Tess’ tool kit Part 1 - Brushes and sponges
with TESS NEWALL
Lesson 4 of 32
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During this part of the course, Tess takes you through the exact equipment and tools she uses in her decorative painting. She suggests what you will need to begin your journey, and where to source each item from.
From the Lesson Workbook
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
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Your Instructor
Tess Newall
Acclaimed artist and set designer specialising in hand painted homewares and decorative painting.
Tess Newall is a decorative artist based in Sussex, specialising in hand-painted bespoke murals and furniture. Following a decade of experience as a set designer and painter in the film industry, Tess has mastered how to bring a creative vision to life. She often draws on historic patterns and aims to capture an artisanal feel, where textures and brushstrokes add to the atmosphere of a room or to the character of a furniture piece. Tess and her studio team work with interior designers and private clients on bespoke commissions for both commercial and residential projects, as well as collaborating on homewares collections with brands including Liberty and Matilda Goad.
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