![]() ![]() It is generally not recommended to fill waterbrushes with dilute watercolor nor with calligraphy ink, since both may clog up the brush. Some have an easier, continuous flow of water and others require a definite squeeze to get water out. It doesn't take much water to clean the brush, but it's also easy to refill the waterbrush's reservoir from a tap or a bottle of water.ĭifferent brands work slightly differently. ![]() To clean the brush, simply squeeze it gently to encourage more water to flow out, then wipe it on a tissue. Waterbrushes are useful for on-site sketching, together with a small travel watercolor set, as it eliminates the need to take a container with water. If your local art store doesn't stock them, many online art stores do. Various manufacturers produce waterbrushes, in a few sizes, and in either a round or flat shape. A slow, constant trickle of water comes down the brush's bristles as you use it, and you can get more by squeezing the reservoir.Ī waterbrush is ideal for using with watercolor paints and watercolor pencils, including lifting color directly from them. The two parts screw together and apart very easily. It consists of a head with the brush on it and a handle that's a plastic reservoir that holds water. (It's most obvious on a round brush, rather than a flat one.) A substantial belly on a round watercolor brush enables you to pick up a large quantity of paint at a time.Ī waterbrush is like a combination of a fountain pen and a brush. The belly is, as the name would suggest, the fattest part of a brush. The toe of a brush is the very end of the bristles, while the heel is where the bristles go into the ferrule at the end of the handle (not that you can usually see this without taking a brush apart). A decent-quality ferrule won't rust or come loose. Mop brushes, for instance, can have a ferrule made of plastic and wire. It's usually made from metal, but not exclusively. The ferrule is the part that holds the handle and hairs together and in shape. Most important is that they're firmly held and aren't going to fall out constantly as you paint. What bristles or hairs are in a brush is also variable, depending on what the brush is intended for. You're going to be using it a lot, so it needs to be comfortable to hold. What's more important than length is that the brush feels balanced in your hand. The length is variable, from really short (such as those in travel paint boxes) to really long (ideal for big canvases). The handle of a brush is most often made from wood that's painted or varnished, but it can also be made from plastic or bamboo. All the variabilities can affect your work. This usually results in leaves flying back into the yard.Īt some point the leaves lose their appeal and my thoughts turn to winter when I’m able to relax by the woodstove with my hot toddy.īaytos is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.When choosing a brush, examine each part of it. My grandsons also are very “helpful” as one likes to rake into a pile while the other loves to jump into the above raked pile, making his brother upset. I sure do get the stink eye when I make him move. I’m so lucky my dog, Tucker, always lies on the tarp so it doesn’t blow away. I must admit that some loads go into the field next to me as technically some of the trees do belong to them. I must rake them onto a tarp and drag them onto my yard to mow. Unfortunately, my beautiful maples are over my gravel driveway, so mowing isn’t an option. It’s best to mow and mulch your leaves to top dress your yard. After taking as many nutrients as possible from the leaves and being cut off from the fluid in the branches, they separate and drop to the ground. ![]() Trees build a protective seal between leaves and their branches as the weather turns. Lack of chlorophyll reveals the yellow and orange pigments that already there were but masked during the warmer months.ĭarker red leaves are the result of a chemical change as sugars that get trapped in leaves produce new pigments called anthocyanins that weren’t part of the leaf in the growing season. Trees get less direct sunlight and the chlorophyll in the leaves break down. I’m surrounded by maple trees, which love to show off at the end of summer before they enter winter dormancy.Īs the seasons change, temperatures drop, and the days get shorter. Going for a walk in the woods, taking a drive or just sitting on my back deck to see the riot of brilliant colors makes me smile. As we finish this glorious season, I wanted to share what I do to soak it all in. ![]()
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