Blending & Paint Brushes

A blending brush has firm, dense bristles that let you pick up ink or paint and work it into soft, even color across a surface, or push it through a stencil for a shaded effect. You'll see them used a lot with Distress inks and oxides for background work, but they work just as well for softening acrylic paint edges on a journal page.

A blending brush is dry and used to push pigment around on a surface. A waterbrush has a hollow barrel you fill with water, so it acts more like a paintbrush, letting color move, blend and go translucent the way watercolor does. Want soft, marker-like shading? Reach for a blending brush. Want that loose, watery look? Grab the waterbrush instead.

Fewer than you'd think. A round brush for detail work, a flat or angled brush for backgrounds and one blending brush will cover most projects. You can always add specialty brushes, like a fan brush for texture or a splatter brush for spatter effects, once you know what techniques you gravitate toward.

Rinse them right after you use them. Don't let paint or ink dry in the bristles. Work a little mild soap into the bristles with your fingers, rinse until the water runs clear, then reshape the brush head and lay it flat to dry. Letting water pool at the ferrule (the metal part) over time is what causes bristles to loosen and fall out early.

Stiff bristles hold their shape under pressure, so they're good for scrubbing texture into a background or applying thicker paint. Soft bristles move more fluidly and work better for gentle layering, watercolor washes or blending where you don't want visible brush strokes.

You can, but it shortens the brush's life. Ink and paint have different consistencies, and switching between them without a thorough cleaning in between can leave residue that affects your next project. If you journal often, it's worth having a couple of go-to brushes so you're not constantly deep-cleaning one brush between mediums.

Exactly what it sounds like: flicking small drops of ink or paint across a page for texture and movement. Load the bristles lightly, then run your finger across them (or tap the handle against your other hand) to release a fine spray. It's a fast way to add depth to an otherwise flat background.