Brush handling and mark-making

Brush Handling and Mark Making

In decorative painting, there are a few fundamental mark making techniques that are well worth practising and getting the hang of when first starting out. Follow along with me as I demonstrate what they are.

Freehand Straight and Scalloped Lines

There are a few different ways you can achieve straight and scalloped lines, and it's up to you to choose what you prefer. Try to practise these different techniques as much as you can, to get your hand used to the motions and to grow your confidence.

1. Using a ruler

Place a ruler in a straight position on your surface. Take your loaded paintbrush into your hand, and rest your two smallest fingers against the edge of the ruler to guide the line you then paint with the brush. Run your hand down the ruler, letting the paintbrush glide down the surface to create the painted line.

2. Freehand straight line

Load up your liner brush and adopt quite a low angle to the surface you are painting. Rest your little finger on the surface to steady you, and draw down slowly and steadily.

3. Wavy Line

I find this easiest to do going horizontally, if possible. As with most of the techniques, I would recommend focusing on your hand and its motion, rather than the line you are making. Move your hand in an even rhythm up and down in waves to create a wavy line that will, in turn, be relatively even. I like the organic nature of freehand painting, and would never worry about making the size of the waves exact.

4. Traditional scallop

When painting a traditional scallop, you will have a crisp meeting point between each scallop. The rhythm is more bouncy. Sweep up and over to create the scallop and move on quickly to create the next.

5. My preferred scallop

Inspired by the Charleston farmhouse, I like to create a loop between each scallop - I find the movement creates a much more free-flowing and fluid effect.

Crosshatch and Dots

Crosses and dots are a good way to build on simple line motifs and create something more decorative.

6. Line of crosses

Painting a line of crosses in a row can be really effective. The faster you go, the better because I like when you get the swishy tails.

7. Crosshatch

Another technique favoured by those at Charleston farmhouse, and one I use often as it's a lovely space filler. Paint a whole row of small diagonal lines going in the same direction. Then go back to the beginning, and starting at the 'top of the cross' paint another row on top of small diagonal lines going in the opposite direction.

8. Dots with the brush

The way to get a nice rounded dot is to load up your brush with a decent amount of paint. Hold your paintbrush so it's almost at a right angle to the surface, rest your wrist and move your whole hand up and down as you glide along making quick dabs to create the dots.

9. Dots with the end of your paintbrush

You can also use the wooden end of your paintbrush by loading it up with paint and using it to stamp the dots onto the surface - you will need to reload it with paint more often.

Adding Circles

Crosses and dots are a good way to build on simple line motifs and create something more decorative.

10. Disjointed circles

These don't need to be perfect, and I like it when they are disjointed to emphasise their deliberate imperfection. Load up your brush quite generously to give variance in the weight of the line; nice and thick at the top, becoming thinner towards the end.

11. Filled in circle

You want to create a very slight inward spiral motion with your hand, first creating the vague outline of the circle and then moving inwards to fill it in. I will quite often combine these with small lines in between.

Tips for Practising

I recommend trying to go quite quickly when you're practising, and not labouring over it too much. You don't want to be too precious, and will often get the best results when you're not overthinking it.

Think of your arm and hand as your instrument, and focus on how this movement impacts what you are creating with the paintbrush.

Further Reading

Artist Peter Hunt

'Quimper Pottery', by Ann Marie O'Niell

'Charleston: A Bloomsbury House and Garden', by Quentin Bell and Angela Nicholson