Broken paintbrush drawing how to#

However there are slight different variations for how it’s used with each medium: The scumbling technique can be used with any painting or drawing medium. Which mediums can you use with the scumbling technique? This creates a sense of light and shadow, which gives the portrait a lifelike quality.

The paint is applied in very thin layers, allowing the underpainting to show through in places. In this painting by John Singer Sargent, Madame X, the artist has used scumbling to suggest the sitter’s translucent skin. Scumbling can also be used to great effect in portraiture. This creates a sense of atmospheric perspective. The buildings in the foreground are more detailed than those in the background, which become increasingly blurred. In this painting, The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, 16th October 1834, Turner has used scumbling to suggest smoke and debris in the air, as well as to create a sense of depth. Turner: The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons J.M.W Turner used the scumbling technique extensively in his paintings, particularly to create the effect of fog or mist in the distance.

Practice on scrap paper before trying this technique on your final painting.

Experiment with different colours and brushstrokes to create unique effects.

Use a light touch when applying the paint to avoid overworking the surface.

Scumbling can be used to create different effects such as:

Allow the scumbling layer to dry completely before adding more paint or blending it into the surrounding area.

Work the brush into the surface, if you’re using a stiff brush, use the bristles to remove excess paint to create a scratchy looking layer.

You could opt to use a paper towel to absorb excess paint first, if the brush is too wet to create a broken textured effect.

Load your brush with paint and apply it to the surface.

Choose the colour you want to use for your scumbling layer.

Broken paintbrush drawing how to#

How to apply paint with the scumbling technique: Steps The dry brush technique works especially well for wet and runny media like watercolour or gouache paint, where it is necessary to use a soft brush. Swipe the brush across the surface to achieve an broken and rough texture. The brush doesn’t have to be completely loaded with paint, you could absorb some of the excess paint with a paper towel to create a scumble with a dry brush. For example, J.M.W Turner used the scumbling technique to create the effect of fog in the distance.īe expressive and gestural with your brush, this way you’ll be most likely to achieve more texture and get paint on the surface faster. Previous layers of colour will show through, where the stiff brush marks break the surface of the wet paint. This is because the purpose of scumbling isn’t to achieve fine detail, but to emulate the appearance of texture. The paint is applied in a light layer over the surface of the painting, in quick sweeping motions. Snow Storm Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth It works better with a brush that is a little drier and with thicker paint if you’re using oil or acrylic paint. You can use this technique with watercolour, but use a soft brush that is slightly drier to apply paint.ĭespite the medium you use, make sure to work on a dry surface with this technique. Scumbling is typically done with a brush that has stiff bristles, such as a hog’s hair brush for oil painting or a stiff synthetic brush for acrylic painting. You can either use it for the entire painting or for specific areas that you want to draw attention to. There are various ways to use scumbling in a painting. How to use the scumbling technique in a painting This is because the marks of two disparate colours, with one overlaying the other, look as if they have been mixed, when the viewer stands back from the artwork. This creates a kind of optical illusion for the viewer. When the broken paint film of the scumbled layer is seen next to colours in previous layers, the viewer’s eyes will mix colours optically.

The technique works to alter previous layers of colour. This technique is often used with lighter, opaque pigments, to brighten dark shadow areas. Artists can apply the paint with a scrubbing motion, to create the scratchy looking surface texture. The colour beneath will be visible to the viewer, which creates variation and interest. Scumbling is a painting technique, in which a thin layer of opaque or semi-opaque color is applied over a dry base, the layer will be applied in such a way so that it appears broken.