10 Jan A Beginner’s Guide to Brushwork, Lesson #15

We are already on brushwork, lesson #15, which is officially halfway through our homeschool brushwork series! We are working through the book, Brushwork Elementary Brush-Forms by Marion Hudson. Lesson #15 takes the previous lesson, a lesson on the violet, and using the skills we learned, guides us through a design of the violet. Using the brushforms to paint violets, leaves, and vines, we are able to create a beautiful, circular design.

Redrawing the Design on Our Grid Paper

As mentioned in previous lessons, your grid paper is probably going to be different than that in the book. I say this because I looked everywhere for grid paper that was similar to the book yet never found it. So, we settled for what we could find. I would estimate that the grid paper in the book is about 1/2″ squares. Our grid paper is twice that, with 1″ square grid paper. As well, our grid paper is probably a different size overall. Because of this, the pattern in the book does not translate well onto my 1″ grid paper, so with each lesson I am redrawing the design with a few adjustments, as you can see below.

Materials Needed

• The book, Brushwork, Elementary Brush-Forms by Marion Hudson (also available online HERE)
• 1″ absorbent grid paper
• Watercolor paints
• Watercolor Paintbrush, we used a Princeton Velvetouch , round size 6
• A glass of water (not used for drinking)
• A small plate for mixing paint and water
• A napkin to dry the brush

Happy Handicrafts Video: A Beginner’s Guide to Brushwork, Lesson #15

The Process

I chose a darker red and green for my violets simply because those were the colors I had.

Using my grid paper as a guide, I began by painting all of the center parts of the violets. These little dots help with the placement of the violets as you paint. Then, using these dots as a guide I painted all of the red (or violet) flowers and buds.

Once I was done with the red paint, I switched to the green. Since the mixture of the red and green paint gives just a slightly darker green shade, there is no need to clean the brush at this point. The green vines and leaves bring the flowers and buds together beautifully. I would suggest using the grid design as a guide, and then when you are practicing, use the opportunity to get creative. Add more flowers, buds, leaves and vines to create something that you love!

Come Join Us!

If you’re just finding us, you can get started with our first brushwork lesson and advance according to your skill. All of our videos are stored on YouTube at Happy Handicrafts. You don’t have to start with brushwork – we have paper sloyd, needle-felting, crochet, and more. Go explore and choose which playlist will be the best for you and your family! We’ll see you there!