What craft to make from a paint brush. Home analogues of professional manicure tools. Harvesting hair or bristles

Even the smallest nail brushes I can find are often too big for me. I know you can order fairly small brushes online, but I don't like ordering online and waiting for everything to arrive, it literally drives me crazy. I once ordered a sable fur brush from the Sally Hansen online store, painted one stripe with it and dipped it in acetone to clean it, as I usually do with all brushes, and when I took the brush out of the acetone, I discovered that all the lint was gone - I'm not kidding . Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. I think another reason I don't like ordering online is because the mail isn't delivered directly to your home and you have to pick up the packages from the post office.. but that's a whole different story.

In any case, I'm more inclined to look in the art departments of big box stores or specialty art stores along the way to see what brushes they have on sale. Usually you can find brushes there for one or two dollars. So, if you can’t find a brush small enough for nail design, you can make your own quite easily. All you need are nail scissors, or, what I prefer, cuticle clippers.

Having bought a cheap brush, I simply take my pliers and run them around the base of the handle, cutting off small sections of the hair, gradually moving towards the middle. I try to keep the cut edge more or less the same width so that when I get the brush to the thinness I want, the remaining hair will be in the middle of the brush and not pushed to the side.

Continue trimming small sections of hair evenly around the entire circumference of the brush until you feel it is thin enough for you.

Below are a few of my brushes, you can see how thin some of them are. You will also notice that among the five brushes I photographed, I have two similar brushes with black handles. The only difference is that I trimmed the bristles of one of the brushes more thinly.

In general, when I find a good cheap brush, I usually buy a few of them so that I can make several nail art brushes of different sizes and have spare brushes in case one gets too worn out, or I end up ruining it or losing it. .

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All children love to draw. But sometimes things don’t turn out the way a child wants. Or maybe he doesn’t have enough familiar ways to express himself? Then you can inspire him to experiment with different techniques, among which there is sure to be a favorite one. After this, your child will probably want to invent something new.

website I have collected the most interesting techniques for you.

Dot patterns

First we draw the simplest squiggle. Then, using a cotton swab and paints (gouache or acrylic), we make intricate patterns to suit your taste. It is better to pre-mix the paints and dilute them slightly with water on the palette.

Frottage

A technique familiar and loved by many since childhood. We place an object with a slightly protruding relief under a sheet of paper and paint over it with pastel, chalk or an unsharpened pencil.

Foam prints

Having dipped a sponge in thick gouache, the child can draw landscapes, bouquets of flowers, lilac branches or animals.

Blotography

One option: drop paint onto a sheet and tilt it in different directions to create an image. Second: the child dips the brush into the paint, then places the blot on a sheet of paper and folds the sheet in half so that the blot is imprinted on the second half of the sheet. Then he unfolds the sheet and tries to understand who or what the drawing resembles.

Hand and foot prints

It's simple: you need to dip your foot or palm in the paint and make an imprint on paper. And then use your imagination and add a couple of details.

Paint patterns

For such an application you need to apply a thick layer of paint onto the paper. Then, using the opposite end of the brush, scratch patterns on the still wet paint - various lines and curls. When dry, cut out the desired shapes and paste them onto a thick sheet of paper.

Fingerprints

The name speaks for itself. You need to paint your finger with a thin layer and make an imprint. A couple of strokes with a felt-tip pen - and you're done!

Monotype

A design is applied to a flat, smooth surface (for example, glass) with paint. Then a sheet of paper is applied, and the print is ready. To make it more blurry, the sheet of paper must first be wetted. Once everything is dry, you can add details and outlines if desired.

Scratch

The highlight of the work is that the drawing needs to be scratched. A sheet of cardboard is densely shaded with spots of multi-colored oil pastels. Then you need to mix black gouache with soap on a palette and paint over the entire sketch. When the paint is completely dry, use a toothpick to scratch the design.

Air colors

To make the paint, mix a tablespoon of self-raising flour, a few drops of food coloring and a tablespoon of salt. Add a little water to the consistency of thick sour cream and mix well. The paint can be placed in a pastry syringe or in a small bag. Tie tightly and cut the corner. We draw on paper or regular cardboard. Place the finished drawing in the microwave at maximum mode for 10-30 seconds.

Marbled paper

Paint a sheet of paper with yellow acrylic paint. When it is completely dry, paint it again with diluted pink paint and immediately cover it with cling film. The film needs to be crumpled and gathered into folds, since they are the ones that will create the desired pattern. We wait until it dries completely and remove the film.

Painting with water

Using watercolors, draw a simple shape and fill it with water. Until it dries, we put colored blots on it so that they mix with each other and form smooth transitions like this.

Prints of vegetables and fruits

Vegetables or fruits need to be cut in half. Then you can cut out some kind of pattern on it or leave it as is. We dip it in paint and make impressions on paper. You can use an apple, potato, carrot or celery for prints.

Leaf prints

The principle is the same. We smear the leaves with paint and make prints on paper.

Drawings with salt

If you sprinkle salt on a watercolor painting that is still wet, it will soak into the paint and create a grainy effect when it dries.

Brush instead of brush


In modern conditions, making a brush with your own hands is usually done using bristles and animal hair. You can make such brushes with your own hands and get a high-quality tool for painting or painting. Depending on the area of ​​use, brushes can be made round or flat. In addition, the pile can be shortened or elongated.

Making a brush with your own hands is not difficult

The most common and high-quality brushes are made from the tail hair of the following animals:

  • badger;
  • column;
  • proteins;
  • gerbils.

Considering the high cost of tools made from animal hair, which were listed above, in homemade brushes this material can be replaced with wool and hair of other animals. In particular, recently instruments made from mink, arctic fox and fox wool have become increasingly common. In addition, waste from fur factories can be used as material. Also, the pile can be made from the wool of camels, sheep or long-haired dogs, as well as from human hair.

Manufacturing technology

The first step in manufacturing is the preparation of bristles or animal hair. In addition, a stand for the hands and material for the handle must be prepared. However, the first thing to start with is choosing the material for the bristle tuft.

Material selection

When choosing a material, you need to focus on what work you plan to use the brush for. So, some materials are suitable for painting with watercolors or oils, while others are suitable for fine painting work. At the same time, there are areas of use that require the use of a certain material. For example, when painting with ink, most artists prefer to use products made from camel wool.


Trimming wool for future brush bristles

Let's look at the main characteristics of the most common homemade brushes, depending on the material used:

  1. Gerbil brushes, as a rule, are made flat with a long or short hair surface. They are distinguished by soft and elastic hair. Therefore, such tools are mainly used for fine painting or painting with oil paints or watercolors. In addition, brushes with gerbil bristles can be used to glaze the varnish coating.
  2. Badger products have a round or flat shape. They are somewhat tougher than the previous version, and therefore they are mainly used for working with oil paints.
  3. Brushes with kolinsky bristles can be flat or round. They have high elasticity and resilience. They are mainly used for fine work, as well as for wet glazing.
  4. Squirrel tassels can only be round. They are exceptionally soft and elastic, so they are mainly used for painting on porcelain or paper.

Hair preparation

It is advisable to start harvesting in early autumn, when animals moult. Individual unsuitable hairs are removed from the collected bundle and trimmed. Next, the trimmed part is placed in a glass for leveling. The resulting hair tuft should be combed out using a comb with sharp teeth.

Carefully combed pile must be bandaged and degreased in clean gasoline. To do this, the bundle is stored in a closed jar for several days, after which it is boiled in a tanning solution to make the hairs non-hygroscopic.


Carefully combed pile is bandaged and degreased

The next stage is hardening, the conditions of which depend on the type of hair. Typically, the hair is kept at 150 degrees for about an hour. For hardening, the bundle is placed on a metal mesh or suspended so that the hairs are well warmed up with air at the required temperature.

Knitting brushes

Pile that has been hardened is suitable for knitting brushes. To do this, a certain number of hairs are taken and lowered into a tin or plastic mold with a conical bottom. This form must be prepared in advance. After you have placed the required number of hairs in the mold, you can make a blank for the brush by tapping on this mold. Next, the bundle of hair is removed and tied, after which the non-working surface is covered with varnish. It is inserted into a metal capsule or clip.

The capsule can be made either from thin metal strips, connecting their edges with an overlap and soldering. In addition, this can also be made seamlessly, which is considered a more acceptable option.

It is recommended to make the capsule from brass or tinplate, as these materials are durable and resistant to corrosion. Its size will depend on the required brush number. Also at this stage, do not forget about such an important element as a brush stand.


A brush stand is an equally important element.

Making a pen

After you have managed to make the pile, you should start making the handle. It is best carved from the following types of wood:

  • pine;
  • alder;
  • birch.

After turning, the handle is coated with colorless varnish or painted with a single-color paint. Next, the beam inserted into the capsule is filled with synthetic glue or other waterproof compound from the wide end. This must be done so that the glue reaches the end of the pile, which is located in the capsule.

After everything has dried, the capsule with a bunch of bristles should be connected to a wooden handle. For strength, it is recommended to additionally crimp the capsule with a wooden handle. The finished handle should be varnished.

Selecting pile length

You need to choose the length of the bristles released from the capsule. The length of the released hair should depend on its elasticity. This is of fundamental importance, because if the bristles are too long, the brush will look disheveled. Otherwise, insufficiently released pile will not pick up a sufficient amount of paint.

After you have decided on the length, the finished brush must be moistened with water and combed until the bristles are as even as possible.

Conclusion

Thus, making a brush with your own hands is a completely affordable procedure. It consists of several stages, one of which is the selection of material. Hair and bristles are selected in this case taking into account the purpose of the brush and financial capabilities.


Let’s try to figure it out together with you how to make a paint brush in five minutes.

Everything is in stores now! Buying any brush quite cheaply is not a problem, but imagine this situation. You need to paint something. Literally two brush strokes. After such short-term use, you will have to throw away the brush. It’s a shame, but there’s nothing you can do; it’s not easy to wash it by hand.

And in this situation, this article will come to your rescue.

How to make a brush for painting with your own hands, very simply and cheaply, which does not need to be thrown away and does not need to be washed, with detailed photographs will be described in it.

What can you make a brush from?

This does not require a lot of time and materials. An old dried brush or any other pen that is comfortable to hold in your hand while painting and a few more details will be enough.


We disassemble the old brush so that the handle remains intact, and throw away the rest.


Next, select an ordinary office clip of the width you need for the brush, and adjust the width of the handle to the width of the clip. It’s better not to cut the handle with a knife, but to saw it off, it will be neater, and there’s no risk that the wood will break off in the wrong place.


To secure the clamp to the handle, you need to select two small and not thick screws. Depending on the diameter of the screws, you need to take two drills. The larger one is for drilling the clamp, and the smaller one is for drilling a hole for the screw in the handle (so that it does not split when tightening the screws).


We drill holes.


Screw the clamp to the handle.


Cut the foam to the required size and insert it into the clamp.


The brush is ready.


The brush for painting is made by yourself, you can use it indefinitely and not worry that the paint will dry out and you will have to throw away the brush. After painting, you simply throw away the used foam rubber, and just wipe the handle lightly to remove traces of paint. You don’t even have to throw away the foam rubber, but leave the brush as it is.


In order for the brush to be ready for further use, simply replace the dried foam rubber with a piece of new one and the brush is ready for use again. You can take any foam rubber, such as you have.

If foam rubber is not found, then you can use a piece of old fabric folded in several layers, a piece of felt or something similar.

As you can see, there are no hopeless situations.