paint almost up to the ferrule), tap the tip on your palette to get the tip of your bristles to lay a bit flat. Lay the brush on a 45 degree angle, press the bristles with pressure to get the rounded tip of your stroke. Begin to pull your stroke (in a comma direction) lifting up on the bristles as you pull. Keep lifting until you get a nice tail. Comma strokes take a lot of practice, don't get discouraged just keep practicing!!!! Round Brush - Comma Stroke

 

Delta Ceramcoat colors used:
Indiana Rose - light value
Gypsy Rose - medium value
Mendocino - dark value
Chrome Green Lt. - leaves

There are many ways to paint roses, so lets begin here with one of the basic stroke roses.

Pick a medium value and base your rose in a circle. Round Brush - Based Circle
With a darker value, sideload your brush, blend on your palette and shade the bottom of the circle with a "C" float. Next shade the inside of the rose with a small "c" float, this goes near the top. Round Brush - Shaded/Based Circle

Now you will begin your comma strokes to define the rose petals. I recommend a few practice comma strokes on a piece of scratch paper before you place your strokes on your project. An important thing for nice looking roses is to make sure that the strokes follow the curvature of the circle.

With your darker value, lay in the comma strokes on the left (or right) side of the circle. Have your strokes begin off the circle a bit, pull the stroke with the curvature of the circle and end it more than half way across. Repeat the other side with your light value and make sure the commas fit between the dark value comma. Pull the strokes more than half way across. If the comma strokes end in the center. Pull a comma stroke on the top of the circle and have the tail wrap partially around the little floated "C". Comma Stroke Placement
The stamen in the rose center are light value laydown strokes. Add some large green "one" strokes off the bottom to give your roses a finishing touch. Complete Stroke Rose

We offer a great learning tool to help you develop those perfect strokes

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ROUND BRUSH STROKES

I wish that I could have each and every one of you come to my studio and show you how to do this in person. But, since I have to try and get it into words, please bear with me!! I know that learning strokework is a little intimidating, but with lots of practice, you can master any stroke! Practice, practice, practice - that is the best hint I can give you! Always do a few practice strokes on scratch paper before you place that stroke on your project.

The first stroke lesson will be with the round brush. I like to use the Royal 2 round #250 to practice round strokes with. Paint consistency: The consistency of your paint will determine the smoothness/flatness or the texture of your stroke. To achieve a smooth/flat stroke (feels flat on your project) you will need to water down your acrylics with water. The best description I have learned is to get your paint to the consistency of ink. Now, if you prefer a textured stroke (you can feel the paint rising on the surface of your project) there is no need to add water, just load your brush with lots and lots of paint (I mean a lot!). Loading the round brush: There are two ways of loading your round brush, twisting or pulling. Twisting will achieve a fine, round point on the tip of your bristles. Pulling will leave the bristles flattened and not coming to a point at the tip.Ready, here we go!

One Stroke/Tear Drop

The one stroke is one of the most common strokes. This stroke is straight and you will need to do a slight twist at the end of your stroke in order to achieve a nice tail. You will need to load your brush by PULLING your bristles through the puddle of paint. It helps to have the bristles flattened and a nice load of paint at the tip. Lay the flattened tip of your bristles on your practice paper at a slight angle and press. As you paint your stroke, come slowly from an angle to, having your brush perpendicular to your paper. Look to see if the bristles and paint are beginning the stroke with a nice rounded top. If it looks good, start PULLING and SLOWLY LIFTING the brush to begin the tail. A one stroke with a tail that comes to a nice tip is your goal. Keep pulling and lifting until you have lifted the bristles off the paper. If the tip of the tail is ragged looking, then you might need to twist your bristles at the end in order to achieve the fine tip. Round Brush - One Stroke

 

Comma Stroke

This is a one stroke with a bend. You will need to load your brush with paint in the same manner you would to do a one stroke. Pull your bristle through a puddle of paint, leaving your bristles flattened and with a nice load of paint at the tip. Lay the bristle down and press to achieve a nice rounded top. Since this is called a comma stroke, you will need your stroke to look like a comma. You will find that a comma will look better swinging to the left or swinging to the right, just like when you paint eyes - one is always bigger than the other LOL!!! (just a joke). For me, it is easier to pull my commas as if I am painting a smile. Since I am right handed, I can easily pull my comma from left to right. My little girl is left handed and she pulls hers easier right to left. There are no strict rules on how this is done, if it is easier for you to pull from top to bottom, then do it that way. Your stroke will look its best when you find the best way for YOURSELF! Now, no more lecture, on with the lesson. With a comma stroke, you most likely will not need to twist your bristles to make a nice tail. As you pull the stroke, the bristles get even flatter and the tip will have a nice chiseled edge. Use this chiseled edge to achieve a nice fine tip on the tail of your comma. Round Brush - Comma Stroke

 

Crescent Stroke/Skinny-Fat-Skinny

In order to achieve a nice crescent stroke, I recommend thinned/inky paint and you will need to twist your bristles in the paint to get a nice pointy tip at the end of your brush. I like to think skinny-fat-skinny when I do this stroke, because that is exactly what you will be painting. Hold your brush perpendicular to the paper, now with the tip of your brush, start your stroke. Slowly press the bristles down to get a fatter line and then slowly lift the bristles to make the line get skinny again. The goal is to get a nice shaped crescent with the line going gradually from skinny to fat to skinny again. My example here isn't perfect, but at least you get the idea! Round Brush - Cresent Stroke

 

S stroke

The S stroke is a skinny-fat-skinny, one in an "S" shape. Load your brush with thinned/inky paint and twist your bristles to get a nice point at the tip of your bristles. Hold your brush perpendicular to your paper, and begin your S stroke with the tip of your brush. "S" strokes take a lot of practice, very smart painters will practice these strokes every chance they get. You learn great brush control! The tails of your "S" stroke should start and end with fine points, the center of the "S" is where you will press the bristles down. Again, think skinny-fat-skinny as you are painting your "S". These strokes also be done with a flat brush, and that will be another lesson. You can get very creative with "S" strokes. They can range from straight to curvy and flowy. Link them together and you get what is called a lifeline. Round Brush - "S" Stroke

I hope these round brush lessons help you a little bit. Remember - practice, practice, practice!!!

We offer a great learning tool to help you develop those perfect strokes

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USING A LINER BRUSH

Linework can add greatly to a project. You can outline shapes, add curly vines to a floral project and do tiny detail work, all with a liner brush.

Liner brushes are very small round brushes. They have less bristles in the ferrule and range in sizes from 18/0 up to a 1.

There are two types of liner brushes:
Liner - can range from 1/2 inch to 1 inch long bristles.
Scroller - bristles longer that 1 inch.

Scrollers are used when you have a long, long line to paint. They hold a lot more paint than a regular liner brush. I usually use my scroller when I am painting vines and long lines.

Liners are used for all the other linework you need to do. My favorite liner is a 10/0. I use it to outline, paint stitches, sign my name, paint curly vines, Santa beards and mustaches and on and on. There are many, many uses for a liner when you paint.

LOADING A LINER:
In order for your liner to do what you want, you will need to load it properly. Since there are very few bristles in a liner brush, the paint in your bristles will dry quickly. Paint straight out of the tube or bottle will not flow nicely off your liner brush. You will need to thin your paint with water in order for the paint to flow smoothly and evenly off your bristles. When mixing paint and water for linework, try to get the paint to an inky consistency.

Once your paint has been thinned to an inky consistency, twist your bristles through the inky paint until you liner brush is fully loaded with paint. The twisting motion leave a nice point on the tip of your bristles.

PAINTING WITH A LINER:
The easiest way I have found to use a liner when doing stitches, curls and small projects; is to hold my liner on the ferrule close to the bristles. I also hold my liner at a 90 degree angle, this helps me control the liner more easily.

When I am doing long lines and vines, I have found that it helps me to hold the brush just above the ferrule. This hold lets me have a looser grip and more freedom to maneuver my liner around a bigger project. Looser linework helps vines look more natural.

Tips: Remember, inky paint and a good point on your bristles will help you in painting your linework.

We offer a great learning tool to help you develop those perfect strokes

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FLAT BRUSH STROKES

What is a Flat Brush?
You will be able to recognize a flat brush by the ferrule. The ferrule is pressed flat, so the bristles have to broad, flat sides and two narrow edges and usually the bristle have been cut straight across. This cut at the end of the bristles will form a chisel edge.

Loading a Flat Brush
Keep in mind when loading your flat brushes, not to get the paint all the way up the bristles to the ferrule. A good load won't go more than 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the bristles. If paint dries in the ferrule, it will ruin your brushes. When loading your brush, instead of dunking the bristles in the center of the puddle of paint, dip the end of the bristles in the edge of the paint. Next, drag the bristles out of the paint on to the palette, working the paint on each side of the bristles. Stroke the excess paint off the bristles before executing your stroke.

Flat Stroke
Easy stroke used in basecoating. Lay the bristles down on the broad, flat side and pull down.
Flat Brush - Stroke
Chisel Stroke
Easy stroke for painting lines. Hold the brush perpendicular to the paper, and using just the end of the bristles, pull a line.
Flat Brush - Stroke
Comma Stroke
Hold brush firmly with fingers, do not twist. Begin stroke by laying brush flat, start pulling the stroke in the shape of a comma and slowly lift the bristles to end up on the chisel to make a nice pointed tail.
Flat Brush -  Comma Stroke
Zig Zag Stroke
Hold brush firmly with fingers, do not twist. Begin up on the chisel edge of the bristles and pull a chisel stroke. Stop and now you will pull a flat stroke (try to execute this stroke without lifting off of the paper). Stop again and lift the bristles back up on the chisel edge and pull another chisel stroke to finish. So, for a short version of this stroke think to yourself - chisel stroke, flat stroke, chisel stroke.
Flat Brush - Zig Zag Stroke
"C" Stroke
Hold brush firmly with fingers, do not twist. This a combination of chisel and flat strokes but modified a bit. Begin up on the chisel edge of the bristles, and in a continuous motion, pull down and around in a "C" shape. Remember to come up on the chisel edge of the bristles to end with a sharp tail.
Flat Brush -  C Stroke
"S" Stroke
Hold brush firmly with fingers, do not twist. Begin up on the chisel edge of the bristles, and in a continuous motion, pull an "S" shape. Begin and end up on the chisel edge of the bristles.
Flat Brush - "S" Stroke
Crescent Stroke
While executing the crescent stroke you will need to hold the brush more loosely and you will need to roll the brush (or twist) it just slightly. Begin on the chisel edge of the bristles, slowly push the brush up toward the top of the stroke. As the stroke begins to widen at the top, twist the bristles slightly in order to get the chisel in the right position to complete the tail. Pull down on the chisel to get a sharp tail.
Flat Brush - Crescent Stroke
Circle
This stroke is more difficult to execute, but once mastered you will get perfect circles in one stroke with no ridges. Begin on the chisel edge of the bristles (have the chisel pointing up and down), pick one edge to be the pivot point, either the top or the bottom. Now that you have chosen a pivot point, try and keep this point in the center of the circle and not leave any blank spaces. Begin rolling or twisting the brush handle with your fingers. I am right handed and I hold the brush handle against my 4 fingers and I use my thumb to do the rolling. I begin holding the brush at the tips of my fingers and near the joint in my thumb, next I begin rolling the brush along my 4 fingers by pulling my thumb towards the palm of my hand. Whew!!! Now as you are rolling your brush, remember to keep using the pivot point as your bristles pull around to make the circle.
Flat Brush - Circle Stroke

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Decor Delights - Custom Line #1
Specialty Techniques - STIPPLING

Stippling is a great technique to use on fur, cheeks, background foliage and I also use it to do flower centers, highlighting and shading.

TECHNIQUE
Less is better - The less paint in your bristles the better your stipple will be. Too much paint will look blobby and heavy, whereas less paint looks lighter and daintier. (I will explain how much paint to load into your brush further down.)

The best way to stipple for me is to hold the brush at a 90 degree angle and lightly pounce the tip of the bristles on to the project. After a pounce, notice that there may be a pattern to the paint? In order not to develop a pattern within your stipple, slightly roll the brush in your fingers after each pounce.

BRUSHES TO USE

My favorite stippling brushes are white nylon fabric scrubbers and old scruffy brushes with paint in the ferrules. (I know I told you in the beginning lessons not to get paint in the ferrule, but it will happen eventually and now you will have a great stippling brush!)

Fabric Brushes With as dry as you can get bristles, stick the tip of the bristles into a puddle of paint. Wipe off the excess paint on a paper towel. Pounce a test on a scrap piece of paper. Is the stipple too heavy, thick or blobby? Heavy Stipple
If you said "yes", then you will need to brush out some more paint on your paper towel. After your test pounce if the color is light and airy, then you are ready to stipple on your project. Remember - Less is Better! You can always stipple more after each layer dries to get it darker. Stipple
Scruffy Brushes You will get different looks depending on if you are stippling with dry or moist bristles. Dry bristles will give you a softer more delicate look, while moist bristles will make your stippling look spotty (great for background foliage). You will load the paint in the same manner as above and pounce in the same manner as well.

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