Wickham Park Community Center
2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne FL 32935

“Somethin’ Fishy” Brusho Play Day with Jan

Basic Brusho Techniques we’ll explore with our fish:

1. Controlled: Drawing fish with only water, dropping small bits of powder in. Remember Less is more!! And hold the Brusho bottle down close to your paper. Let it sit for a minute to activate. Dust off extra powder. Then using a damp brush, move paint around to create fins and tails.
2. Dry application: dropping the powder on dry paper. Spritzing with water (which scatters the powder everywhere), or using a wet brush over the powder to create washes of color. Create beautiful backgrounds for later after it dries!
3. Wet in wet – applying powders to wet surface: Dropping/sprinkling powder on spritzed surface. Remember: less is more! And hold the Brusho bottle down close to your paper. Tilt, blow, run, blot. (Lift off excess water with paper towel or tissue). Use a brush to create seaweed and corals for a background.
4. Bleach (50-70% diluted with water): Using diluted bleach in a brush pen to lift out highlights. Or use the brush pen with a stencil.
5. Embellishment: Using gel pens, Posca markers, etc after your painting has dried.
6. Collage: use your test papers to cut or tear into shapes. Glue them on a dry Brusho background.
7. Cards: Father’s Day is just around the corner!

Supplies:

• • Paper towels
  • 2 Water containers
  • Set of watercolors/palette
  • Watercolor papers (cheap is fine)
  • Backing boards to tape papers to
  • Disposable gloves
  • Apron
  • Fine mist spray/spritz bottles
  • Masking tape
  • Old watercolor brushes
  • Pencil

Optional things you might bring: Brusho powdered pigments (if you have it, or you can use mine), markers, Posca acrylic markers, white or gold gel pen, glue stick, and white crayon.

Brusho Tips:

1. Less is more! Less powder! Less water! Less messing once dropped!
2. Don’t open the bottle! The best way to use Brusho is to leave the cap on but pierce the top with a thumbtack. This allows you to sprinkle a little Brusho at a time. A little goes a long way! When storing, leave the thumbtack in as a stopper.
3. It Floats!!! Fans, wind, spritzing, and hair dryers scatter powder everywhere! This ultra fine powder floats and drifts off. Turn off fans. Be careful of sprays when spritzing dry powder. Protect/cover up other areas. People with respiratory issues should probably wear a mask.
4. Brusho stains everything it touches! Protect surfaces, clothing, manicures. Gloves recommended.
5. Sprinkle light colors first. Choose colors that go well together. Remember if you mix all 3 primaries it = muddy colors.
6. If you use bleach, make sure its in a brush marker. Blot quickly. Let it dry.
7. Before framing. When thoroughly dry, hold the painting over a large trash can and dust off the extra crystals and powder. Apply 2 or 3 coats of a high quality, archival spray lacquer with UV protectant – like Golden or Lascaux sprays. Always use the clear lacquer first so your darks don’t dull down. You can use a matte lacquer for the final coat.

Cost:

Members – FREE
Non-Members – $20

Registration Form

Please complete and submit the form below to register. Limited to 32 participants, first priority given to members. Non-members and guests pay at the workshop. Questions? Contact bwsminiwkshp@gmail.com.