My Style I don’t use a lot of paint on my brush. It may take several coats to get the strength of colour but if you build up your colour gradually you will achieve a smoother finish. I like to dilute my paint with a bit of Fini. This will help your paint glide on smoothly and keep the strength of the colour better than water. Fini I’m not one to use a lot of mediums since water was the only method out there when I first learned to use acrylics. But once I started using Fini I was hooked. A little goes a long way. Only use your water to clean your brush otherwise use your Fini to float and thin your paint. It stays open just a bit longer so you can erase those "bad" floats that happen on rare occasions. Ü Always thin your paint when using a liner. Floating My preference is an angle brush and Fini. Wet your brush and blot on a paper towel until the "sheen" is gone. Next dip the tip of the brush into the Fini then into your paint and blend on your palette. If you do not blend well by wiping back and forth on the same spot on your palette you will not be able to execute a good float. Continue using the same area for blending otherwise you will just be taking the paint off the brush instead of blending it through the bristles. Dry Brush Take a small amount of paint onto your dry brush (an old scruffy brush can work too) and wipe most of it off on your palette or a paper towel. Start by lightly stroking the area you are trying to highlight then gradually increase your pressure until you see the paint being deposited in the desired area. Bushes and Trees I like to use a wave angular foliage brush. The first time you use this brush, wet it then crush it and twist the bristles open on your palette. I know this is not the way we normally treat brushes but it really works! Tip the toe of the brush into your paint and lightly tap in the shape of your foliage. Rotate the angle of your hand while tapping to get nicely shaped foliage. Wave Brushes When I use my wave brushes I do not use a lot of paint. I load the brush well but it still has a chisel edge and then tap the tip of the brush lightly on the surface in order to get the effect I want. The design photographs, instructions and line drawing in this painting pattern packet are covered by copyright law. Permission is given to photocopy or scan the line drawing for enlarging or reducing purposes only. Photocopying the instructions or photographs is not allowed for any reason without prior written consent from the artist. Please feel free to paint this design for your own painting enjoyment or gift giving. Permission is also given to paint a limited number of this design to sell at either craft shows, internet auction sites or internet craft sites. Mass production is not allowed. Teachers Note: Please feel free to teach this design. Students will each need to make their own tracing of the pattern or discounts are available to teachers buying multiple pattern packets of this design. Please e-mail me at carol@carolcook.ca with any questions you might have regarding the copyright of this pattern packet.
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