The Niji Water Brush Tips

Happy Monday all!  I hope your week is getting off to a good start.  Today, I want to share a few observations I've made recently using some fabulous products from Altered Pages.  This month, we are cross-promoting with Niji water brushes.    If you have any, then you know how fabulous they are.  If you have no idea what they are, I am going to share with you the wonders of the water brush!

Niji Water brush, Niji pearlescent watercolors, AP collage image

While working on my upcoming Two for Tuesday post (will be available tomorrow), I really got into some cool techniques while using my Niji water brushes .  A full tutorial and supply list for my project will be available then, but for now, I just want to discuss some of my fun discoveries.

One of the products I used with my water brushes was also made by the same company, Yasutomo.  It is their Niji pearlescent watercolors.  These are a translucent, but pearlized, watercolor with a tiny bit of beautiful shimmer.  I first squeezed some water from my brush into each paint pan.  I let it sit and soak into the paints.  Then, I could use my water brushes to make the paint very creamy to apply a larger amount to my project.  At the same time, with a simple squeeze of the handle. I could expel water from my water brush to increase the blending ability of my colors.  I actually used five, yes, five, colors to achieve a color match with my collage image.  I could re-hydrate my paints, as needed, without ever going to a water jar and trying to adjust the amount of water I needed.  It was right there in the brush.  Awesome!

Some other uses for these water brushes is to scribble Gelatos onto your craft sheet, squeeze a bit of water into the bristles of the brush to liquify them into a watercolor paint, and color even the smallest details on your image.

Try picking up colors from your stamp pads, your spray mists, like Dylusions, or blend any water-based inks with the brush.  I would, however, tap my stamp pads onto my craft sheet first and pick the color from the craft sheet, rather than directly from the pad.  It won't hurt your pad, but it can water down the color on the pad if you squeeze too much water into the bristles.  You may not want that effect the next time you go to use your ink pad.

Another fun idea is to have a set of them, filled with a mixture of water and some of your favorite reinkers.  A few drops or less of a reinker and water gives you an instant colored water brush.  Can you just imagine the ease of coloring with a set of these, all to your own specifications?  And being able to refill them is a real money saver right there.

Then, there is the advantage of having a brush and water without all the mess while you travel, whether it is to a crop, a get-together with your friends, or travel by plane, train, or car.  These brushes simply cannot be beat.

I hope I have inspired you to check out this must-have tool.  No artist's tool box should be without one, two, three, or more of these.  Oh, and they do come in different sizes and brush tips.  So, be sure to visit Altered Pages online shop for all your mixed media needs.

Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to come back tomorrow to see, not only my Two for Tuesday project showing more fun with these awesome brushes, but the entire design team's projects, as well.  There will be lots of inspiration to keep your creative juices flowing for quite awhile.

Have a wonderful, creative week!

Barbara