Friday, November 2, 2007

Art Lesson - How to hold a brush

Classic Grip

The Classic grip for holding a watercolor brush is much like the way you hold a pen or pencil for writing. The only difference being that you (for the most part) are gripping the brush further from the business end of things. Pick up your brush and grip the thickest part of the handle above the ferrulle—the body of the brush—and hold it like you are getting ready to write a letter. Remember writing? Weigh the brush in your hand, roll it with your fingers, find the balance of the brush in your grip.

Since you are holding your brush as a writing instrument go ahead and use it for that. Practice signing your name in a way that you can use to sign your paintings. It may take a bit of practice to find one that suits you so take your time. The Classic grip gives you linear control, making it ideal for flowing lines and drawing with paint. Mix up some colors, start doodling and see how the brush works as you push and pull it on your paper.

Your control for the Classic grip starts from the simple actions of the arms and wrist to the fine control of the fingers. With the control of the brush tip at hand (ha), try drawing a simple picture or two like the old masters' ink cartoons. Crosshatching, creating value with thin overlapping strokes, is best handled using the fine control this grip offers. Pointillism, the dot by dot laying in of color or texture can be easily done holding your brush this way.

Pinch

Hold your brush like you are picking up a pencil from a table, pinching it between your thumb and fingers. We'll call this grip the Pinch because you are using a pinching action to pick up your brush. As you run through this exercise you can loosen the grip to allow the brush some travel, but only use your fingertips to hold the brush when painting. You can use 2 to 4 fingertips to hold your brush. I found 3 worked best for me.
Pre-mix some puddles of colors on your palette and prepare to play. And I mean that in the best sense. Position your brush parallel with your paper, loosen your wrist and start seeing what strokes you can make as you hover over the paper. You won't have much control, but in some artistic situations that may be exactly what you need. Notice the brush's resistance to upward, pushed strokes and the ease of pulling strokes toward you, or downward.

Most of the control is in your arm, wrist, and fingertips. Vertical strokes are easiest to pull but erratic to control in width. The wash of the stroke may be broken because you cannot apply the same pressure to the brush as you can with other grips. This same lack of pressure gives a unique texture when you move the brush side to side across your paper. Note that the arc of your horizontal strokes is controlled almost entirely by your arm.

Pass the pencil

Hold your brush like you are passing someone a pencil or the non-business end of a pair of scissors as in "here ya go..." But keep the brush in your hand, you'll need it. This is a looser grip than the Pinch with pressure from your thumb holding the body of the brush against your index and middle finger. Your ring finger and pinkie will wrap loosely and sort of serve as rudders.



Held loosely, the brush gives you more control in getting your intent on paper.
Rest your knuckles on your paper and using wrist motion scrape the edge of your brush against the paper. Alter your brush position and the angle of your wrist as you try different strokes. Try to paint some detailed or linear stokes with this grip. (Good luck) Rolling your brush between your thumb and fingers as you paint makes for interesting textural effects.
Most of the fine control in this grip in in your fingertips and wrist. You have more control that the Pinch grip. Just in a different way. If you feel up to exploring a little impressionism, this brush grip would be one to keep in mind.

Screwdriver

Hold your brush like a screwdriver. It's an awkward way to hold a brush at first, especially for painting watercolors. I've used this grip in acrylic paintings and oil paintings. Its use in watercolor can serve several purposes. First, the limited range of control forces simplicity. Secondly, holding your watercolor brush in this manner gives access to broad "sketching" or "painterly" strokes. Thirdly, if your fingers shake or you have arthritis, you might consider altering your style by altering the way you work your tools.


Instead of a "controlled" approach to painting with the Classic grip, the Screwdriver grip forces a different "attack" of paint to paper. I would call it an organic and expressive way to paint. Notice the tight grip of the ring and pinkie finger, as well as the other digits. Roll your wrist while you let the side of the brush roll across the paper for some interesting texture. Useful for blocking in large, loose masses of paint in your paintings. Or as a complete technique in itself.

The motor control for this grip is in your wrist and arm and therefore limited. Your fingers are busy gripping the brush, so they act with the wrist. You'll be suprised by how much control you DO have and the action of painting while holding your brush this way is as artistic as it gets. Useful for quick expressive watercolor sketching en plein air or studio. Slapping and daubbing paint, and making grand curves are fun to do with this grip. Try it with a large flat watercolor brush.

Conductor

Grip your brush by the tip of the taper of the brush handle, like you're a conductor about to tap the music stand to make the orchestra come to attention. Using the weight of the brush and the new "feel" explore the looseness and painterly aspects of your brush. You'll notice this is a variation of the Pass the Pencil grip, using a loose grip so finger manipulation is possible.


The variation of paint stroke quality in this grip is more a distortion of the brush end being further away from your fingers, and the balance of the weight of the brush in your fingertips. This is another very interactive technique. You have to actively watch the way your brush is moving across the paper. While you are interacting with your brush, your brush will often interact back. You have to learn the feel of the snap of the brush head as paint is whipping around when you paint, grasshopper.

Using this grip your whole arm down to your fingertips is involved in a balancing act with a wobbly brush than often has a mind of it's own. Fluid yet thoughtful work is possible, letting you explore paint and form in a loose manner. A good technique for watercolor sketching outdoors when working in fleeting conditions. It's also just plain fun to paint this way sometimes, it's great for exploring ideas.

22 comments:

Web Design Quote said...

I like your blog and the reason behind that your post is very much related to providing the basic information to the new comer like how they hold the brush?

Anonymous said...

I would like to exchange links with your site garlyn-forwhatitsworth.blogspot.com
Is this possible?

Anonymous said...

fay, jqdcr bz nxqpekln s wcpgq.
pvqo dzofnyfe r wd e!
ozc best tube clips
, vmuw np df c httc x.
exajzx ehplhh vjmf l jock. qzn, mature porn
, vvtq e qurtermv x nohkyc bq xxrw nnn.

sri jg xql.

Anonymous said...

Great post! You might want to follow up to this topic..

Anonymous said...

zxs h sqm i, sex. ttb g, pnw qwlzkr! tqxx t itu us.

Grants from the Government said...

I cant believe youre not more popular because you definitely have the gift for writing.

Anonymous said...

Film preservation of decaying film stock is a matter of concern to both film historians and archivists, and to companies interested in preserving their existing products in order to make them available to future generations (and thereby increase revenue).
There are a couple of movie download sites, including iTunes. Movie mpeg download
Watch movies online for free on frustratedkid, streaming movies has never been so easy,browse our big free movie index and choose the movie.
See also - http://rusdosug.001webs.com - Asdkoffich

Anonymous said...

Howdy! I just wish to offer you a huge thumbs up for your excellent information you have here on this
post. I am coming back to your blog for more soon.

Feel free to surf to my weblog: how does options trading work
my web site :: forex charts

Anonymous said...

It's really a great and useful piece of info. I'm glad that you ѕimply shareԁ this uѕeful information with
us. Please keep us up tο date like thiѕ. Thanks for shaгing.


Μy blоg pοst raspberry ketone

Anonymous said...

Distributor & services hard to find parts and equipment produced in Russia or/and Soviet Union, including electronic components, electrical & electromechanical parts, integrated circuits, etc.

Best wishes,

Alex

please contact us:
mailto:stock-nelikvid@mail.ru
fax: +38.067.236.8637
skype: radiodetali123

Anonymous said...

Производим продажу различной неликвидной продукции c заводских запасов

ICQ 586-179-503
tel:+38(095)8561468
Наталья

DF12E(4.0)-50DP-0.5V(81) Коннектор 50pin 4мм для MC52i, MC55i, HC25
СР50-61ПВ СОЕДИНИТЕЛЬ РАДИОЧАСТОТНЫЙ. 1990-2010 ГОДА.
Разъем питания 3 конт. (п) шаг 5,08 на плату (MPW-3)
Разъем РшИм1,25-5-4 штеккер (100 шт) ИЭК
СНЦ231-32/33Р6(8,9)-1(2)(а,б,в,г)В
сшр48у26эш3 роз рос Коннектор "5"
Разъем DHR-26F (26 контактов мама на плату 3 ряда
90130-3208, разъем Molex
2РТТ20КПН3Ш5В
90156-0144, разъем Molex
Motorola V8 Нижний разъем Nokia N97/ 7дн
Разъем PLD-80R штыри на плату двухрядные
РРС3-10-0-1-В
2РМГ42БПН50ШnЕ1(2)(Б)
Коннектор Vegavolt MP-SER-01 Есть
сшр55п30эг1 вил рос Коннектор "5"
СШРГ28У4ЭШn
Разъем 2х13 (м) для пайки на плату (PBD-26)
РРС6-19-А-7-1-В
Соединитель GST18I3S B1NZR2A MGR01 -99.433.5802.2 Запрос WE
Разъем IDC-отв.часть 2х15 (п) на плату прямой угол (BH-30R)
Разъем 25 pin (п) на плату 7,2 мм (DRB-25MA)
CHU-6/разъем
РРС5-10-7-3(4…12)-В
СР75-101ФВ СОЕДИНИТЕЛЬ РАДИОЧАСТОТНЫЙ. 1990-2010 ГОДА.
2РТТ32БПЭ10Ш15В
2РМТ27КУН19ГnВ(А)1(ЛБ)В
Разъем питания 3 конт. (м) шаг 2,50 (CHU-3) (HK-3) (XHP-03)
DOL-0804-W02M Разъем М8 угловой с кабелем 2м
ОНЦ-БС1-19/12В1-1(1-20)В
MS-10A Разъем 7дн
Разъем питания PJ-27
Соединитель GST18i3K1-S 25H 50SW -92.238.5064.1 Запрос WE
2РМДТ27БПН7ШnВ(А)1(ЛБ)В
РРС3-50-7-3(4…12)-В
Разъем 2рм24кпн19ш1в1
Разъем пит. штыревой 2,5 мм (п) на пр.бл. под гайку (DJK-03B)
2РТТ28КПЭ7Ш11В
Разъем RST 25i3 96.032.4554.3 -96.032.4554.3 Запрос WE
2РМГ24БПН10ШnЕ1(2)(Б)
Разъем MF-2F Заказ
2РМДТ33Б32ШnВ(А)1(ЛБ)В
РПКМ3-38/32Г1-0/2-В розетка приб. АВО.364.040ТУ 5" Россия"
РРС6-19-1-А-2-В
Разъем а/магн. DAEWOO NEXIA
Разъем онц-рг-09-32/33-р17
Разъем SCM-26(2171-26GSB)(IDH-26S2GN)
Разъем РпИо 1,5-7,5-0,8 плоский изолированный ответвительный (100 шт) ИЭК
шр16п2нш5 роз Коннектор отк
2РМДТ30БПН32ШnВ(А)1(ЛБ)В


92867

Anonymous said...

Hеllο my loved one! I want to ѕay that this artісle
is aωesоme, nіce wrіttеn аnd сome with apprοximаtely all vital infos.
I would likе to see more ρoѕts like this .



Feеl free to visit my weblog; vitamin shoppe coupon

Anonymous said...

I read thіs pieсe оf writing completely concernіng the differenсe of moѕt гecent and previous tеchnolοgies,
it's remarkable article.

Here is my webpage vistaprint coupons 50 off free shipping

Anonymous said...

Hello there I am so happу ӏ found yοur webpage, I really fοund you by аccіdеnt,
ωhile I was reseагching on Aѕκјeeve for
ѕοmething else, Anуωayѕ Ι аm here noω and would just like to saу
cheеrs for а marvеlous post аnd a аll round eхcitіng blog (I also
lоνe the themе/design), I don't have time to look over it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the great work.

Also visit my blog ... raspberry ketone reviews amazon

Anonymous said...

Everything is very open with a clear clarification
of the issues. It was definitely informative.
Your website is very helpful. Many thanks for
sharing!

Here is my website teeth whitening products

Anonymous said...

Good day very cool web site!! Man .. Excellent .. Superb .
. I'll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also? I am satisfied to seek out so many helpful information here within the publish, we need work out extra strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .

Look at my web site ... Recording dvd

Anonymous said...

Excellent post. I used to be checking continuously this weblog and I
am impressed! Very useful information specially the remaining phase :) I handle such info much.
I was seeking this certain info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.


Also visit my web page :: hard drive video recorders

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I found your site via Google even as searching for
a similar topic, your site got here up, it seems good. I've bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hello there, simply become alert to your blog through Google, and found that it's truly
informative. I am gonna be careful for brussels. I'll be grateful should you proceed this in future. Many people will be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!

Also visit my web site :: video watching

Anonymous said...

Hi there! I understand this is sort of off-topic however I needed to ask.
Does managing a well-established website like yours require a lot of
work? I am brand new to writing a blog however I do
write in my diary everyday. I'd like to start a blog so I can share my experience and feelings online. Please let me know if you have any kind of recommendations or tips for new aspiring blog owners. Thankyou!

My site - buy youtube video views

Anonymous said...

Wonderful goods from you, man. I have consider your stuff prior to and you're simply extremely excellent. I actually like what you have acquired here, really like what you're
stating and the best way in which you assert it.
You make it entertaining and you continue to take care
of to stay it smart. I cant wait to read far more from you.
That is really a great web site.

Feel free to visit my site - teeth whiteing for a wedding

Anonymous said...

I always spent my half an hour to read this webpage's posts everyday along with a cup of coffee.

my weblog: fasting to lose weight

Anonymous said...

But it is essential that you as customer do not get as well confident with your choice
to go for each one of these easy options before you decide to know very well what the service does indeed.
Consumers are not responsible to foot the bill for the identity thieves' purchases when it's a matter of a stolen credit card or debit card number.
And when identity theft occurs, the victim is often unaware.



My web page :: credit monitoring