Brushes broadly break down into two types; softer brushes (such as nylon and sable) and firm bristles (such as hog). A common guideline is for water colours, you would choose a soft brush and for oils, you would use a hard brush. For acrylics you can make use of both. There are many exceptions to this rule – if you want to create a detailed effect on your greetings cards, then you can also use the more suitable paint brush that you find does that perfectly for you.

The shape is an important aspect of a brush. Rounder paint brushes carry a lot more paint and can be used to create detail and wide sections of colour. Thin brushes are excellent for laying down flat, even areas or washes. There are unusual shapes for example the long ‘rigger’ paint brushes, which is normally used for fine detail and branches, the ‘fan’ paint brush, which is exceptional for mixing colours and creating cloudy designs onto the painted surface.

Brushes are available in a variety of qualities, very similar to those found in paint ranges. A \’top-of-the-range\’ artist’s brush will have a long life expectancy and carry a lot more paint than the one designed for less cost. It is continually essential to check whether the paint brush you want to use will be affected by the painting medium and consequently can affect the quality of your art work. Remember to bear in mind that acrylic paint can ruin a brush a lot more rapidly so any wet paint should be immediately removed from the bristles when you\’ve finshed using the brush. I.e. always freshen up your brushes when finished painting your greetings cards. Oil paint and turpentine can negatively affect the wrong type of brush.

It is always valuable to have a broad collection of paint brushes both in size and shape. A standard paint brushes set is generally a great way of having a good starting point for a larger brush collection.

Choosing a Surface for your Greetings cards:

Purchasing the best surface to paint on can be the creation of a great painting. You will quickly find that the best results occur when you pick the surface that goes well with the paints you\’re using. For water-colour paints, use paper or board, which can be embellished onto a blank card surface. This can be found in a series of thcknesses and surface finishes. For detailed work you might want to contemplate using a hot-press (HP) or smooth paper, for general use a ‘Not’ (or cold press) board is perfect. A further option is rougher paper or board, which is perfect for adding additional texture to your cards. These papers can be bought in a range of weights from 71 pounds to 300 pounds – the larger the weight, the thicker the surface. On lighter papers such as 72 pounds and 90 pounds, it is necessary to stretch your surface before starting painting – the more heavy boards can be either worked onto immediately or stretched. Any guide to water-colour will present you with instructions on arranging your boards in this way. You can acquire watercolour boards in either pad form or as individual sheets. It is recommended to go for the individual sheets if attaching to thicker board for the perfect card. Water colouring board is available, and it is in reality a form of paper or card, which is bonded to a heavy duty acid-free piece of card. It is ideal for those who tend not to want to stretch their card. A new innovation for coloured water colouring surfaces comes in the form of soft pastel shades.

This article has been created by an enthusiast for greetings cards and the innovative idea for hobby and crafts. Whilst at the same time representing Cardly – Handmade Cards.

This article has been created by an enthusiast for http://www.cardly.co.uk and the innovative idea for hobby and crafts. Whilst at the same time representing http://www.cardly.co.uk.

Author Bio: This article has been created by an enthusiast for greetings cards and the innovative idea for hobby and crafts. Whilst at the same time representing Cardly – Handmade Cards.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: Greetings Cards, Handmade Cards, Cardly UK