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Alternatives to the Brush
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Message
Posted
I am giving a demo in a few weeks time on alternatives to the brush and palette knife. I'll be doing the demo using acrylics although the medium is not important. I hope it will be a fun evening but it does have its serious side in that it can introduce folk to the ideas of colours and textures and hopefully get them to start to appreciate looser more abstact subject matter. Implements that come to mind include: wire wool, combs, forks, sandpaper, textured materials, fingers, broom bristles. I use all these regularly and wonder if anyone can add other ideas to add to my repertory?
Posted
I've used match-sticks; I've seen Alan Owen use half of a sharpened clothes-peg; then there's the wrong end of a paint brush; fingernails; razor-blades; colour-shapers - but the range of those seems to have decreased; spatulas; knuckles; bits of stiff card; oil painting knives for watercolour; credit-cards...... all sorts of things can be pressed into use.
It is clear, though, Adele that Michael has a fine head of hair - being white, it would perhaps be a mistake to use it to apply paint. It could set a trend, but I suspect he wouldn't wish to.
Posted
A screwdriver? Not really a means of applying the paint but I sometimes use a sharp screwdriver to gouge the surface—doesn't work on canvas of course. I like the way that colour applied over the gouging will tend to accumulate in the gouges, giving marks that are very different from those using more conventional means.
Posted
Robert is spot on - I've a full head of hair and want to keep it that way and as I have no wish to invade others parts of my body I think the hair option is out of the window.
there are many means of getting textures with cellophane etc but am looking for something a bit different especially when it comes to applying the paint in the first place. Having said that it is possible , as with sculpted towels etc), to put paint on the cellophane first and then applying it to the painting which can get some great effects. I do like the idea of using say toothpicks glued together into a sort of brush and will try this out _ I'll let you how I get on with it.
Thanks for all the suggestions folks.
Posted
I like to use rubber paint shapers, with acrylic and oil - saves on solvent to as you can just wipe them clean. I've use a mascara brush for pine needles. sponges are useful for some media.
I went on a watercolour course that showed how to use a straw - make a puddle of paint and blow it in different directions - it made a good tree!
Torn newspaper as a template for a ragged edge.
I've even used crushed shells for texture.
The world is your lobster!