Tips for using the Multi-Load Brush Technique

Basically, this painting technique is a stroke technique, so practice your comma strokes.

The Technique Erika is painting uses one round brush and a liner, whether you are painting a pin (brooch), box, chair or large wardrobe. Each brush is explained individually under it's name. Use colors from the instructions, or use your own color combinations. Various pressure is applied depending on the size of the stroke you want to paint. When painting larger, the entire length of the bristles (without touching the metal ferrule) is loaded with paint. More paint and pressure is used when applying each stroke. When painting small, only half the bristles or the tip is utilized and less paint and less pressure is applied to the brush.

Using Erika's #4 Round Brush

When this brush is loaded with your main color, the brush is round, with no side. Once a second color is picked up and gently blended into the bristles, the brush automatically flattens a little and you will have a side. Further colors are loaded either on the dark or light side, as indicated by the pattern instructions. Basically, the brush is loaded from dark to light. Depending on which color you load first, it will be applied toward one side or the opposite side of your initial load.

Every color needs to be gently blended into the bristles while loading each color. This way you will achieve a shaded look using a single brush stroke. At times a little fresh White may be picked up before executing a step defining an edge of a shape. The colors on the brush are facing to the side 90% to the left, for example, and the dark side facing to the right. The chisel in this case means along the the bristles and not the tip. The brush is used on the chisel, unless otherwise indicated by the instructions. As pressure is applied to the brush, the light side will fan toward the side it is pointing and the dark side will face in the opposite direction resulting in a shaded effect from dark to light. At times the instructions may call for facing a particular color toward the ceiling or the surface. Ceiling means after placing the brush on the project, the color is visible on the entire brush. Surface means the color is not visible but showing the rest of the colors.

Using Erika's Liner Brush

The liner brush is used to paint fine lines, like crosshatching or stems and extension lines. As the bristles are all the same length and smaller in size to the #4 round, the spreading of the bristles is restricted. The liner can still be loaded using the same technique as the larger round brush.