5 Brush Strokes for Beginners at Paint and Sip Parties

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I have had a lot of people tell me that they are nervous about attending paint and sip parties, because they don’t know how to paint. 

I always tell them that the whole idea of a paint and sip party is to have fun and learn new skills.

Most of the students who attend the parties I teach at tend to be beginners or just a step above beginner level. 

Before any paint party, I ask the host about the skill levels of the guests who will be there, and I design my lesson around what they can do.

If they are complete beginners, then obviously I teach the basics, and each student leaves with a painting they have completed and a sense of accomplishment. 

They also know that they were able to learn painting skills that they can use should they decide to continue painting.

Before we begin painting on a canvas, I often give the students a piece of paper. I show them some basic brush strokes, and then they practice on the paper before they begin painting on their canvases.

Today I am going to talk about a few of the paint strokes that I teach at beginner paint and sip classes. 

Keep reading to learn more.

Different Types of Brushstroke Techniques You Can Follow

Here are several types of brush strokes in painting you can learn:

#1. Painting Lines with a Liner Brush

Sometimes you need to paint lines that aren’t straight. So, using a ruler or masking tape just isn’t going to do the trick. One of the first brush strokes I teach is lines with a liner brush.

This stroke is great for when you are painting blades of grass, tree branches, or other lines that aren’t perfectly straight. The paint should be very thin, so I tell students at paint parties to add a fair amount of water.

Once the paint party students have their brushes loaded with paint, I have them hold the brush loosely near the handle end. Then, they draw a line in one movement, with that line becoming thinner the farther along they move the brush.

A little trick I show them for this brush stroke is to rotate the brush as they are drawing their lines. This gives them various thicknesses throughout the line, which is exactly what they need for painting tree branches.

#2. Building Texture with Hatching

Another paint stroke I like to discuss at paint and sip parties is hatching. This is when you build up texture using lines that are parallel to one another.

Using brush strokes effectively is one of the ways to achieve texture oil painting.

Hatching is a lot like drawing with pen and ink, and it is often used when an artist is trying to create shading with specific color tones.

Hatching is also used to blend colors. But, you don’t blend the colors. Each stroke is layered on top of the previous stroke. 

Depending on where you are standing when you look at it, the final result can be different. If you are close to the painting you will notice each color that was used. The farther back you go, the more you notice the colors mixing.

Hatching is a great way to create color relationships without having to use any blending techniques.

#3. Create a Web of Color with Crosshatching

Rather than using parallel lines as with hatching, crosshatching involves using brushstrokes that crisscross. This creates an interesting color pattern, especially when different amounts of line spacing are used.

Crosshatching is used to build up areas that have shade and light. It is also used to create interesting color blends, and it can be used for model form.

I always bring a few older brushes that are a bit bent to paint and sip classes. I use these brushes to demonstrate how each bristle of an old brush creates a small stroke within the larger stroke. This creates a texture that is crosshatched and rough.

One of the great things about crosshatching is that students can use it with as many colors as they wish, and paint in any direction.

#4. Paint Leaves and Flowers with Stippling

Stippling involves painting small dots to create textures, tones, and colors. I show paint and sip students how this can be done with a small dot of color, or using a larger brush to create clusters of small dots.

I often use landscapes for paint parties, and stippling can be used to create flowers, leaves on trees, etc.

For this technique, I like to layer colors to give the painting more depth. I show paint night students how to create beautiful landscapes using stippling.

For instance, if I am painting flowers on trees, I start with a dark shade of pink. Next, I stipple a lighter shade over the first shade. Then, I add an even lighter shade on top. Sometimes I even follow up with a bit of white stippling.

The neat thing about stippling is that you don’t always need a brush. You can also use sponges, a toothbrush, or even bubble wrap to create a textured effect.

#5. Painting Flowers With the One-Stroke Technique

I will be the first to admit that I am not all that great at painting flowers. More often than not, I stipple flowers into my paintings. This way, it looks like clusters of tiny flowers in trees, bushes, and on the ground.

I have also been practicing the one-stroke technique for painting flowers, and I have started teaching this technique to my paint and sip students. This technique, developed by US artist Donna Dewberry, involves putting two or more colors onto a flat brush. One stroke will create a petal or a leaf.

There are different strokes you can use for different effects. I played around with it for a little while before attempting my first flower painting. It is easy once you get the hang of it, and it is always popular with paint night students.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the brush strokes and techniques that I like to show students at paint and sip parties. Beginners love using these simple brush strokes, and they walk away at the end of the paint party with a piece of art that they can be proud of.

More advanced tips can be found in this Chinese calligraphy article.

Also don’t forget to check my guide on painting tips and techniques for more details.

*image by YAY_Images/depositphotos