Basic Brush Stroke Techniques
PRACTICE PAGE I
Practice pages in this tutorial will include these brushes.
No. 4 Liner--for fine work and detailing
No. 10 Square Shader--fill in, shading
No: 8 Round for everything!
It is suggested that you get a 9 x 12" sketchbook to put additional practice work into for future reference, especially for your color work.
Thin your black opaque stain slightly so that it will flow freely from your brush. Load your number 4 liner fully, rolling it in the paint. As you lift it the last time, roll it between your fingers slightly. This makes a beautiful point on it.

	Hold your brush perpendicular to the page with the brush pointing down toward the starting point. Lower brush and draw it towards you--raise it again, all in the perpendicular position. The farther you lower your brush the wider your stroke will be. Always draw your brush stroke towards yourself for more control. You may use your little fingertip for a "leg" for your hand to stand on. Thus you can get a steadier line. I would suggest that you do some practice strokes on newsprint or other paper before you do the strokes in the book. Do the first two rows on page one in this fashion. Rows 3 and 4. To make even more pointed ends on this stroke swing the brush from top to bottom in an arc--only touching the paper at the middle to the stroke. Hand is held still and brush pivots. I would interject here that practicing again later is what makes this become a part of you. Don't shy away from using your new strokes because you "aren't too good at it yet." You'll never get any better unless you use them. Do a few practice strokes on a paper first and get busy and put them on a piece. Finish off the page with similar strokes.
	Lesson II By raising and lowering your brush--in the perpendicular position you can make all the strokes shown on this page. Use your little finger to steady your hand and brush.
	Lesson III Using a sponge loaded lightly with appropriate colors, sponge in colors on the fruit. Then load your black liner and add the details in flowing strokes. DO NOT OUTLINE COMPLETELY. Use pressure strokes.
	Lesson IV Blending brushes Using the tip of the liner, practice making these detail sprays and leaves. The leaves may be made with a brush print or an arc stroke. Dots are made three or five (an uneven number) without reloading you will be able to get the graduated size toward the tip end of the stem.
Back to Top	Practice Lesson V Using the No. 10 square shader, load it fully with the thinned opaque stain. As you lift your brush, hold it even with the tile to make a nice flat edge. Do the first vertical row, holding the brush perpendicular, lowering it onto the paper, draw toward yourself then lift. Practice on newsprint first if you wish. The short strokes are made in the same manner. Turn your book, do those along the tip of the page, drawing your brush towards yourself. These patterns may be combined in many ways to make brick work or basket leaves and plaids. The next control stroke is the "C" stroke. Hold the brush as in the first vertical strokes. Lower it at the tip of the first "C". Move the brush sideways to the left, down, to the right, lift. Do not pivot the brush in your fingers. Use it fiat side to the paper all the time. Practice forward "C's" and backward "C's". Join the two "C's'' making an "S". Make it taller with not so much swing--more like a banner. Make the "S" stroke broken, so it is really two "C's" not connected. These may all be practiced in your sketch book to gain more control.
	Practice Lesson VI Square shader should be loaded fully. Hold the brush so the fiat side is perpendicular to your body. Lower the brush and pivot it in your fingers so that the outer edge marks a "C" on the page, but the inner edge has remained stationary. Practice the second row, turning the opposite direction. Then try the complete circles. Practice, practice, practice! A word here about loading your brush for this stroke especially, and also for the "C" and "S" strokes. You may load the shader completely with color--say medium green--then dip the outer corner into a darker green or black. Then your figure will be outlined with a darker color, or shaded by the paint mixing in your brush as you use it. Or you may load your clean brush only on one side drawing the color down on your tile and working it in until it is fully loaded on one side and the color extends only about half way across your brush. Then make your strokes and you have a beautiful shaded effect.
	Practice Lesson VII By loading your shader and shaping it with a nice fiat edge as you lift it you can draw it sideways, or toward yourself, if you turn it, to make nice slender stems. To make small leaves with the shader, place the brush down, draw it diagonally a short way and lift. The corners of the brush have made the leaf tips. To make the zigzag designs, you have a combination of draw toward you, move sideways, lift--or continue on down the stair steps. For the circular design, load the brush from one corner only (as described earlier). Draw the design with the · dark corner and the brush will do the rest. You can also print numerals, letters, tree branches and twigs with your shader if you shape it fiat as you lift it from the paint.
Back to Top	Practice Lesson VIII This is the final lesson Print the tree stems and branches of the trees with a down-up movement and move on. The ground on the first tree has the shader moving down toward you in short strokes. The second tree finds the square shader moving to the side. Load the silk sponge with a medium green. Sponge in the leaves in the areas between the branches and over the top of some of the branches. Leave it lacy. Load the brush lightly with darker green and touch the lower edges of the branches for the shaded effect. Double load your brush with two greens or green paint and black paint. Practice leaves as shown, making the outer edge the darker shade. The leaf vein may be made with a sideways stroke of the shader and the tiny veins may be shader prints. You may choose to add them with your liner brush later. The chain or basket twist is made with a backward "S" stroke, overlapping half way each time. Practice this in your sketchbook. Sponge the area of the flower on a yellow or red. Make the green leaf prints with the diagonal stroke of the shader, stem with a sideways stroke. Add detail with the liner with deep brown or black.

Thanks to Craftown.com