Basic Brushwork http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/abarothsworld/Tricks/basic%20brushwork.

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Basic Brushwork
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Brushes (Click thumbnails for larger images)

1. Sable & 2. Hogshair / 3.

soft Bristle Household
synthetic brushes paint
brushes These are brushes
These the perfect These can
brushes are brushes for be useful
best used undercoating for
for detailing and covering
or adding drybrushing large
washes and building areas,
tints to models. although
terrain Notice the the bigger
models. The two flat the brush,
third one brushes on the more
has been the left have paint you
used for been "eaten will waste.
drybrushing, away" by
which has repeated use
made all the for
bristles drybrushing.
splay out.

Paints (Click thumbnails for larger images)

1. Household 2. Craft 3. Inks

emulsion acrylics Inks are
(latex) paint This type ideal for
This paint is of paint is making
cheap and perfect for smooth,
readily painting translucent
available. It is miniatures, washes for
ideal for use although it shading or
as an will be an tinting
undercoat and expensive areas of a
drybrushing option for model.
on plaster and painting
foam models. terrain
The more models.
expensive For this
paints tend to reason,
contain more acrylics are
pigment, so best used

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will provide for adding

better details,
coverage. shading
washes
and tints
to a model.

4. Spray paint 5. Klear 6. Soft

Whilst spray (Future) Pastels /
paint may be Floor Weathering
used to Polish powders
undercoat This Weathering
plaster, it may product is powders
take several known to are dry
coats to many pigments
adequately miniature which may
cover, due to painters. be applied
the porosity of The to a model
the plaster. addition of with a
This makes it a small brush. Soft
an expensive amount to artists
option, acrylic pastels
although it is paints will (not oil
fast. Do not improve pastels)
use spray the flow of can be
paints on foam the paint scraped
materials and slow with a
without down the knife, and
testing first - setting the
most sprays time. It resulting
will dissolve can also be powder
the foam. used to used in the
ALWAYS make same way.
spray in a washes They are
well-ventilated with inks mainly
place, or acrylics. used to add
preferably dirt, dust,
outside on a soot and
calm day. similar
effects to a
model.

Undercoating (Click thumbnails for larger images)

1. This wall 2. Once 3. Spray paint

section was the can be very
undercoated base useful to
using a No. 6 coat is undercoat
flat bristle dry, go smooth blocks
brush and back because it will
emulsion and not leave any
paint cover brush marks.
straight from any
the tin. This areas ALWAYS
usually which spray in a
leaves a few you well-ventilated
areas missed.

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without any You can place,

paint, thin the preferably
especially in paint outside on a
the joints with calm day.
and cracks water
(magnified in now,
picture). It is which
difficult to will help
spot these it to be
areas until drawn
the paint has down
dried. into the
Always allow cracks.
one side of Again, it
the model to is best
dry to do
thoroughly, one side
before first,
undercoating and
the other, allow
since the the
moisture in paint to
the paint will dry
soften PVA before
adhesives. painting
the
other.

Drybrushing (Click thumbnails for larger images)

1. Select or 2. Apply the 3. Next,

mix a paint paint to the select or
colour a little model. mix
lighter than Begin with another
the base coat very light paint
you have pressure on colour,
applied. Dip the brush, this time
about half of and drag a little
a No.5 flat the bristles lighter
bristle brush across the still. Wipe
into this surface, even
mixture, and keeping the more of
wipe any brush at a the paint
excess paint shallow off onto
from both angle to the the
sides back model. As kitchen
into the more paint towel
container. is removed before
Now wipe off from the applying
even more brush, any to the
paint onto a gradually model.
sheet of increase the
kitchen pressure.
towel, until Make brush
the paint strokes in
only marks all
the raised directions,

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areas of the and

paper. continue
until the
whole area
is covered.

4. This layer 5. Although 6. This

of paint I was happy image is a
should only with the composite
highlight the piece, I of the
highest deliberately other
raised areas added an three
of texture. even lighter pictures,
Keep the layer of showing
brush paint. There the effects
pressure very is now too of the
light and much different
make strokes contrast stages.
in all between
directions. the light
The effect of and shaded
each areas for
individual stone, but
brush-stroke all is not
should be lost -
almost applying a
unnoticeable. wash will
dull the
bright
highlights...

NOTE: Drybrushing will ruin brushes - don't use your best sable brushes unless you have
money to burn. I prefer to use cheap flat hog bristle brushes for this purpose.

Washes (Click thumbnails for larger images)

1. Having 2. This 3. This piece

been piece was was washed
undercoated given a with a
in white, this wash of mixture of 6
piece has acrylic drops water
been base paint / one drop
coated using thinned black acrylic
burnt sienna with paint / one
acrylic paint. water. drop Klear
The other Whilst this floor polish.
pieces were has The polish
given the darkened reduces the
same base the surface
colour grooves, it tension of
before the has also the mixture,
washes were stained allowing it
applied. the top to run into
surface the grooves
quite a much more
lot. freely and

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producing
less surface
staining.

4. This piece 5. This 6. Picture

was given a final piece showing all
wash of was four washes
black ink washed together for
thinned with with a easy
water. The mixture of comparison.
effect is 6 drops The top two
smoother water / pieces are
than the one drop those which
paint black ink / were
washes, but one drop washed
there is still Klear floor without the
a noticeable polish. In Klear floor
level of this case, polish in the
darkening to the mixture.
the upper grooves
surface of have been
the tile. shaded
nicely,
with much
less
darkening
to top
surface.

Each of these recipes for applying washes produces a slightly different effect. It is a matter of
choice as to which particular mixture will provide the best results for the specific area to be
painted. Effects will vary dependent on the brand of paint or ink which is used, and it is
recommended that the reader experiments with his own materials. This will give a much better
idea as to what results can be expected for a given wash mixture.

Stippling (Click thumbnails for larger images)

Materials 1. Spread 2. Repeat

Old brush a small the same
with splayed amount of technique
bristles paint using a
Household thinly on different
emulsion or your colour to
acrylic paint palette. build up the
Gently jab textured
the dry tip effect. This
of the method is
tatty brush the basis for
into the all the
paint, marble
keeping effects I
the brush have shown
vertical. on the
Now jab Painting &
the brush Patterns

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onto a page.
piece of
paper,
until you
only make
subtle
patchy
marks.
Now apply
the paint
to the
desired
areas of
the model.

Different stippling patterns can be made using other materials to apply the paint - natural
sponges, pan scourers, wire wool etc. Don't be afraid to try different things on a sheet of card,
and please let me know if you come up with anything interesting.

Tinting (Click thumbnails for larger images)

Materials 1. This is 2. Mix up a

Soft brushes the thin wash of
Inks or starting chestnut ink
Acrylic paint point for as described
Klear tinting the above.
(Future) fleur- Using a fine
floor polish de-lys tile. detailing
It is the brush, apply
same tile I this to the
stippled areas you
above, wish to tint.
with a This should
water / add colour
black ink / to the piece
Klear without
wash obscuring
applied to all the
shade the underlying
grooves. I texture.
then
stippled a
little white
over the
top of
some of
the
surface
staining
which
resulted.

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3. This floor 4. This

was floor was
drybrushed first
using shades stippled
of grey with
paint. This is shades of
shown in the grey, then
upper left washed
part of the with black
picture. A to shade
wash the
mixture was grooves.
made with Thin
black and washes of
blue ink, and chestnut
this was and green
painted over ink were
the whole then
piece. The applied to
resulting make the
colour pattern.
(bottom Some
right) is a areas had
much more more of
pleasing the wash
slate colour. applied
resulting
in the
different
shades of
green and
brown.

Contact me with suggestions, comments or questions.

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