3 Unusual Painting Tools You Probably Have at Home
Would you like some inspiration for different unusual tools that you’ve probably got lying around the house to add some interest, and some variety, and different textures, and marks to your paintings? Check out today’s video, because I have three unusual tools to share with you!
Video Transcript: 3 Unusual Painting Tools You Probably Have at Home
So I’m very excited to show you these tools today because they’re probably things that you’ve, unknowingly, got lying around the house already.
Provided that you’ve already got some paint and perhaps some paper or a canvas, you can get started experimenting and see what marks you can make right away.
Unusual Tool #1 – Kitchen Sponge
The first tool I wanted to share with you is the very humble kitchen sponge. Now we explore a little bit about how you can use sponges in my free e-course, Get Started with Painting & Creativity e-course, that you can get at nicolanewman.com/flourishwithpainting.
Basically you can use these for all kinds of different processes.
You can stamp with them. You can drag them and make interesting, kind of, squiggly dragging marks, and you can also cut them up into different shapes.
As you can see I’ve cut these blue ones into different shapes and sizes to vary the different marks that you can achieve. So that’s tool number one, kitchen sponges.
Of course natural sponges would be beautiful as well, and they have even more irregularities because they’re natural, and they’re not manufactured. If you can get your hands on a natural sponge, even better.
Unusual Tool #2 – Plastering Spatula
Tool number two is something that if you’re a little bit handy around the house, and have done some plastering, you’re likely to have some of these. This is basically a workman’s tool, but you can pick them up from the hardware store.
I have actually done a video demonstrating how I love to use these with oil paints. You can load up the edge with some oil paint, either with one color or a couple of different colors, and then with a soft wrist just drag it across your paintings surface, and you’ll end up with these amazing muddled marks.
Make sure you get yourself a little set of these builders trawls, I think they’re called, or spatulas.
They come in all different widths as well, and if you can get a few different widths get a wide one, a middle sized one, and a narrow one, you’ll be on your way to making a whole broad range of new marks in your paintings.
One other favorite thing I like to do with it is stamp it like this, and you get these lovely very straight, sort of, marks. That’s tool number two.
Unusual Tool #3 – Spray Bottle
Tool number three you can go for a little visit to your laundry cupboard and you’ll probably find a spray bottle. Now the spray bottle is one of my favorite ways to help people get started with a painting.
You can simply drop some paint onto your canvas, and then using a spray bottle, spray away on the canvas, and then turn your canvas around and it will drip and make all these different, amazing, interesting marks.
That’s just one of the ways that we cover in the five fun ways to get started with paintings in my paid program, Flourish with Painting & Creativity, but I’m giving you that tip because it’s so much fun and I want you to be able to have a play with it right away.
But if you’re looking for more inspiration, and more exercises that you can follow along with me step by step, and feel really nurtured and guided in the process, by all means check out Flourish with Painting & Creativity because it’s a fantastic program, and it’s loads and loads of fun.
That will reward you for many years to come.
So there’s my three tools that you’ve probably got lying around that house.
Feel free to share with us in the comments below if you’ve got ideas for other tools that you like to use. I know people have different things that they love to use for stamping or scraping, and I’d love to hear from you what your favorites are.
I’m wishing you a fantastic week. Be kind to yourself. Nurture your creativity, and I’ll see you next time.
-Nicola
Did you miss last week’s post? Check it out here: How Spaciousness Increases Your Creativity