Brush work: Straight lines, fine lines & outlining.

Practice makes perfect.

Unless you are accustomed to working at a small scale then handling a size 1, 0 or 10 x 0 brush can be challenging.

Don’t allow the challenge to be the reason you quit or stop your practice prematurely.

When a young artist becomes an apprentice to his master, much of the first few years are spent mastering the brushwork. Only after learning to handle the brush would the student progress to working on the first painting.

Some Miniature artists are famed solely for their line work and the term The Art of the Line became associated with highly refined Miniatures featuring a flowing line that celebrated a variation in weight and fluidity. 

 
Becoming talented in any subject takes time, practice and a desire to learn. When learning Miniature painting under a Master craftsperson, there is an expectation that you will complete your exercises daily. Below you will find an example of the kind of practice that you can do to refine your hand, master the brush and to improve your quality of the line.
 

Make your life easier by considering the following:

Paper-type:

Think of paper as being a type of material. Paper has a textured surface – a fabric weave that can make the fine line-work tricky.

Hot-pressed watercolour paper has a very tight weave and a much smoother surface. This kind of surface is much easier to work on compared to standard watercolour paper (known as cold-pressed paper.)

Paint on a sized surface:

Sizing is a process that involves sealing the pores of the paper. Sizing forms a non-porous layer that prevents ink or paint from sinking or bleeding into the fabric of your paper. The smooth surface allows the brush to flow, resulting in a beautifully fluid line.

Want to learn how to size? See this video here.

Burnishing:

Burnishing is the act of polishing by rubbing. Burnishing your paper pushes the weave, size particles and paint firmly into the paper. Think of the process as ironing the creases out of your clothes. The result is a smooth and silky surface that will allow your brush to glide uninterruptedly.

Burnishing is tiring as it requires a lot of strength and determination. If you notice your brush skidding across the surface of your work, I recommend burnishing some more.

The quality of the brush:

Invest in your brushes.

Good quality brushes act like a reservoir, storing the ink or paint at the base and allowing the medium to slowly but effectively seep to the hair tip. A good quality brush retains its point and produces a long, flowing, uninterrupted line – without the need to reload frequently. 

Use ink:

Ink has a fluidity that paint, watercolour or others, do not. 

Outlining in Miniature was done using ink. Gouache and watercolour can be recommended as an alternative medium where ink is unavailable, but the heavy nature of the pigment, combined with the binder, do not make them comparable to ink.

Ink is a lightweight material that flows. This allows you to work for longer, uninterrupted.

The positioning of the brush:

When outlining or painting thin, continuous, fine lines, keep your brush as vertical to the page as possible. Avoid holding the brush at an angle like you would a pen. Avoid bending the hair tip. The point of your brush should float along the surface.

Place minimal pressure on the paper. Imagine you're painting a delicate, sleeping creature that you do not want to disturb. Great effort should be made in maintaining the position and angle of your brush. The brush will feel firm in your hand, but your movements across the paper should be soft. 

Grip your brush towards the hair. Use the knuckle of your little finger to push away from the paper surface. Positioning a sheet of tracing or tissue paper under your hand can also assist the gliding movement as you produce fine lines. 

Working vertically ensures the lines remain smooth and thin whilst working at an angle can cause lines to look thick or inconsistent. This is because the angled position encourages the ink or paint to float down the brush and onto the paper.

If you experience any resistance when outlining try burnishing some more. 

Practice makes perfect:

Draw yourself a grid and replicate the practice lines shown in the example (below).

Aim to complete a row. It is recommended that Miniaturists do this daily, but practising once a week, month or before each new work is better than no practice at all.

Even Masters retain their practice. The process trains both the physical and memory muscles. You will notice a difference in your linework if you stop doing this, even if you have been painting Miniatures for years. 

Treat this process as a daily meditation. It was common for Miniaturists to chant, do breathing exercises or to listen to music whilst painting. The repetitive nature of the chant or breathing practice allows you to lose yourself to the process. 

Access a PDF version of the brush practice here: