Learning How to Use Your Paint Brush: By Amy Ressa

If you are a self taught artist, you may be missing out on basic techniques to use when you are doing your decorative painting. It is never too late to take the time to learn. Add this knowledge to your current skills and improve your finished products. Learning never stops and can help keep your work fresh and up to date with the times.

Strokework is the basis behind decorative painting. Once you have mastered the different strokes, you will be on the way to creating beautiful artwork. By learning these different techniques you will be able to do different types of decorative painting. Combining techniques will allow you to create more interest in your work. These strokes can be used on small projects like painting glassware, painting on furniture, or walls.

If you are a painter who did not learn how to use your brush and the different strokes from the beginning, you will notice the difference in your work if you take the time to learn. It allows you to understand how to hold your brush, the amount of pressure, and how the paint works in your brush. This is information that is beneficial no matter what type of painting you do.

There are two main elements to stroke work. One element is downward pressure and the other is sideways pressure. The amount of pressure will determine the width of your stroke. Of course, the more pressure you exert, the wider your stroke will be. As with the less pressure you use, the smaller your strokes will be.

My name is Amy Ressa. I am the owner of The Painted House and More. My business is located in Central Ohio. I am however always interested in working with others that are located throughout the United States and not limited to Central Ohio. I am a decorative painter who offers a service to paint items for weddings and special events. These items can include ring bearer pillows, flower girl baskets, cake and knife serving sets, plates, dessert or wedding cake plates, centerpieces, and more. I am open to any ideas you would like to discuss.


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Andrew Wyeth - Painter of the People

One of the most renowned artists of modern times, Andrew Wyeth continues to hold the American public enthrall with his almost photographic quality paintings. Using watercolors and egg tempera to create masterpieces from the familiar people and landscapes that he grew up around, Wyeth has an unmistakable style that infuses emotion into the mundane. Often using shades of gray and brown, his work combines subdued colors with his mastery of shadows to create incredibly detailed portraits and landscapes.

Born in a small town in Pennsylvania called Chadds Ford, Andrew was the youngest child of five. In the third grade he suffered a bad case of whooping cough which left him sickly for much of his childhood. His parents decided to educate him at home at that time and so his father, Newell Convers (N.C.) Wyeth became his main teacher.

The elder Wyeth was a well known illustrator whose work was featured in many magazines and in other mediums so Andrew was exposed to art from an early age. Seeing the budding talent in young Andrew, his father taught him the basic concepts of drawing and Andrew began working in watercolors. He was to do many watercolor studies of the sea and shoreline while at the family's summer home in Port Clyde, Maine. His first exhibit was of these paintings in 1937.

The success of that first show in New York City launched a career spanning seventy years. By 1950, he was named in Time magazine as one of the greatest American artists. One of his works, "The Hunter", was featured in the Saturday Evening Post. Wyeth paintings hang in museums across the country including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA., the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. In 1987, his "Helga" collection was displayed in the National Gallery of Art - the first time they ever exhibited the works of a living artist.

Despite his popularity and many awards, Wyeth's work was and remains a controversial topic among critics. His representational style contrasted sharply with the abstract art that was favored during the twentieth century. Art critics have often said that his work is too close to illustration and too sentimental in flavor. While some critics describe him as a genius, others are hostile and derisive of his work. His most famous painting, "Christina's World", is even deliberately left out of the listings of masterworks for The Museum of Modern Art where the painting hangs.

Mark Traston is an associate with Portrait Painting. The company specializes in turning a photo to painting. Each portrait artist specializes in a specific area including wedding paintings, pet portraits, and executive portraits.

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Paint Brushes Are An Investment

Brushes are the most important painter's tools. Buying brushes is not just a random decision, but one that should be made carefully. Selection of brushes is personal and is based upon needs and level of investment desired. Because a brush will only last as well as it is cared for, proper cleaning and storage of brushes is probably even more important than the decision of what brush to buy. Because no matter how wonderful a brush is, if it is abused it will quickly be discarded.

Types of Brushes

The hair of the brush is what primarily denotes what type of brush it is and it's purpose. Although natural hair brushes usually cost more, they do not all create the same results. Sable hair brushes are probably the most popular brushes. They are soft haired brushes that move the paint easily and keep their point. Sable brushes are great for watercolor. Hog hair is also used to make brushes, but has a very different effect with media. Hog hair brushes are stiff brushes for heavy paint and will leave brush strokes behind. They have spilt ends and hold more paint and are used in oil painting. Synthetic brushes are also common for artists to use. These are generally less expensive, but still produce quality work. Paint brushes are an artist tools and several different types are needed depending on the project and desired result sought. More expensive brushes keep their shape after a stroke and do not fishtail or bend when paint is applied to paper or canvas and therefore have a more professional result. Less expensive brushes may be suited for some jobs, especially when used in crafts and with products like glue. The other factor identifying a brush is the handle. Traditionally long handled brushes are used for oil painting because the artist is standing at an easel. Shorter handled brushes are for watercolor and acrylics because the artist is sitting and painting in greater detail.

Cleaning and Care for Brushes

Because how well a brush is cared for effects how long the brush will last, extra effort put in to properly care for these important tools will be well worth the time. All brushes will eventually wear out and will then need to be replaced, but lengthening the span of time before that is necessary will help the budget. Cleaning is crucial to extending the life of a brush. Each brush should be cleaned immediately after use. Use a mild soap and clean in the palm of the hand. Rinse thoroughly and when water runs clear, lay the brush flat to dry. It should not be left vertical to dry as this will cause water to be pulled into the handle and will ultimately cause the handle to loosen and the brush will no longer be usable. Paint brushes should never be left sitting in a glass of water. Other than the effect it will have on the handle, it will crush the bristles. If the brushes are soaked, use a brush container that will suspend them and only fill the water to soak the bristles and not the ferrule or handle. After the paint brush is cleaned and dried it may be stored upright, or in a flat brush holder. Cleaning brushes is not only done at the end of a painting session, but should be done as needed. As a person is painting, effort should be made to keep paint away from the ferrule of the brush, but inevitably will naturally be drawn up the brush. As the paint gets close to the ferrule, it should then be cleaned. This is to prevent the paint from getting under the ferrule and drying there. Natural hair brushes also need to be conditioned on a regular basis. There are paint brush soaps that come with conditioners in them, or conditioner can be bought separately.

Make the investment of brushes one that will be used wisely. The results that a good paint brush produces are worth the initial cost, but only if the effort is made to care for them and extend the value of the investment.

Emma Snow is a creator at Craft Kits http://www.craft-kits.net leading portals for crafts and creative individuals.

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