personalizing your detailing brush

one thing i've learned is that doll-painting is an art-form in itself.  coming from a background of large scale, big-brush stroke painting, i am learning what is required to go from a four-foot canvas to a three inch doll.  aside from concentration, an essential, must-have tool is the perfect brush.  for most of the doll painting, i like to use the flat brush (a flat wash brush, size 1/2" to 3/4"). for painting ties, bows, and mustaches, i must have a tiny round brush. if the brush isn't round enough (and we use dynasty round #1), then it must be cut it to size.  an obvious obligation, i suppose, but something i had never before been required to do.  once i did this, my life was a whole lot easier! here's how you can do it:

start with your round brush and a tiny pair of scissors:

simply divide the bristles into half, and cut off a big chunk of bristles, as close to the gold base as you can.

and there you have it.  you're new brush.  you can't buy them like that, they must be personalized.  (and just as a side-note, salvador dali was known to have cut his brushes down to only 1 and 3 bristles!  imagine!!!)