Painting for Great Results

It takes time to become good, accurate and fast with a paint brush. Have patience with yourself if you're just starting out. Work on your quality first, then on speed. This way you will speed up your quality work rather than start and speed up with sloppy work.

1. Plan carefully and get all the materials you will need. Most painting projects require more than paint, brushes or rollers. Have extra masking tape in several widths available along with scissors, a pencil and several rags to clean up spills. If you're inside, slide furniture to center of room and cover with plastic or canvas.
2. If inside, cover your floor with canvas dropcloths since paint spills will dry quickly on canvas without soaking through.
3. Take the time to adequately prepare all surfaces for painting. Proper spackling, sanding, etc. will make a big difference in the finished appearance. For instance, crayon and water stains can bleed through several coats of new paint and should be primed with an alcohol-base stain sealer. Ask your paint dealer about special circumstances.
4. Before using, work your paint brush back and forth across your open fingers to remove any dust, dirt, loose bristles or unwanted particles.
5. Proper paint dipping is important! Make sure the can is not over half filled. Dip your brush no more than halfway up the bristles. Slap the insides of the can or bucket lightly with both sides of your brush, then take it out and brush with it. Don't scrape the paint off on the bucket sides or can rim since that removes most of the paint and won't leave you with much paint to work with.
6. Try to brush with a harmony, a rhythm, at a certain upbeat pace, using steady, even strokes. Always lift the brush up gradually at the end of each stroke.
7. Hold your brush much like you would a pencil, near the base of the bristles. This provides a more comfortable, controlled grip.
8. Always try to paint in the direction of the grain of the wood. Exterior surfaces should be painted from the top toward the ground.
9. Brush into the wet area. Paint should be applied to a dry area and then worked into the wet area. This permits any overlap to blend.
10. Paint with the tips of your brush, never the sides. Hold the brush at about a 45 degree angle to the surface and work mostly with your wrist rather than your arms and shoulders.
11. If your brushing strokes become stiff, sticky, or non-flowing, you may need to thin your paint down a bit. Use the appropriate thinner for oil-base, water for latex.

Courtesy of Purdy Worldwide

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