1 inch Flat or 3/4 inch Flat Brush

You need a big brush! This is what we use to lay on the background. Using anything smaller makes it extremely time consuming.

For Some reason it’s really hard to find just a single 1 inch Flat Brush that’s not super spendy, and for some reason the 1-inch Flat is rarely included in the starter sets on Amazon. The Golden Taklon brushes are pretty much the best, and although I haven’t used this brush specifically, I’m impressed with the reviews and the price. The other two brushes are not as important, but still nice to have!

Last I checked these were like $13 on Amazon.

This one you can buy separately, but it’s a 3/4 inch, not a 1 inch, which honestly is not that big of a difference. You’ll still get good coverage, and it’s only $4.64 on Amazon right now!

Other Flats, Filberts, and Detail Brushes

This is basically all the other brushes we use. Our favorites are the 1/4 inch Flat brush, the Filbert, and the detail brushes.

BOSOBO Starter Brush Set

This is exactly what we use at our paint parties. Of course we buy in bulk because we need so many. I would suggest either starting with just 1 pack, or even 2 packs. These brushes are soft but sturdy. They don’t shed bristles quite as bad as some of the other ones as will. The only thing I really dislike about these is that the coating on the handle flakes off after continued usage. I think as long as you clean your brushes immediately after use, and let them dry, they won’t flake as bad. Overall, they are a pretty good buy, and you get pretty much every brush you need.

Last I checked they were $4.99 for a single pack of 10 brushes on Amazon.

Brush Value Sets

Artlicious 25 Brush Set

I have gotten lucky with some brush value sets in the past, and unlucky with some as well. They are multi-purpose brushes, so you get a little bit of everything, including nylon brushes, bristle brushes, and camel hair brushes. You also get the 1 inch or 3/4 inch Flat, which is the main reason I started to buy these in the beginning. However, sometimes the brushes just don’t hold up. I have not used this value set specifically, I’ve used some from Michael’s though, and this seems pretty comparable, and cheaper actually. Keep in mind, we use our brushes regularly, and most of our painters are beginners, so our brushes take a beating, lol. So it’s not surprising that some of these cheaper sets start to shed bristles, get flaky handles, or loose their heads. What I’m saying is, they are still a good price and most likely worth the purchase. This particular value set is currently $7.99 at Amazon.

Intermediate Paint Brushes

Royal Langnickle Soft Grip Golden Taklon Brush Set

For those of you that have been painting for awhile and would like to step it up, you still don’t have to spend a crap-ton more money!

Honestly, these brushes would probably be my favorite. I love them! They are soft, but not too soft. They’re durable, have clean lines, and a super soft cushy handle to hold onto. What’s not to like!

This is the beginner set. I has five short handle brushes, including a 3/4 inch Flat), a Size 5/0 Liner, a Size 4 Round, an Angular (3/4” width), and a Size 8 Shader. That’s seriously all you really need.

You can get this particular set at Blick for $12.57!

Professional Brush Sets

Kingart Golden Taklon Brush Set

I actually want this set. I don’t have it, but I have heard amazing things about it, and I want it. Let it be known that, I do not use expensive brushes, even when I paint for myself, or professionally. I’m a budgeter, guess that’s not a word…… oh well it is now. Point is, if you have money to burn, and you want a really nice set, these ain’t bad.

They usually run around $70 bucks on Amazon.

For more information on brush types and sizes check out our Brush Shapes post.

The post Investing in Brushes appeared first on Painting With Creative Canvas.

Materials List:

Canvas: 12 x 16, Horizontal

Paint: Cobalt Blue, Titanium White, Green Oxide, Mars Black, Deep Yellow, Burnt Sienna

Brushes: 1 in or 3/4 in Flat Brush, ½ in Flat Brush, ¼ in Flat Brush, and Detail Brush

Background:

Using the big flat brush mix a very light blue, by adding just a touch of blue to your white. Load your brush with light blue, then on each corner of the flat brush barely dip it into the green.

Once your brush is loaded start in the center of the canvas at the top with vertical strokes up and down. Take it all the way down towards the center of the canvas. As you move to the outsides of the canvas, continue adding blue and green to get darker shades of turquoise and aqua colors.

Next, rinse your big flat brush. Now mix the blue with the green to get a dark turquoise. Starting on the outsides of your canvas with your flat brush turned vertically brush up words strokes to create trees in the background. As you move towards the center, the trees should dip down, like a half circle or wide U. Continue adding little bits of white to create lighter colored trees.

Next mix a dark blue/gray color to fill in the lower part of the canvas. This will be your shadowed snow. Mix two parts blue, one part black, and a touch of white.

Now switch brushes. Using the medium flat (½ inch flat), mix black with blue to get a very dark, almost black color. Paint in your tree trunks first so you have an idea of where they’re going to be, then fill them in.

Next create more shadowed snow, with one part blue, one part white, and a touch of black. Use this to create your first layer of snow on the trees. Next add a bunch more white and a touch more blue to create your last highlight on your trees. Add this highlight to the sides of the trees that are touched by light.

Dry break!

Using the template and white transfer paper draw in your cabin.

Now, switch to the ¼ inch flat brush, paint the entire front of the cabin and under the side roof black. Also, gently paint in the line between roofs. Next, rinse your brush thoroughly, mix blue with white and a touch of black to create your shadowed snow on the roof. Fill that in. Using that dark shadows snow also start creating layers of snow in front of the cabin. 

Add burnt sienna, and deep yellow to your palette.

Using the ¼ inch Flat, mix a dark brown using burnt sienna and black. Paint in your logs on the front of your cabin. Make sure you leave a little bit of black in between each log. Now add a touch of white to your mixture and create highlights on the logs.

Rinse your brush, now mix burnt sienna with a touch of white. Paint in your window.

Next, using the small flat, create a highlighted snow, that is a touch lighter than the shadowed snow on the roof. Add highlights to your cabin roof and ground in front of the cabin, including the road. Try to leave some of the darker shadow colors on each side of the road. Add a touch more white and blue for another highlight. Next grab a lot of white for your final highlights on the roof. Rinse your brush, now using the same color you used for the window, burnt sienna with a touch of white, create highlights on the logs around your window, and on the snow under the window. Rinse your small medium flat brush thoroughly and dry on the paper towel, set aside. (will use later dry)

Next, using you detail brush, mix deep yellow with a touch of burnt sienna and a touch of white, create a warm glow in the window. It’s more like a half circle inside of the rectangle. Now using your dry brush from earlier gently brush around the edges of that half circle till it blends into the previous background. using the detail brush in that same color, add more highlights to the snow and to the logs around the window. Now rinse your detail brush, and grab straight deep yellow and add it to the inside of your half circle to create more glow. Don’t overwork your brush, keep it somewhat thick and limit your brush strokes. Also add just a touch of this highlight to the logs surrounding the window and the snow in front of the window.

 Next using your small detail brush, paint in the frame around your window with black. Now paint in your chimney. Add a touch of burnt sienna to your black and add highlights to your chimney. Rinse your brush thoroughly.

If you have any snow color left on your palette, using the detail brush add a touch of snow to the bottom of your window sill, and also add dangling ice and snow from your cabin roof. For the final step rinse your detail brush and grab straight black, create the cross inside of your window.

Oh yeah don’t forget the smoke coming out of the chimney. It’s just a light blue/gray.

Sign it!

The post Snowy Cabin Painting Tutorial appeared first on Painting With Creative Canvas.

Purple Haze – Supplies

Canvas: 11 x 14

Approx Time: 1.5 hours

Level: 2 (Easy/Moderate)

Materials

– 11x 14 Canvas
– Water for rinsing
– Paper towels
– Paper plate/palette
– White chalk

Brushes

– 1 inch Flat
– 1/2 inch Flat
– 1/4 inch Flat
– Detail Brush
– Sea Sponge

Paints

– Titanium White
– Mars Black
– Cad Yellow Med
– Bright Red
– Cobalt Blue
– Burnt Sienna

PRINT Materials List

Instructions

Step by Step- Winter Landscape Painting Tutorial

Step 1: Creating your light source.
Using your brush, dab on titanium white randomly across the sky. This will allow your yellows and pinks to blend better.

Mix a light pastel yellow using the titanium white and cad yellow medium. Brush it on in the center of your light source.

Mix a light pastel yellow using the titanium white and cad yellow medium. Brush it on in the center of your light source.

Step 2: Creating your base foliage.
Using white, blue, and red, mix a medium tone purple. Using your brush, surround the outside of your light source with this color.

Step 3: Distant foliage
Next, mix a lighter purple. Use the sea sponge to create distant foliage.

Try not to completely cover your light source, just a little bit.

Next mix a mid tone pink, using red, white, and a touch of the blue. Add this to your distant foliage.

Also create the idea of some distant pine trees.


Step 4: Creating closer foliage.
Mix the same mid tone purple we used earlier in step 2.

Using the sea sponge, create the foliage right on the edges of your base foliage from step 2.

Next mix a darker purple, by adding more blue and red. Add the shadow foliage.

Step 5: Creating the foreground snow.
Mix a mid tone, blue grey, by using white, blue, and a touch of black. Fill in the foreground snow.

Step 6: Creating distant trees.
Mix a dark blue grey, using black, blue, and a touch of white. Switch to a smaller flat or detail brush to create the tree trunks.

Using the same dark blue grey, create foliage/bushes in front of your pine trees.

Step 7: Adding the 1st layer of snow.
Next mix a light blue grey, using white, a touch of blue, and a touch of black.

Using either the 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch flat, dab on the 1st layer of snow to your pine trees.

Add a layer of snow to the bushes using your sea sponge.

Switch back to 1/2 inch flat and add the 1st layer of snow to your foreground snow.

Step 8: Adding foreground trees.
Mix a darker blue grey. A touch darker than the grey your created in step 6. Using your 1/2 inch, add a tree to each side.

Add pine bows.

Next add the same 1st layer of snow that you used in Step 7.

Step 9: Adding highlights to your tree trunks
Mix a mid tone grey with white and black, then add a touch of burnt sienna, creating a light brown.

Using your 1/2 inch flat or 1/4 inch flat, whatever you’re comfortable with, add in some light brown highlights to your tree trunks.

Don’t forget to add highlights to your distant tree trunks too.

Step 10: Adding more snow highlights
Mix another light blue grey, lighter than your 1st layer of snow. Add a touch of red to it.

Using this new highlight color, add another layer of snow to the foreground snow.

Try not to cover all of your previous highlight, just add a touch more to the edges.

Add a touch more white for another layer, this time add it to your pine trees as well, but only to one side, the side where your light source is coming from.

Step 11: Adding shadows for the trees.
Mix a mid tone blue grey, using white, black, and a little blue. It needs to be lighter than the darkest part of the tree trunks.

Add angled shadows that flow off of the canvas.
That’s it! Don’t forget to sign your name!!!

The post Winter Landscape Painting Tutorial, Purple Haze appeared first on Painting With Creative Canvas.

Frosty Morning Cabin – Supplies

Canvas: 12 x 16

Approx Time: 2 hours

Level: 2 (Easy/Moderate)

Materials

– 12 x 16 Canvas
– Water for rinsing
– Paper towels
– Paper plate/palette
– Chalk, for sketching in cabin and trees

Brushes

– 1 inch Flat
– 1/2 inch Flat
– 1/4 inch Flat
– Detail Brush

Paints

– Titanium White
– Mars Black
– Cad Yellow Med
– Bright Red
– Cobalt Blue

PRINT Materials List

Instructions

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The post Frosty Morning Cabin – Acrylic Painting Tutorial appeared first on Painting With Creative Canvas.