No attempt was made to smooth it out вЂ“ the natural running and bleeding are what give it character.ДЄfter a couple of weeks practice with these exercises, you will find your control and confidence will increase noticeably. This wash was applied to wet paper with varied mixes of pigment. These washes can be done carefully with a bristle brush or, for a safer option a mop brush or a large one stroke or flat taklon. DonвЂ™t be too vigorous, the underlying paint is easily disturbed, so gently does it. To apply a graded wash to either side of a dry painting it is best to turn the painting around and work from the bottom up, diluting the wash as you progress. As a wash dries it settles and evens out.ДЄ graded wash is done in a similar way to a flat wash, only the mixture is gradually diluted as you progress down the wash.В A graded wash can also be applied vertically on each side of a painting, leaving a band of light toВ concentrateВ attention at the center of interest. If your wash looks a little uneven, donвЂ™t worry, and donвЂ™t be tempted to go back and fiddle once it starts to dry. DonвЂ™t be tempted to go back and fiddle with what you have done, but keep an eye on any pooling of moisture along the bottom edge of the wash and soak it up with the tip of a damp brush. Repeat this process until the required area is covered. Make sure the paper is completely covered. While this band of paint is still wet, reload your brush with more of your mixture and run another band across, just connecting with the bead formed at the bottom of the previous band. On a gently sloping board, start at the top with a strip of your mixed color from one side of the paper to the other. Before applying the mixture completely wet the paper with clean water. To apply a wash first mix some paint and water to the required strength. Once you have made the splash, rinse and dry off the brush then adjust the intensity of the spots by carefully blotting some of them up.Д®ach successive stroke picks up the bead of the stroke above. Avoid banging it on another brush or your hand, down and stop is the best method. Any back flip will cause uncontrolled splashes to go everywhere. Bring the brush down and stop it abruptly without flicking. It sounds like a simple operation but can become very messy with an untrained brush. To get loose, random marks into a painting it is hard to beat splashing the paint on with a brush. Your flat brushes will have no trouble learning this trick.Д«rush Techniques for Accurate Splashes вЂ‹ вЂ‹ You will find you can leave a trail of broken, fractured paint that is just perfect for the texture of weathered timber, stippled tree trunks or the shimmery effect of light bouncing off water. Once you find this spot subtly lifting and lowering the brush controls how much paint is released. With the handle almost parallel to the paper the brush starts to make interesting, fractured marks. If the brush tends to slip off a small piece of blue tak or masking tape around the end of the brush will stop it. Resting the end of the handle on your finger is the best method. DonвЂ™t put any downward pressure on the brush. You may have to turn your painting around to do this. Load it with paint, lay the bristles on the paper at the start of the line and drag it steadily towards you. The secret to this brush technique is to let the brush do the work. Use the back of an old painting or a sheet of cartridge paper вЂ“ as long as itвЂ™s flat with no creases or bumps, the paper quality doesnвЂ™t matter.ДЄnother trick you can teach a rigger brush is to make a nice straight line by dragging.

This stops the up and down movement of the bristles and keeps the line even. вЂ‹ TIP You can keep your little finger on the paper as a guide while you make the line. Make the brush stroke with a big sweeping movement from the shoulderДonвЂ™t move your wrist and donвЂ™t flick your brush off at the end of the stroke вЂ“ you will teach it bad habits!

From left to right if you are right handed (right to left if left handed)Дecide where the line will start and finish.В Put the tip of your brush down on the starting point, move quickly and smoothly to the finish point, stop, then lift your brush off. Stand so you make the stroke across in front of you. Hold your brush perpendicular to the paper So practice this exercise to train your rigger brush to make nice straight confident lines. Clean, fine, confident lines can mean the difference between success and failure. This is where a well trained rigger brush can make all the difference. Use your little finger as a guide for straight, confident lines.

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