Learning new techniques and improving your painting skills are ongoing tasks for a serious artist. Recently while watching one of Anglea Fehr's instructional watercolor videos on youtube.com I noticed that she uses an interesting gadget for her paint brushes. It looks like its made from clay, rolled into the shape of a log with indentations along the top for your paint brushes to rest. I thought I could make one myself.
Browsing the craft section at Walmart I found some air dry clay. The cost was less than $8 for over 2 pounds of clay.
The photo below is a finished brush rest. This tool is helpful in my studio. To make one to use in your studio the directions are posted below.
Supplies:
Package of Air Dry Clay
Toothpicks
Scissors
Ink Pen
Optional: To decorate your project you may use: acrylic paint,
palette and paint brushes
I grabbed a chunk of the clay and worked it into a ball. Then begin to roll it, like you did when you were in grade school, roll it into a snake.
Flatten the bottom by lightly pressing down on the log. Straighten up the ends and smooth them out.
Using a toothpick, put marks through the clay log to resemble a tree log
Using an ink pen press down to create indentations for your paint brushes.
You could leave you project at this stage and let it dry. This brush rest is for a friend that loves rabbits. To begin the process break off a toothpick and place in the log. Each piece of the rabbit will be added using this method. When the entire piece has dried, you will add glue to ensure the piece stays together.
The body of the rabbit is shaped and added to the toothpick.
The head is added.
The ears are added next, also using toothpicks inserted into the head. You will use a piece of the toothpick to smooth the joining of the clay from the ear to the head. Using the pointy end of a toothpick create eyes and a mouth. After the pieces are dry, you will glue them together. Do not remove the toothpicks.
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This brush rest has the same steps as above, create the log, put lines in the log and create the indentations. This brush rest has leaves and a rose.
The leaves can be traced on a flattened piece of the clay. Using the toothpick to go all the way through the piece. Once the piece is cut out, use a toothpick to draw lines on the leaf to resemble your favorite leaf. Break off a piece of toothpick and stick in the log and place the leaf to hold in place.
The rose is created using small circles of clay that you roll into a tube. Create an additional circle and wrap around the tube one at a time to form the rose petals. It is the same technique used to create roses that are put on decorated cakes. Youtube.com has some great videos on various clay techniques. Break off and place a toothpick in the log to hold the rose.
After the piece is dry, glue the pieces in place. Do not remove the toothpicks.
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This is a plain roll, no lines or anything. It is just a roll of clay with indentations for your paint brushes.
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These are all three of the brush rests made in this blog. If you try to make one, send me a line and share your project.
Thanks for reading
Tanya
Prints of my artwork available at Fine Art America, here is the link:
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