Everything that I share with you about painting is my own opinion,I make no attempts to say this is THE way something should be done,it's just a few things I've learned over the years.

DON'T think you can't paint! Or think that you are doing it wrong! As far as I am concerned,there is no right or wrong way to paint.Every great work of art is an original,and that is exactly what yours will be also!! Any number of people can do the exact same pattern and each one of them are going to be original,no two are ever exactly the same,even if coming from the same painter! Have a little faith in yourself,you can do it!!:o)

Okay,enough of my lecturing,on to the tips.....

If you are wanting to shade something and aren't sure of the right color to use for this purpose,use a tiny drop of black in with your original color,if it is to dark,add a small amount of your original color till you acheive the coloring desired. Play with this till you have found the color of shading desired,can be thinned down if wanted.

If wanting to highlight a piece and unsure of color to use,use a drop of white paint with your original color,working with it till you get the color desired.

If you think you have ruined your brush because of dry paint,try soaking the brush tips in alcohol.DON'T leave it sitting in it however! First, you are smashing your bristles,which is a no-no,second,if left in alcohol for to long,the alcohol will dissolve the glue in the ferrel that holds the bristles in place! A trick I use for this--I keep a small piece of styrofoam handy for this purpose. Dip your brush into the alcohol letting it get good and wet,stick the other end of the brush into the styrofoam (with the brush bristles hanging down) and set the foam between two objects tall enough that your brush bristles are not touching the surface (so they won't be smashed),place a paper plate or several papertowels underneath if you are worried about it dripping onto your surface.Let the brush sit there for at least an hour if the paint is really dried up in the brush. Later,wash your brush as usual,reshaping brush tip when done.Depending on how bad the brush is,you may need to do this several times,IF you wash it out well each time,it won't harm your brush.

Tired of paying the high price for those paint pallet sheets? Don't!! You can save a bundle if you use plain old wax paper instead! Or if you are really cheap-like me-wash those used foam "fine china" plates after you're done eating! If the food wasn't greasy,I wash them and save for paint pallets.And if you are REALLY cheap-after using them,let the old paint dry,then peel it off and use it again!:o)

Another use for wax paper-Ever see a new brush stroke in a book that you want to try,but don't want to spend the money for the "reuseable" mat that they try to sell you to practice on? If you don't want to do in the book,trace the brush stroke onto a regular piece of paper or have it copied,lay your wax paper on top and practice away! When you're done,save it,pitch it,whatever.You've just learned a new brush stroke and still have that extra $10.00 in your pocket!

If you have to leave whatever you are painting and already have paint out,save it from drying and going to waste-keep a couple of spray can tops or even small margarine bowls just for this purpose. Simply cover your paint with one of these and it will keep your paint from drying out on you for awhile. This won't save it over night,but long enough for you to answer the phone or attend to the kids,etc...

If you want an older look for some of your pieces with little effort,paint as wanted,then apply a light coat of a light colored stain right over the paint,wipe off any excess,let dry.If you want it darker,do it again till desired shade of darkness,then seal as usual. Can really change the looks of a piece easily like this.

If you are wanting a primative look to something,don't sand it!!! So many times I've seen people sand a piece till it looked like it had been waxed,and then they wonder why it won't look old! Old things are rough and aged,hence,don't sand.

For even more primaitive look-hit it! You can achieve a lot of great looks by beating your wood piece up!:o) Use a rock,piece of chain,hammer,ice pick,whatever you want,to give a piece an old look.If all else fails,give it to a couple of little kids and tell them to not hurt it!! You know you're going to get it back looking aged to perfection! LOL

Tip: Got an old sponge paintbrush? (Or a new one will do nicely) Take your scissors and cut only the sponge surface with small slits going in all directions. Do this to the front, back and sides. Cut away tiny chunks of sponge to create a hole filled uneven surface. Stop when it looks totally messed up and ready for the gargage can!!! This makes a great sponge with a handle for sponging large areas. from-Machelle

A small hint of something I do with brushes and it seems to work pretty well. After I wash my brushes thoroughly (I use acrylics), I dip them in hair gel, shape them, and let them dry. Seems to hold the bristles together pretty well.from-Bev