Are you using your brush to its full potential?

🖌️Following my last video, “5-Step Process to Paint Loosely and Expressively”, some of you asked if I could go into more detail about how I hold and use my brushes. That’s a great question—because using a brush, especially a quill brush designed for watercolor, isn’t as intuitive as it seems. In fact, it's a learned skill to create consistent washes and expressive strokes with it. In this video, I’ll walk you through some of the most common mistakes I see my students make when using their brushes—and how to fix them. Once those are corrected, I’ll also share a few practical exercises and motion techniques to help you diversify your brushwork and bring more expression to your paintings. Also, an exciting announcement: I’ll be teaching an online course on the 5-step process of painting loosely and expressively, through my Patreon paid membership! This will be a couple-month long process where we break down each step of the process—from simplifying your subject and planning composition, to applying color, tonal range, and finishing with expressive, painterly brushwork. For each class, you’ll get home assignments designed to help you apply the techniques to your own subjects. Towards the end of each month, I’ll host a live Q&A session to help you troubleshoot and reflect based on your progress. Sign up to join the program live at 👉   / inaxiwatercolor   -- 🧰Supplies I use A complete list of supplies with links to purchase them. I may earn a small commission for some of these links at no extra cost to you. Earnings help sustain this channel. 📄Paper: Meeden 100% Cotton Watercolor Block, 10x7, Cold Press, https://go.meedenart.com/4srtE1Z For practice: Richeson Bulk Watercolor Paper, 9”x6”, Cold Press https://tinyurl.com/26yae5y2 🖌️Brush: 🖌️Quill: Da Vinci Petit Gris Pur Blue Squirrel Brush - Quill, Short Handle, Size 6 https://tinyurl.com/3p2spy9s (0.75” diameter) Or: Escoda Último Synthetic Squirrel Brush - Mop, Size 16 https://tinyurl.com/4xr2p5xh Or: Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush - Quill, Size 6 https://tinyurl.com/yz4x4994 Or: MEEDEN Professional Watercolor Brushes, 4 pc set, https://tinyurl.com/7wccskmw Read this guide to compare the 4 options and pick what’s best for you. https://www.inaxiwatercolor.com/blogs... 🖌️Synthetic rounds: Escoda Prado Tame Synthetic Brush, Round, Size 8 https://tinyurl.com/yk8az552 Escoda Prado Tame Synthetic Brush, Round, Size 12 https://tinyurl.com/2b4wwdmt 🖌️Flat heads: Isabey Siberian Blue Squirrel Flat, Size 18 https://tinyurl.com/mrybkx48 Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush- Stroke, Size 1/4" https://tinyurl.com/2pavtbwv 🖌️Rigger: Princeton Aqua Elite Series 4850 Synthetic Brush - Rigger, Size 8 https://tinyurl.com/yz4n7d4r 🎨Colors and paint: M. Graham & Co. Ultramarine blue 15ml https://tinyurl.com/4pa3a73r M. Graham & Co. Burnt Sienna 15ml https://tinyurl.com/ybu99mae M. Graham & Co. Alizarin Crimson 15ml https://tinyurl.com/4vx8s8dk M. Graham & Co. Burnt Umber 15ml https://tinyurl.com/2t2d5m9d M. Graham & Co. Cadmium Yellow 15ml https://tinyurl.com/2fehmtnr M. Graham & Co. Cadmium Red 15ml https://tinyurl.com/3fsr9nhw M. Graham & Co. Yellow Ochre 15ml https://tinyurl.com/yvfzds6h M. Graham & Co. Cerulean Blue 15ml https://tinyurl.com/mr2w9k26 M. Graham & Co. Cobalt Teal 15ml https://tinyurl.com/2p8rxxb M. Graham & Co. Indigo 15ml https://tinyurl.com/4xrx3kuc M. Graham & Co Viridian Green 15ml https://tinyurl.com/bdd4dv77 M. Graham Dioxazine purple 15ml https://tinyurl.com/45jp5n7u M. Graham Artists' Gouache - Titanium White, 15 ml https://tinyurl.com/2za6n7p6 Daniel Smith Lavender 15ml https://arttoolkit.com/supplies/danie... -- Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:40 Mistake 1 - Not enough mixing 03:40 Mistake 2 - Holding the brush too close to the tip 04:56 Exercise - paint real shapes 06:27 Mistake 3 - Not enough diversity in brush marks 07:41 Exercise - 6 alternative ways of using the brush 09:19 Other brush types and how to use them 10:47 Patreon course announcement -- More about me: Ina Xi is an award-winning painter and art educator based in the Pacific Northwest, whose work explores the themes of nostalgia, cultural diversity and collective human experiences. Website: https://www.inaxiwatercolor.com Instagram:   / inabear   Facebook:   / inaxiwatercolor   📮Subscribe to my email newsletter for painting tips, discounts and first preview of new artworks https://www.inaxiwatercolor.com/pages... -- Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/city-l... License code: 6ERBLJ3NRV2YH6BF