Tess’ tool kit Part 1 - Brushes and sponges

Tess' Tool Kit: Part 1 - Brushes and Sponges

Over the next few lessons, I'll be taking you through all the equipment and tools I use in my decorative painting, as well as suggesting what you will need to begin your journey.

• Brush roll

Is a great way of storing and protecting your brushes, as well as transporting them.

• Liner or rigger brush

Very fine brush with long bristles, ideal for painting straight lines.

• Kolinsky sable brush

Made using sable hair and good for details.

• Pro Arte synthetic brush

These are my most often used brushes, especially when using thicker furniture paint.

• Blunt end flat brush

Useful for leaf motifs.

• Rounded edge flat brush

Nice to use for flower petals or curved lines.

• Fan brush

Can be used to create round shapes.

• Sash brush (or as I like to call it, a 'Scrubby' brush)

Great for creating texture and painting larger backgrounds. Can be bought cheaply from builders merchants.

• Angled brush

Will help you to cut in and get into the corners of a room or recesses within furniture.

• Fitch brush

Smaller version of an angled brush.

• Japanese mop brush

Thick enough to hold lots of water to create lovely flowing lines.

• Paint dabbers

Mini sponges on sticks to help you create a stamped pattern.

• Natural sponges

I like to embrace the natural variance of these sponges and the way their organic form creates different textures and effects in the paint.

• Comb

Can be pulled across wet paint to mark a texture.

• Stencil brush or stipple brush

Made from hog hair, they are blunt and flat which enables effective stencilling and a crisp edge.

• Mottler brush

I normally use this dry to soften the brushstrokes when I am painting washes.

• Badger brush

Expensive and very specialist, does a similar job to a mottler brush.

• Dragging brush

Can be used to create a fabric effect on the wall.

• Block brush

Will need to be bought from a lime paint specialist shop, but is great for washes.

• Standard painters brush

These can be bought cheaply in a range of sizes from builders' merchants.

The Essentials to Get You Started

• A few standard painters brushes.
• Block brush.
• Pro Arte synthetic brushes.
• Sash or 'scrubby' brush.

Sourcebook

You will be able to buy most of these brushes and sponges from a mix of art shops and builders merchants.

Art shops

• A.S Handover
• Cass Art
• Cowling & Wilcox
• Hobbycraft
• Jackson's Art
• London Graphic Centre

Builders merchants

• Decorating Direct
• Jewsons
• Screwfix
• Selco
• Travis Perkins
• Wickes

Lime paint specialist shop for a block brush

• Bauwerk
• Limestuff