As I watch Jerry Yarnell paint I look at the abuse he gives his brushes and he is one of the first to admit he scrubs with the brushes to where they are just the right shape for him... He uses the bristle brushes to lay down his colors and then Dynasty brushes which have a great chisel edge to do the fine tuning in his paintings. The brush always snaps back to do what needs to be done even though he wraps his brushes wet in a towel between sessions. When someone like Jerry endorses a brush you have to know it is a good one because not only his work Outstanding but the Dynasty brushes continue to perform despite not being taken care of as decorative painters take care of their brushes.
Take a look at some of the artists who use Dynasty brushes....and endorse them wholeheartedly because they are REALLY the best brushes available. Christy Hartman, Jillybean, Anita Morin, Tracey Moreau.... Artist brushes. Check out the work they do with these brushes. Gorgeous, gorgeous work. These brushes are really an extension of self, They are comfortable to use which is important to me because I am a "bit" older than a lot of the painters. I also like brushes which cooperate with what I need or want a brush to do for me...how I want it to "perform". Brushes are an important part of an artists success.... With so many lines of brushes in the Dynasty family of brushes you are bound to find one or a mixture of several to meet your needs. I love the Eye of the Tiger Brushes and use them a lot when I am working on ceramic or porcelain... The Micron Brushes are for tiny little work such or ornaments, jewelry, ATC's etc. And the Faux Squirrel Line of brushes are just the cat's pajamas for me. Might not be for someone else but by golly I like what they do "for me"... The hold a lot of paint, have a certain soft snap yet rigid control.... just what I want in a brush. Stop and think what you want a brush to do? Then go and find it. A brush to stand behind and recommend because they ARE the best, the best in Quality, Reasonably Priced, and you will definitely see a difference in your work when you use them. Another line I love are the APC brushes for Acrylic, pastels and Charcoal... these brushes make the best stipplers.... and I even use the Dry Brushes in the Faux Squirrel line as well as the Dynasty Decorative Series dry brushes for "rolling in the fog" blending water, skies, clouds etc. because of the way the brushes are tapered. Shorter on the sides and wider/longer in the middles. These brushes are made to do and act like a "broken in" brush. Just no other way to describe them....and many I lovingly abuse to get them just the way I want them. Artist conditioning.... When one needs a brush to do something and it is not available to purchase you go "outside the box" and improvise ..... part of the fun in being an artist. Improvising....which leads to your own style....not someone else's...but yours. Not color book finished products but what we kinda see "when we see" innuendos of color that make you wonder what is there, lights and darks and a wide range of in-betweens... It feels good to sit down and paint and have things "work"..... no fighting with the brush or the paints....they just do what you want them to do. Then you also have the wonderful line of Dynasty make up brushes. WOW are they ever nice....and soft as a bunny's tail. I use their facial brush when I paint some of my backgrounds on larger surfaces because of the way the bristles are cut...what a chisel edge you get with this brush....so once again it is using what works.
Your surface is another thing that is important in creating ones own style. When you find a surface that "works for you" stay with it. I love the portrait grade canvas boards that I purchase that are hand made the best. I could probably do them myself but why when someone else does such a professional, job? I also prefer smaller canvas pieces cause I love the walls of art that you see....I don't care for huge, big pieces. The smaller finished pieces are also more affordable ... and I love owning other artists work who also do art and have pieces that are affordable vs. thousands of dollars.... Just my preference....but if it is my preference on a limited income. Seems as if you can always fit in a little piece of art somewhere...maybe somewhere where just an extra something is needed/wanted. I like element painting where just a piece of something is painted and not the whole thing.... Much like the half car that I painted on a clock that was published and is in a current issue of PaintWorks. Out of the box, different, is fun.
The Foliage Wave brushes in the Designer Series are the ultimate for lacey, light, airy foliage. I have been known to (better plug your ears) clean the fabric softener resitue in my washing machine and also clean the lettering to make the brush flare like I want it to do. Sometimes I even cut brushes to get what I think I want when I can't find one somewhere else. I don't sell them....I just tell others what I have done to fulfill a need in my paintings in hopes it will help someone else. There are a lot of artists who support to support and others who support because they feel so adamant about the product. ( Kinda like I am with Glamour Dust Paints by Americana Decoart. I LOVE these paints..and use them whenever I can. They just add a special little glow to a finished piece when used appropriately within the painting. Some on water for that sparkle, in a eye a speck will make the eyes seem to follow you wherever you go. Just special, special paints.)
Since I love nature and all that is soft, and beautiful and spiritual landscapes are my favorite to paint. I love the fall and winter so that is mostly what I paint. I love old, rusty, out of the box, etc. I love to feel my art, depth and leave a little to everyones' imagination. I love when my snowy scenes make me actually feel a bit cooler, love a waterfall design when I can get someone to identify with smell of the trees, mustiness of the air, etc.
And portraits when you can catch "personality". Not just a statued portrait but one that has life to it instead of stiff and animate. I paint what I like...what is fun, etc.
So I guess I am saying when surface, brush, paint type/brand, and "person" all work together what happens is pretty much a whole lot of fun, for a whole lot of people when you journey, and learn, and
try, and succeed and even fail. To fail at something is to learn...
Who needs a LOT of technical, book learned jargon when you paint what is inside? Purchase some good technical books written by artists not those who are just literary authors....practice what they provide in knowledge and you are on your way. As artists we want to know how to achieve what we see in our minds eye.... The best way to paint is "to paint".
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