If you are a painter, you probably have a variety of brushes in your arsenal. But do you have a fan brush? A fan brush is a special type of brush that has a flat, fan-shaped head with long, soft bristles. It can be used for many purposes, such as blending, glazing, feathering, and creating textures. John S. Sargent used a similar brush to replicate Rembrandt and Velasquez's edges of their subjects. But one of the most interesting and creative ways to use a fan brush is to paint the wind.
Yes, you read that right. You can paint the wind with a fan brush. In this blog post, I will show you why and how to use a fan brush to create amazing paintings.
Why Use a Fan Brush?
A fan brush is a versatile and useful tool for painters. It can help you achieve different effects and styles in your paintings. Here are some of the reasons why you should use a fan brush:
It softens edges. A fan brush can help you create smooth transitions and gradients between colors and values. It can also help you avoid harsh lines and hard edges that can make your painting look stiff and unnatural.
It makes the Rembrandt cross-hatching marks. A fan brush can help you create the cross-hatching marks that Rembrandt, Velasquez, and Sargent used in their paintings. These marks are made by overlapping short strokes in different directions, creating a rich and textured surface. They can add depth, dimension, and movement to your painting.
It breaks the line up. A fan brush can help you avoid drawing long and continuous lines that can attract too much attention and distract from the overall composition. A fan brush can help you create broken and varied lines that can suggest form, contour, and direction without being too obvious or dominant.
It paints the wind. A fan brush can help you create the illusion of wind in your painting. By using the fan brush to create curved and flowing strokes, you can suggest the movement and direction of the wind. You can also use the fan brush to create the effects of the wind on other elements in your painting, such as grass, trees, clouds, hair, clothes, etc.
How to Use a Fan Brush?
Now that you know why you should use a fan brush, let me show you how to use it. Here are some tips and steps to follow:
Choose the right fan brush. Not all fan brushes are the same. You need to choose the right size, shape, and quality for your painting. I recommend using a size number 3 fan brush with firm bristle - Hog hair. If the brush is too long, it can destroy the color and make it muddy. If the brush is too short and small, like a size 1 or 2, it can be too stiff and do too much damage. You also need to choose a brush that has a certain bend in the bristles, so that it can create the desired marks and strokes.
Load the brush you are using with just the right amount and consistency of paint. sorry words do not help here. You don’t want to overload the brush with too much paint, as it can make the strokes too thick and heavy and will ruin the color by over blending. You also don’t want to under-load the brush with too little paint, as it can make the strokes too thin and weak and will not blend enough.. You need to find the right balance between wet and dry.
Apply the fan brush to the canvas. You need to apply the fan brush to the canvas with the right pressure, angle, and direction. You don’t want to press the brush too hard, as it can flatten the bristles and lose the shape of the fan. You also don’t want to press the brush too lightly, as it can make the strokes too faint and invisible. You need to find the right pressure that can create the right intensity and coverage of the strokes. You also need to adjust the angle and direction of the brush according to the shape and form of the object you are painting. You can use the fan brush to create different types of strokes, such as straight, curved, circular, zigzag, etc.
Blend and vary the fan brush strokes. You need to blend and vary the fan brush strokes to create a realistic and expressive painting. You can use the fan brush to soften the edges of the shapes, to create shadows and highlights, to add texture and detail, and to create contrast and harmony. You can also use the fan brush to create the impression of wind by making the strokes follow the direction and flow of the wind. You can also use the fan brush to create the effects of the wind on other elements in your painting, such as making the grass, trees, clouds, hair, clothes, etc. bend and sway with the wind.
Examples of Using a Fan Brush to Paint the Wind
To give you some inspiration and ideas, here are some examples of paintings that use a fan brush to paint the wind. You can see how the fan brush creates the illusion of wind by making the strokes curved and flowing, and by making the elements in the painting move and react to the wind.
[The Starry Night] by Vincent van Gogh. This famous painting shows a night sky filled with swirling stars and clouds, creating a dynamic and dramatic scene. Van Gogh used a fan brush to create the swirling strokes that suggest the movement and direction of the wind. He also used the fan brush to create the effects of the wind on the trees, the hills, and the village below, making them look alive and animated.
[The Hay Wain] by John Constable. This painting shows a rural scene of a cart crossing a river, surrounded by trees and fields. Constable used a fan brush to create the soft and fluffy clouds that fill the sky, creating a sense of depth and perspective. He also used the fan brush to create the effects of the wind on the trees, the grass, and the water, making them look natural and lively.
[The Girl with a Pearl Earring] by Johannes Vermeer. This painting shows a portrait of a young woman wearing a blue headscarf and a pearl earring. Vermeer used a fan brush to create the delicate and subtle strokes that suggest the texture and shine of the fabric and the pearl. He also used the fan brush to create the effects of the wind on the woman’s hair and scarf, making them look soft and graceful.
a Mop Brush would be great for this smooth surface as well, but that is a different blog.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new about using a fan brush to paint the wind. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.
Thank you for reading and happy painting!