Start With the Basics: Simple Ways to Use a Paintbrush
Feb 27, 2018
Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. When you read you begin with ‘A, B, C’, when you sing you begin with ‘Do, Re, Mi’… when you paint you begin with, ‘What the heck do I do with this brush?’ Not to worry, painting is something that anyone can do, it’s just a matter of knowing how.
Painting is inclusive. Age doesn’t matter; artist Aelita Andre went professional at 9 months old. Physical ability isn’t even a deal breaker when it comes to visual art; Mariam Paré relearned how to paint using only her mouth after being hit by a stray bullet and becoming a quadriplegic in 1997. Everyone can paint, and it could even be argued that painting is simply an expression of one’s state of mind.
Whether you are a seasoned artist or a total newbie to the brush, it’s good to start with the basics. Use simple brushstrokes to create an abstract, therapeutic painting that focuses on the process rather than the finished result. Or use those same types of brushstrokes to finish a realistic masterpiece. The end result is irrelevant, perhaps just the icing on the cake. The real treat is getting started and seeing where it leads.
Watch Brushstrokes 101 below to get a grip on how to hold and use both flat and round brushes. Then grab your paints and brushes and have a go!
