Stroke Work
by Donna Richards
by Donna Richards
Beautiful stroke work requires some know-how and a little practice. Read through the following tips and take two minutes to practice every time you sit down to paint. You will keep your skills sharp and your confidence level high!
1. First you need a brush that is in good to excellent condition, or you will be fighting an uphill battle. It is a good idea to save a few round and filbert brushes just for stroke work. There are many excellent brushes on the market that will work; just keep the following in mind when choosing which one to use: Those with round heads make the best strokes. An example of this is when choosing between two Loew-Cornell brushes I would always choose the 7000 series or those with the yellow band. I would never use one of those with the red band because I find the head tapers too quickly to a sharp point for stroke work.
2. Fresh paint is a must. If your paint is too dry, too tacky, or too thick, you will have problems. Mist your paints to keep them fresh. Loading the brush properly requires pulling the paint out from your puddle of paint while applying some light pressure on the bristles of the brush. I usually pull out twice on each side of the brush before making a stroke.
3. When executing stroke work, try holding the brush straighter than the normal 45-degree angle. Experiment between straight up and about a 22-degree angle.
4. Try holding the brush between your middle finger and your thumb in the following manner: Place your middle finger down on the feral of the brush, your thumb just barely above the feral, and your forefinger up above the thumb. Remember the angle mentioned above. This position allows for better control of the brush. You will be able to hold the brush up straighter and apply pressure correctly on the tips of the bristles. You will not lose control of the brush when trying to paint more curved and flowing strokes. To pull long strokes or lines, just lock your wrist and pull by moving your entire arm.
Analyzing your strokes and correcting problems:
Can't get round heads? You may not have enough paint on your brush, or you may not be applying enough pressure on the bristles.
Tails of comma strokes are ragged or do not come to a clean, sharp point? Try slowing down a little; don't whip the tail in a quick movement right at the end. Hold the brush up straighter, pull the brush in a smooth even movement, and come to a stop before lifting the brush from your surface. Keep in mind that you are gradually lifting the pressure on the bristles so by the time you are to the tip of the tail you are barely touching the surface. If your paint is too thick or you have too much on the brush, it can cause messy strokes. Try cleaning your brush and reloading a little more often.
Need more help? You can send questions to Donna@paint1too@aol.com with the reference as STROKE WORK QUESTION.
