Saturday, November 21, 2009

Make a Paintbrush

I have made my own paint brushes on occasion, and was happy to see this in wikiHow! Try it, you'll like it.


How to Make a Paintbrush

Steps

  1. Use any material that will hold paint for a brush tip: horse hair from a horse's mane or tail, grass, pieces of foam, cardboard, various plant fibers, cotton clumps, shredded strips of cloth...
    • Horse hair brush: gather together lengths of horse hair in the thickness and length you want. Most barns and horse boarding places might be willing to let you use old discarded horse hair. Wash it first.

  2. Cut and shape the hair. Keep about 1-2 inches in length and about 1 inch in width.
  3. Find a handle for your brush: try sticks from the yard, bamboo, tongue depressors or a yardstick.
  4. Place the glue about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch around the bottom of the stick where the hair will go.
  5. cover the glue with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the hair from one end.
  6. Tie the string around the hair and handle. add more glue on top of the hair if you want.
  7. Let the brush dry for however long the glue recommends, at least 2 hours.

Tips

  • Gather all your materials together and experiment with different combinations before using any glue or twine
  • Keep an eye out for materials in nature or other things you would normally throw out you can use for brushes
  • Experiment! Leaves make good brushes too....

Warnings

  • Do not use a glue gun, scissors, or any harmful materials without an adult's help if you are a child.

Things You'll Need

  • Material for handles such as sticks, Popsicle sticks, yard sticks. Any 6 inch to 6 foot object that is thin and rigid.
  • Material for the brush part: horse hair (mane or tail), pine needles, dryer lint, foam, etc.
  • A binder such as Elmer's glue or wood glue, or even a hot glue gun.
  • A length of string or twine to tie the brush material to your "stick"
  • An adult's help if you are a child

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Spark Box Studio Residency Award!

Spark Box Studio in beautiful Prince Edward County is offering free residencies to fine art students and emerging artists. This residency opportunity is a unique way for young and emerging artists to cultivate new ideas, access a rich library of arts resources, learn about career-building opportunities, and develop an understanding of the art world from a business perspective.

Four emerging artists will receive a one-week residency, 10 will receive a two day residency and 30 will receive one day at their Open Studio. Any emerging artist living in Ontario, between the ages of 19-29, is invited to apply for the Spark Box Studio Residency Award. Applicants are asked to fill out the online Residency Application at www.sparkboxstudio.com/award. Deadline: November 16, 2009