Beautiful Brushstrokes Step by Step

September 15, 2003
Internationally known instructor and decorative artist McNaughton assumes no prior knowledge of strokework--part of the basic vocabulary of painting--so she starts with the most basic elements of brush and media choice, through the more complicated techniques such as stippling. She includes full-color photos showing how to load the brush with pigment and the turning, pivoting, and lifting for all conventional brushstrokes, such as the pressure stroke, as well as some unusual ones like the teardrop. Her demos illustrate the combination of various brushstrokes to form florals and scrollwork via a series of projects with "beginner roses and tulips" on a heart basket progressing to a clock decorated with more difficult varicolored columbines. McNaughton's how-to is a good brushstrokes manual for crafters and artists, too. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)