Dear group,
A few years ago I tried an old trick I learned somewhere else: clipping the tip of my brushes.
Yes, simply cutting off the tips of my brushes. No, not cutting the whole tip off, but cutting off only a few protruding
hairs at the tip of a brush. This drawing should explain it all :
I always wondered why my small brushes painted the same fat lines as the larger brushes. When painting with
acryllics you soon find out how fast the paint dries... When a small amount of paint ends up on the very
tip of the brush, where only a few hairs can be found, an obstruction is created and precision and fine detailing
goes out the window.
When I take a larger brush, like a number 1 and clip the tip, I can draw very fine details. A larger brush holds
more paint, therefor the larger quantity dries more slowly, allowing the tip to stay wet. And since the tip is
perfectly flat and even, more control can been obtained. Mind you, the newly created tip is still only a few hairs
wider than it was earlier, only with more benefits. The principle is like that of a calligraphy pen. See drawing.
This clipping is for pointed brushes only, from No. 0000 to No. 2. It won't matter cutting larger brushes, since
they are rarely used for fine and delicate painting anyway, but it DOES work, should you want to try it.
Warning: be VERY careful in clipping your brushes !! Cut off only the very tip, the few protruding hairs.
Try it, and let me know if it works for you.
In case you have doubts about this trick, let me assure you I showed this trick to many modelers, with success.
I promised, that if it didn't work, I would buy them a new brush, and not the cheap stuff ! I never bought any one
of them a new brush ! ;-)
________
Erik.
