Improving your brush control

[eldargal]

I've been meaning to post this for days and I keep forgetting, I feel it may be useful.

One of the younger chaps in my games club has alway had trouble painting. He understood the techniques well enough but his brush control was abysmal, only slowly improving with practise. Recently however he showed an immense improvement in the space of a month or so, when asked how he credited some handwriting exercises with improving the strength and dexterity or his fingers.

I'm not sure what exercises they were (something about drawing diagonal lines and spirals on lined writing paper and alternating with letters), but it could be something to consider looking into if you want to imrpove your brush control.:)

[SaganGree]

Speaking of brush control, one of the things that has helped me out to no end is the use of Sandbags. Basically, when I have a model that will require any amount of fine detail, the sandbag raises up my wrists enough that my hand is not... floating above the model and thus my lines are straighter and my detail finer. Bear in mind that I am not talking about the huge bags you see for blocking off rivers... but rather the small bags you might see for rifle target shooting.

[Kawauso]

Makes sense, on both accounts.

I usually just make sure my wrists are braced against something (like a table/desk edge) when I'm doing anything like finer details.

[Quaade]

You can also just simply work out, your brush control will improve a lot if you train the muscles in the upper body because you will suffer less from shakes and be more adapt at perform an-aerobic (muscleactivitity that requires that muscles don't move) at longer intervals before you need a rest or the shakes start.

[SaganGree]

Gamers work out?! Heresy!

[fuzzbuket]

shakey hands ftw :D but IMO the best thing is practice, my writing in many cases is almost illegiable and my painting at first was extraordinarilly messy however thanks to a few years of hard work (and endless doodleing in the sides of school jotters) my painting has improved! its not neat at all but its not half bad!
OLD
http://www.coolminiornot.com/pics/pics13/img49ca8dbbb5512.jpg

NEW
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o0A-VhuHcOs/T0FfgqlNFdI/AAAAAAAABd8/xCmFL1TnQHo/s1600/DSCN6526.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EJOnGuMixIY/T3tEPxT_OSI/AAAAAAAABmY/owMGB4frMa4/s1600/DSCN6584.JPG


but ALWAYS have fun! even if your paintings terrible, if you enjoy painting thats the best thing!
-fuzz

[SaganGree]

This is what I was able to accomplish:

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p3/Samriis/DaemonPic.jpg

And I agree fully, take your time and have fun with your colors and things should turn out great.

[Foxhound2delta]

When I paint I try the same approach I use when firing a rifle for marksmanship. That is firing on the natural respiratory pause between breaths. I use that when I'm painting the finer details on my models and its never let me down.

[UltramarineFan]

When I paint I try the same approach I use when firing a rifle for marksmanship. That is firing on the natural respiratory pause between breaths. I use that when I'm painting the finer details on my models and its never let me down.

Why have I never tried that, sounds more likely to be effective than holding my breath (for painting and shooting)

[HarlekissofDeath]

When I paint I try the same approach I use when firing a rifle for marksmanship. That is firing on the natural respiratory pause between breaths. I use that when I'm painting the finer details on my models and its never let me down.

That is the same technique I use also. It will surprise people how much it works.

[ragnarcissist]

im still pretty amateur, but bracing always works to steady for good details, also that breathing technique for shooting sounds like a great idea. but one things for sure: you only get better with PRACTICE! this is true in all aspects of life!!

[inquisitorsog]

One thing I learned from the 8 or so years I was in emergency medical services was to use on hand to steady the other when inserting sharp needles into IV bags.

You rest the heal of the hand with the pointy bit against the heal of the hand holding the target of the pointy bit and make them reasonably stable relative to one another.
Anything to brace yourself helps.

That said, great tip on working on on handwriting excercises. I know for a fact I can't hold a pencil nearly as well as I could when I was in HS due to lack of practice in that area. That said, I know my eyes are more my problem these days than motor control.

[Skoby]

You rest the heal of the hand with the pointy bit against the heal of the hand holding the target of the pointy bit and make them reasonably stable relative to one another.
Anything to brace yourself helps

I use that technique, if I need extra support I rest my elbows on my desk and brace my hands together. I would also say keeping your brushes in good condition, watering your paints down just the right amount and not having too much paint on the brush helps so much. Stray bristles or too much runny paint will undo all your effort. If all else fails try cover up your mistakes.