Paint Brush Techniques
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Using the paint brush, dip it into the paint about 1 inch or so. If doing woodwork, paint the same direction of the grain. |
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After you have applied paint to the surface, go back and brush out the area. Smooth the paint with the brush. |
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Many people instinctively grab a paintbrush with a hand-shake grip.
A better grip is more like a pencil grip with the fingers and thumb wrapped around or near the metal ferrule. This grip allows the hand and wrist a full range of motion, providing greater precision. If you hand cramps, switch hands or switch temporarily to the handshake grip.
1. Laying on the paint. Dip the brush about 1 inch or so into the paint. Don't cover more than the bottom one-third of the bristles. As you remove the brush from the bucket, tap the brush lightly against the side to remove excess paint. Do not drag the brush across the top of the paint can or bucket. This will remove to much paint and create a huge mess. Pulling the brush out of the bucket and across the work surface lays on the paint. The laying-on strokes do no have to be neat. Simple wipe the paint onto the work surface in two strokes, one from one side of the brush, and one from the other side.
2. Brushing out the paint. Brush out the paint using long even parallel strokes. use enough pressure to bend the bristles just a little. As you paint, keep a "wet edge." This means painting from a dry area into the previously painted, still-wet area.
3. Tipping off the paint. Finish off the leading edge of the paint by tipping off, that is, gradually pulling the bristles off the surface. (Think of an airplane leaving the runway and imitate that motion)
