22 Feb A Beginner’s Guide to Brushwork, Lesson #18

After abandoning our design grid in our last lesson (and loving it!), for our brushwork lesson #18, we are returning to the grid. We are working through the book, Brushwork Elementary Brush-Forms by Marion Hudson, as part of our homeschool handicraft curriculum. Lesson #18 is a Lesson on Hares and Leaves. Now, I’m going to be honest – the hares may take a little imagination, and the leaves look a little more like lily pads, but again, this isn’t about realism. Our goal is to practice and improve our brush forms, while enjoying the process. This lesson gives us an opportunity to do just that.

A hare is a graceful, long-legged mammal that looks very similar to a rabbit, but with a few differences. Hares have long, powerful hind legs, built for speed. Some can reach up to 45 mph! Their large ears help with hearing and heat regulation.

Redrawing the Design on Our Grid Paper

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 I redrew the design with a few adjustments, as you can see below. You may find it helpful to refer to this grid while working on this lesson.

Materials Needed

• The book, Brushwork, Elementary Brush-Forms by Marion Hudson (also available online HERE)
• 1″ absorbent grid paper
• Watercolor paints (green, yellow, and brown)
• Watercolor Paintbrush, we used a Princeton Velvetouch , round size 6 or 8
• 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 #18

The Process

This lesson required two paint colors – green and brown. I decided to start with the green, as the brown would dramatically muddy our water, and potentially discolor the green. This is where my grid comes in very handy. By counting the squares, you can determine exactly where each leaf and stem should go. The leaves are made with two overlapping brush forms, with the point of the brush being towards the right or left of each pair. The single brush form represents a fore-shortened leaf in front.

When you are finished with the green, you can switch over to the brown without the need to clean the brush. The hares are made with one vertical brush form, then adding the ears and back legs as miniature brush forms. The tail is done with touch of the brush.

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!