Expert: Patti - 3/27/2011

Question
Dear Patti, I was just wondering if you could help me out with a technique problem I'm having. Do you know of any way to make a stroke of strong acrylic paint graadually fade to clear or no paint on the other side? I hope you understand what I mean! Thanks for your help!

Answer

Hi Liz,

First, make sure your paint is the correct consistency. It should be the consistency of light to heavy dairy cream, and brush bristles should be well dampened and lightly blotted on paper towel just before painting.

To get the "fade out" of a brush stroke, you can do it a couple of different ways:

1. Load the brush with paint, and press the brush down at the "starting point" so that the bristles fan out then gently pull and lift the brush handle towards yourself, as you want to fade out the paint.

2. On the dry canvas, lay down the color instead lifting/ or applying less pressure to the brush, use only water to spread out the paint to the desired fade out effect.

3. Dampen the area where you want to fade out with water. Load your brush with paint, and make your stroke about half as long as you want it to be. While it's still wet go over the entire length of the stroke you just laid down with only water on your brush, extending it now to the entire area that you want to fill.

4. Yet another way is to lay down your color on one side, and lay down white on the area that you want the fade out to end. Use a large brush to work the first color towards the white, clean the brush well, and use it to work the still wet white paint towards the first color. In the middle where they meet work the brush vigorously to make it a seamless blend of color.

In each of the methods, you can control the density of color by going over the fade out with only clean water on your brush, and by using paper towel to dab up some of the paint while it's still wet. You'll want to practice these techniques before attempting them on your painting.

Feel free to get back to me if I can be of further help.

Regards,
Patti