8 brush stroke techniques every artist should know

When you start painting, you have an idea—a vision, if you will—of how you'd like it to look when it's done. However, often the way the final painting looks is very far from how we envisioned it.

One of the secrets of having your painting look the way you picture it in your mind is learning how to control the tools you use: paint and brushes.

You've got to become a skillful master at the painterly effects. Different techniques in the application of the paint will result in very different visual effects.

Below are short explanations of the basic paint application techniques using brushes.

Types of Brushstroke Techniques

In this article we'll talk about the following techniques:

• Flat Wash

• Crosshatching

• Hatching

• Drybrush

• How to make an organic line

• Scumbling

• Stippling