Watercolor Tutorial | Brush Marks – Created to Create – Part 2

Greetings Illustrated Faith Tribe!

I’m back for Part Two of the Watercolor Tutorial on Brush Marks.  We are exploring the shapes of brushes and “playing” with the marks they make so we can learn what different brushes do and which you like best!  If you missed Part One, here’s the link Watercolor Tutorial | Brush Marks – Created to Create – Part 1

Mop Brushes

Mop brushes have brush hairs that are generally much looser in my experience and hold lots of liquid.  The strokes with these brushes are more organic and irregular.  They are often used for large wash areas.

The next brush comes with the Illustrated Faith Watercolor set.  It has the traditional mop brush wire wrap but it’s bristles are coarse.  It holds lots of pigment and can leave some great marks.  It’s also excellent for dropping color into an area.  An example of that can be found here https://www.illustratedfaith.com/watercolor-tutorial-leaning-no-beginning-no-end/

Another nice feature of this brush is the textures you can make and how nicely it lays down drops of color in circular form.  Plus you can make it small by unscrewing the handle so you can fit it right into your palette.

The last mop brush you see here is a larger wire wrap mop brush with soft bristles.   It’s the Princeton Neptune #4 Synthetic Squirrel brush.  It’s a super fat brush that holds SO much liquid!

The mop brush family!

Specialty Brushes

I would categorize this next brush as a pointed mop brush or speciality brush.  The shape is called a “cat’s tongue” — probably because it looks a bit like a tongue.   The Mary Whyte Series Squirrel Cat Tongue Wash brush is a very expensive speciality brush made with Russian Blue Squirrel Hair!

The Mary Whyte Series Squirrel Cat Tongue Wash brush can make all different marks and takes a lot of practice to use with skill.

It does have the capacity to make some great wonky marks and strokes.

Oval Brushes

The oval brush family is wonderful for flower petals and rounded shapes.

Look at all the marks you can make with the Loew Cornell Oval Wash 1/2″.

Plaid One Stroke Oval #8 with a bit of dry brush technique.

And our last brush, the Princeton Preferred Synthetic Oval 3/4″ with lots of dry brush strokes.

Only one rule — play!!!

Oval Brushes!

These sheets are too pretty!

Now, let’s take our sheets and make journal entry.

JOURNALING TUTORIAL

I love how God called and anointed artisans to create in Exodus 35:30-35 and I love that He still calls and anoints creatives to shine for Him today!

Exodus 35:30-35

Construction of the Tabernacle

Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, ³² to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,³³ in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.³⁴ And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.

One of my favorite things to do with pretty papers is use my Silhouette or my Sizzix to cut out letters!  These letters are cut using the Sizzix machine.  I wanted color behind the letters so they would stand out so I grabbed a rainbow Illustrated Faith Clear Cut sheet.

I trimmed the clear cut down and adhered it and the letters to my page with the Illustrated Faith tape runner.

Next up Illustrated Faith Homespun Alphas in pink and one of my favorite Shanna Noel quotes, “Created to Create.”

Next up, a tab, some colorful word feti, enamel heart, and a designer clip.

Ahhhhh….. happiness!

What’s a watercolor page about creativity without a splash of watercolor drops?  I also highlighted the text with a simple bracket and enamel heart.

A date stamp to finish the page.

I often pray over my hands and my heart.  I want to be filled with His Spirit so that all I create draws others toward Him.  He makes such beautiful things.   I want the works of my hands to reflect Him!

I am praying right now that you have fun playing with your brush stash and maybe learned a bit along the way.  Make sure you tag me with your creations in Instagram @designsbyamybruce.  I love to see what you make!

Lots of hugs,

amy bruce

additional supplies:

Dagger Striper Brush – Master’s Touch 1/4″
Flat Wash Brushes – Isabey Kolinksy #2
Angular Brushes –  Robert Simmons 1/2″
Specialty Mop Brush – Mary Whyte Squirrel Cat’s Tongue Wash Artxpress #6
Oval Brushes – Plaid One Stroke Oval #8, Princeton Preferred Synthetic Oval 3/4″