Paintbrush Techniques

Copy of Paint Design on your Rock Seal the Rock Hide in the Community (11)

Using paintbrushes to paint rocks… wrong or right? Let us fill you in on a little secret – There is NO RIGHT. You do YOU, and whatever resonates with you or makes you happy when creating – Then you do that. Some prefer brushes. some do not … or some of us use both Paint Brushes and Paint Pens !

SUPPLIES
– Good Quality Craft Paint
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USA & other countries
– Paint brush fine details –
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USA & other countries
– Filbert Brushes –
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USA & other countries
– Flat & Round brushes
– Water

Lets chat Paint Brushes on rocks

Before you get started painting what are you using as your water jar? The reason I ask is so many people are just dumping their brushes in a jar of water.

Do you know what that does? Yep makes the hairs on the brush get bent and ruin your brush.
This pool noodle on a water dish is the best of both worlds – keeps the your brushes in the water but stops them from touching the bottom.

You want to achieve a nice even layer on your rock when you are creating a background. There is a trick to achieve that (if you have good quality paint and the correct brushes)
Most people want the end result first, they go thick fast and it ends up as a hot mess. Do not be scared by the first layer – it looks awful.

On the first layer it may look too thin or a wee bit streaky on rocks. That’s ok, paint the thin layer and let it dry . Depending on the rock it will have different levels of being porous. So some of that layer is absorbing in to the rock. It will come good on the next layer – Be patient, you will get the best result that way.

The trick is LAYERS, you want to build up light even layers. When you paint a light layer with acrylic paint it dries in minutes, ready for the next layer.
Here is a link to our Paints page so you can understand more about paint.
Do you understand your brushes? CLICK HERE to go to our paintbrush page

It is really important to use appropriate brushes for the task at hand. This Mini Detail Brush Set is great for rocks –Thick easy-grip handles –Taklon brushes. Brushes included are; Shader-Angled Spot detailer – Liner – Round – Spotter. Grab this paintbrush pack for shading and fine lines for your rocks.
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If you had to choose just one brush to paint with , what would it be ? We recommend the FILBERT BRUSH. It can be used for straight edging and creating stripes. Not having a sharp point it is great for foliage and is an awesome brush for shading and faces. You could also use this style of brush for varnishing.
Click here – Australia
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Before using a paint brush pre-wet it with water if acrylic paint is being used. The excess liquid should then be removed, leaving the brush damp but not wet. This step will help the paint transfer better to the surface, and make it easier to apply.

A heavy layer of thick paint will almost guarantee ridges in your painting. Use only enough paint to cover the area you are painting.

If you get a little too much on there, wipe it off . Do not be worried about taking paint away from your rock.

A bare brush brushed on wet paint leaves streaks as does a brush that isn’t fully loaded with paint. Before you paint on the rock. Bush the paint loaded brush back and forth on your palette to make sure it is fully loaded, it is now ready to paint your rock .

Here is a link to our Paints page so you can understand more about paint.

Do you understand your brushes? CLICK HERE to learn more about paintbrushes.

Enjoy this quick video using some of the suggestions we outlined above.

Feel free to come and chat with us on our Facebook page HERE
Remember choosing to decorate your rock with a paintbrush or a paint pen is your personal choice and its never ok to tell another person that their choice is wrong, You do YOU because you are amazing.