From what and how can you make a brush for painting? Artistic brushes. Making brushes for painting

How and with what can you draw?

Greetings to all blog readers!

Let's imagine that your child really wants to draw, but the brush has gone somewhere and you can't find it. In this case, you will have to use improvised materials. I hope this article will help to avoid difficulties with the choice of props for young artists. For clarity, my daughter and I made a picture for you using several drawing methods.

Option 1. Draw with a candle. It is not necessary to take a whole candle, you can cut off a small piece (if the candle is in glaze or paint, it needs to be cleaned).

With the wax part, mark the contours of the object or paint over it completely. Paint over the wax and enjoy the magical patterns that the wax reveals.

The darker the paint, the more contrast your drawing will turn out. For application, we took a roller, but the most ordinary brush, a cotton swab, and a sponge will do...

Option 2. Draw with a sponge. Apply a pattern to a slightly damp or completely dry sponge.

turn the sponge over and print your design. This method is perfect for "copying" the desired elements. The contours can be circled with a pencil or the same paint to make the picture clearer.

A sponge can be perfectly replaced by a potato cut in half or an apple.

Option 3. Draw with cotton swabs. In addition to the fact that they can completely replace the brush, there is another great way to draw - with dots. This option is perfect for both kids, due to its simplicity, and older children who want to diversify their drawings. Dip it in paint, put an end to it - the scheme is extremely simple, and the result is very nice.

Option 4 and 5. Draw with mom's makeup! This method is perhaps the most pleasant. Ideal, of course, for girls, but it will be no less interesting for boys. Cosmetics are not the best quality for this. Maybe even expired. The one that just got tired did not fit and will no longer be used. So far we have only painted with ink and shadows.

The mascara can be slightly moistened with water if it is too dry. Shadows, by the way, too, this will make the color more saturated and clearer, but it will be difficult to shade it.

It is convenient to apply shadows on paper directly with your fingers, although, perhaps, the child will want to use the applicator (like a mother). The effect, of course, will be different, but both methods are worth trying.

And what and how do you and your children like to draw? Share, tell us, we will be happy to try your options for ourselves

Artistic brushes are made from the hair of various animals., as well as from bristles. Brushes made from the hair of the tails of gerbils, badgers, columns, and squirrels are especially valued. Depending on the purpose, flat and round brushes are made with an elongated or shortened hairline. At present, due to the significant cost of traditional brushes for painting from the hair of the above animals, more and more often hair from other animals is used for brushes, and not only hair, but also wool. These new suppliers of raw materials for brushes include: fox, arctic fox, mink, and here hair quite suitable for brushes is a waste of fur factories and fur repair shops. Also suitable for making brushes are the wool of long-haired dogs, camels and sheep, as well as human hair. Of course, the use of certain hairs depends on what kind of work the corresponding brushes will be used for: for watercolor or oil painting, for graphic works, and so on. Thus, Chinese and Japanese ink painters prefer brushes exclusively from camel hair.

Many art lovers sometimes try to make brushes on their own, but, not knowing the technology of this specific production, they get brushes that are of little use for work.

Making brushes for painting

So for making brushes for painting in the first place is necessary prepare pig bristles or hair of appropriate animals. The following description of the brushes lists the animals from whose hair the brushes are made, as well as the characteristics of the brushes made from certain hairs. Note also that all the brushes listed below are made from processed hair from animal tails.

Gerbils. Only flat brushes with long or short hair are produced.

The hair is very soft, not elastic. It is mainly used for working with tempera, gouache and watercolor, when working with oil paints, for glazing varnish coatings, for applying a thin layer of painting, etc.

Badger. The shape of the brushes is flat and round. The brushes are somewhat stiffer than gerbil hair brushes. Used in oil painting.

Kolinsky. Round and flat brushes with long or short hair. The brushes are characterized by exceptional resilience and elasticity with satisfactory softness. They are used in all types of painting, but they are absolutely indispensable in the work of gouache and watercolor, when great elasticity is required from the brush. In oil painting, they are used when making small details, in mural painting, round brushes are used to draw long contour lines, and flat ones are used to apply thin pictorial layers. Kolinsky brushes are convenient for glazing on wet.

Squirrels. Only round brushes are produced. These brushes are distinguished by great softness and elasticity, they are mainly used in watercolor painting on paper, in painting on porcelain. Note that marten or sable brushes are considered the best watercolor brushes, while large watercolor brushes are made from coarser camel hair.

The practical use of brushes, soft or hard, flat or round, depends on the individual requirements of the master, on the technique in which he solves certain painting problems.

The group of so-called school brushes, which are usually made from the hair of a squirrel, fox, bear, column, includes brushes of nine numbers: 2; 4; 6; 8; 10; 12; 14; 16; 18 (see tables 1 and 2).

Table 1. Flat brushes for painting
brush number The width of the hair bundle at the clip, mm Hair release length, mm
Bristle Squirrels, mustelids Kolinsky, ground squirrel, gerbil, mink
dl. cf. box dl. cf. box dl. cf.
2 2 13 11 7 - - - 6 5
4 4 15 13 9 - - - 8 6
6 6 17 15 11 10 8 8 11 9
8 8 19 17 13 12 10 8 13 11
10 10 21 19 15 14 12 10 15 13
12 12 23 21 16 16 14 12 17 15
14 14 26 24 19 18 16 14 21 18
16 16 29 27 22 20 18 16 24 21
18 18 32 30 25 22 20 18 27 24
20 20 35 33 28 25 22 19 - -
22 22 38 36 31 27 24 21 - -
24 24 40 39 34 29 25 29 - -
26 26 44 42 37 31 25 25 - -
28 28 47 45 40 33 30 37 - -
30 30 49 47 42 35 32 29 - -

Table 2. Round brushes for painting
brush number Bundle diameter at the sleeve, mm Hair release length, mm
Bristle Squirrels, mustelids Kolinsky, ground squirrel, mink Badgers, gerbils
long short average
1 1 7 8 8 6 6
2 2 9 10 11 9 8
3 3 15 12 13 11 10
4 4 19 14 16 14 12
5 5 24 17 20 17 14
6 6 28 20 20 21 16
7 7 30 24 26 23 22
8 8 32 28 28 25 26
9 9 34 30 30 27 28
10 10 36 33 - - 30
11 11 38 36 - - 33
12 12 40 38 - - -
13 13 42 - - - -

Having removed unnecessary individual hairs from the bundle, it is trimmed (from the non-working side of the hair) and placed with the trimmed part down into a narrow cup with a flat bottom. From a light tapping of the bottom of the cup on the table, all the hairs of the bundle will settle and trim.

After that, the hair bundle is tied up (Fig. 1) and unnecessary hairs are combed out of it, using a fine comb with sharp teeth. The combed out bundle must be additionally tied up, after which it is degreased in gasoline. The beam is kept in a jar of gasoline for at least 2-3 days (the jar must be tightly closed). Next, the hair is washed several times in pure gasoline, and then boiled in a 10% solution of potassium alum, which is a tanning agent. (As a result of this treatment, the hair becomes non-hygroscopic.)


A bundle of dried hair is wrapped in a newspaper (in one layer), tied up and hardened, keeping it at a temperature of 140...150°C, usually for 50...60 minutes. In general, the time of hardening hair depends on their type. Thus, the hair of a dog is heated for 1.5 hours. In this case, thin hair requires a higher tempering temperature.

To determine the heating temperature, the following simple method is usually used. If the paper placed in the oven (oven) turns slightly yellow, this means that the temperature is below 150 ° C and it is insufficient for hardening. When the paper turns a light ocher color, it can be considered that the temperature is close to 150 ° C, that is, the temperature necessary for tempering the hair has been reached. Charring of the paper indicates too high a temperature, which is clearly above 150°C. Please note that this temperature is unsuitable for heat treatment of hair, as overheating makes the hair brittle.

Having adjusted the temperature in the furnace, proceed to hardening. It is best to put a bundle of hair in the oven on a metal mesh or hang it so that the hair is evenly heated with hot air.

After warming up the hair, they are combed again and short or unusable hairs are removed from the beam using a razor. To do this, the bundle is placed on the palm (with the cut off part to the palm) and, holding it with your fingers, cut off unnecessary hairs with a razor. Then the bundle is moved apart and unwanted hairs are also removed from the middle, taking them out with tweezers. The hair bundle treated in this way is again wrapped in a newspaper, tied up and re-hardened using the same modes.

To determine the quality of hardening, the hair is moistened with water. If the hair is not heated enough, curls form on part of the hairs. Then the bundle is moistened with water and the hair is calcined again. The quality of hair hardening can also be judged by their color. So, with sufficient hardening, white hair acquires a yellowish tint. Using this property, several control white hairs are put into a bundle of dark-colored hair when heated, the yellowing of which will be a sign of a sufficient degree of hardening of all hairs in the bundle.

Brushes can already be knitted from the hair that has been hardened. Depending on the number (see tables 1 and 2), a certain amount of hair is taken from the bundle, lowered into a pre-prepared mold with a conical bottom, made of tin or plastic. It is clear that such molds should be sized depending on the corresponding numbers of brushes. So, putting the right amount of hair into the mold, tapping on the mold, the hair bundle is shaped into a blank for the brush (Fig. 2). Then the bundle is taken out, tied up, excess hair is cut off, the non-working side of the bundle is varnished and the blank is inserted into a metal capsule (clip). Such capsules are seamless or formed from a thin metal strip, the edges of which are overlapped (with soldering of the connection). Capsules are usually made of tinplate or brass, their dimensions depend on the number of the brush.

The handles of the brushes are carved from birch, pine, beech or alder wood, then sanded, varnished or painted in various solid colors. The bundle inserted into the capsule is poured from the open (wide) end of the capsule with waterproof varnish or synthetic glue so that the glue (lacquer) reaches the end of the hair bundle in the capsule. After drying, the capsule with a hair (bristle) bundle is connected to a wooden handle, on which the capsule for strength is additionally crimped. The handle of the finished brush is varnished. The length of the hair released from the capsule depends on its elasticity. I note that the correct release of the hair is important, since too long hair will make the brush disheveled, and not enough hair will pick up little paint. The finished brush is moistened with water, combed until the hair of the brush becomes even.

Natural vegetable dyes

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All children love to draw. But sometimes the child does not turn out the way he wants. Or maybe he doesn’t have enough familiar ways to express himself? Then you can inspire him to experiment with different techniques, among which there is sure to be a favorite. After that, your child will probably want to invent something new.

website collected the most interesting techniques for you.

Patterns from dots

First, draw the simplest squiggle. Then, using a cotton swab and paints (gouache or acrylic), we make intricate patterns, as the soul lies. Paints are best pre-mixed and slightly diluted with water on the palette.

Frottage

Since childhood, a technique familiar and loved by many. We put an object with a slightly protruding relief under a sheet of paper and paint over it with pastel, chalk or an unsharpened pencil.

Foam prints

Having dipped a sponge in thick gouache, a child can draw landscapes, bouquets of flowers, lilac branches or animals.

Blotography

One option: drip paint on a sheet and tilt it in different directions to get some kind of image. Second: the child dips the brush into the paint, then places the inkblot on a sheet of paper and folds the sheet in half so that the inkblot is printed on the second half of the sheet. Then he unfolds the sheet and tries to understand who or what the drawing looks like.

Hand and foot prints

It's simple: you need to dip your foot or palm in paint and make an imprint on paper. And then use your imagination and finish drawing a couple of details.

Paint Patterns

For such an application, you need to apply a thick layer of paint on paper. Then, with the back end of the brush on the still wet paint, scratch patterns - a variety of lines and curls. When dry, cut out the desired shapes and stick on a thick sheet.

Fingerprints

The name speaks for itself. It is necessary to paint the finger with a thin layer and make an imprint. A couple of strokes with a felt-tip pen - and you're done!

Monotype

A drawing is applied to a flat smooth surface (for example, glass). Then a sheet of paper is applied, and the print is ready. To make it more blurry, a sheet of paper must first be wetted. When everything is dry, you can add details and outlines if desired.

Grattage

The highlight of the work is that the drawing needs to be scratched. A sheet of cardboard is tightly shaded with spots of multi-colored oil pastels. Then black gouache must be mixed on a palette with soap and painted over the entire sketch. When the paint is completely dry, scratch the pattern with a toothpick.

air paints

To prepare the dye, you need to mix a tablespoon of "self-rising" flour, a few drops of food coloring and a tablespoon of salt. Add a little water to the consistency of thick sour cream and mix well. The paint can be placed in a confectionery syringe or in a small bag. Tie tightly and cut corner. We draw on paper or ordinary cardboard. We place the finished drawing for 10-30 seconds in the microwave at maximum mode.

"Marble" paper

We paint over a sheet of paper with yellow acrylic paint. When it is completely dry, paint over again with diluted pink paint and immediately cover with cling film. The film needs to be crumpled and gathered into folds, since it is they who will create the desired pattern for us. We wait for complete drying and remove the film.

water painting

Draw a simple shape in watercolor and fill it with water. Until it dries, we put colored blots on it so that they mix with each other and form such smooth transitions.

Prints of vegetables and fruits

Vegetable or fruit should be cut in half. Then you can cut some kind of pattern on it or leave it as it is. We dip into the paint and make prints on paper. For prints, you can use an apple, potato, carrot or celery.

Leaf prints

The principle is the same. We smear the leaves with paint and make prints on paper.

Drawings with salt

Sprinkling salt on a still-wet watercolor painting will soak into the paint and dry to create a grainy effect.

Even the smallest nail brushes I can find are often too big for me. I know you can order quite small brushes online, but I don't like ordering online and waiting for everything to arrive, it literally pisses me off. I once ordered a sable brush from Sally Hansen's online store, drew one stripe with it and dipped it in acetone to clean it, as I usually do with all brushes, and when I took the brush out of acetone, I found that all the pile was gone - I'm not kidding . Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. I think another reason why I don't like to order online is that the mail is not delivered directly to the house, but you have to pick up packages from the post office .. but that's another story.

In any case, I'm more inclined to look into the art departments of large stores or specialty art stores that come my way for brushes available. Usually there come across brushes for one or two dollars. So, if you can't find a brush that's small enough for nail art, you can pretty easily make your own. All you need is nail scissors or, which I prefer, cuticle nippers.

Having bought a cheap brush, I simply take my tongs and go around the base of the handle, cutting off small sections of the pile, gradually moving towards the middle of it. I try to keep the cut edge more or less the same width so that when I get to the desired thinness of the brush, the remaining hair will be in the middle of it, and not shifted to the side.

Continue trimming small sections of hair evenly around the entire circumference of the brush until you feel it is thin enough for you.

Below is a photo of some of my brushes, you can see how thin some of them are. You will also notice that among the five photographed brushes, I have two similar brushes with black handles. The only difference is that I cut the pile more thinly on one of the brushes.

In general, when I find a good cheap brush, I usually buy a few of them to make several nail art brushes of different sizes and have spare brushes in case one gets worn out, or I end up ruining it or losing it. .

The old masters made their own paints and brushes. The technology of making brushes is not complicated, but responsible and requires delicacy. This is an unusual case, so few people know the secrets of this craft. However, you can make brushes even at home. So, what is the technology for making art brushes?

1. Preparation of hair or bristles.

In the hairline of animals there is down and straight hair, which is thicker than downy and tougher. I wrote about what kind of hair and what animals make classic brushes for painting. Harvesting hair, you need to sort it by length. The hair bundle should consist of hair of approximately the same length. The ends of the hair should never be trimmed. Why is this important I wrote.

2. Formation of the basis of the future brush.

Further, the hairs in the hair bundle are aligned in some small cylindrical vessel. The bottom of such a vessel should be flat. The hair falls with its trimmed part to the bottom of the cylinder. Now, it must be trimmed by gently tapping the bottom of the cylinder on the table. The hair will settle down and straighten out. After that, they are tied into a bun and combed with a fine-toothed comb to remove unwanted hairs.

3. Degreasing and tanning.

Degreasing is done by soaking the hair bundle in gasoline for 3 days. After that, it is washed with clean gasoline and dried. After that, the workpiece should be boiled in a 10% solution of potassium alum. This is called tanning. Tanning is necessary in order to make the hair non-hygroscopic, plastic and durable.

4. Hardening.

This procedure is necessary to give the hair elasticity. The hair of a brush for painting should be moderately resilient and hard, moderately elastic. For hardening, the hair of the future brush is wrapped in thin paper, for example, in newsprint and tied with a thread. Next, the hair is hardened in an oven, with hot air at a temperature of 150 degrees. This is done for about an hour. Time and temperature are not the same for different types of hair and depend on their variety. The temperature can be determined by the color of the paper: if it becomes slightly yellowish, then the temperature is insufficient. If it turns brown, then the temperature is over 150 degrees. In this case, the hair will become brittle, so you should not exceed the temperature. After the initial hardening, the hair is combed to remove unwanted hairs and the hardening is repeated. The quality of hardening is checked by wetting the future brush in water. If the hairs on the surface of the bundle curl, then the hardening is insufficient.

5. Knit brush.

After all the procedures, the hair bundle is untied and placed in a cone of the appropriate size with the ends of the hair down. Next, tapping the cone on the table, you need to straighten the hair. The hair bundle should take on a conical shape (if the brush is to be round or elliptical). After giving the desired shape, short and unnecessary hairs are combed out of the hair. Then the hair bundle is finally tied with a thread. The bandaged area is impregnated with glue.

6. Fixing the hair in the capsule.

The capsule is the metal part of the hand that looks like a conical tube. The hair bundle is placed in the capsule from its wide side, after which the hair inside the capsule is filled with glue. (By the way, capsules can be used from old and damaged brushes, having previously cleaned it of glue and hair.) The length of the hair of the future brush must be adjusted depending on its purpose. Hair that is too long makes the brush soft and unable to hold its shape well, but flexible and holds a lot of paint. Short hair, on the contrary, will make your brush stiff and unyielding.

7. Fixing the capsule on the handle.

Finally, the capsule is put on a wooden handle. Previously, glue is instilled into the capsule. After that, the capsule is pressed on a wooden handle. The brush handle can be tinted, painted and varnished.

If everything is done correctly, then the brush will turn out no worse than the factory one. Therefore, I wish you success in this rare craft!