Out lining designs

Hi guys, I realise that if you outline you design it can make a huge difference and make it pop, but I cant get my lines thin enough. I have tried using a Lowe Cornell #2, Roymac #0 and script liners, but it seems that they hold to much paint or separate when outlining teardrops etc. The weather has been very humid here and my black doesnt dry out and it very gloopy.. even with the hole in the middle. Any help or ideas.. other than practice.. whats really help you technique or brush.. etc Thanks Kylie

I use a #2 sable - a variety of brands and small liners (the ones with the shorter loofe, not the long "rigger" type.)

You will need to get your paint fairly liquid - sort of the consistency of liquid acrylic craft paint. I just keep adding water to make a hole full of black the right consistency.

I'm just culling my brushes as several of my #2s have started to splay and not hold a point... they don't last forever.

Other than that... practice, practice, practice.

Exactly what Shannon said plus having a very light hand and keeping your brush perpendicular to the face.
When you load your brush make sure to twist a bit to get a nice point as you come off your cake as well. Hope it clicks for you!

I'm definitely not a great out-liner but I second what Martha said: a light hand. I have trouble getting the combo of light hand and good control. Somehow one or the other takes over so I practice that a lot.

Not sure what paint you are using for your outlines but I dont like Tag for it at all. If you're not already try wolfe, its my favourite, however if I have been using too much water need to leave the lid off and let it dry after you've finished with it

Practice on a moving target! I can paint my arm like a champ, but give me a squirmer and I realize how much practice I need!

I only use tag.. I might need to look at getting some wolfe black and white..

while long bristles might be great for painting on paper or something, I've found for face painting that I need very short bristles and something with a good amount of spring to it. Not hard, but not super soft or it'll go all squishy on you. As long as the paint is good and wet, I don't think brand matters all that much... I use nothing but Snazaroo and I can do fine with it while other people hate it.

I don't usually make thin lines! my lines are most of the times strong and a bit thicker! I do use a liner for finer lines though or a thinner brush..

Let's your paint is getting gloppy but you want to make fine thing lines. In order to do that you need more water to thin the paint out for thin lines, BUT adding more water will further glop your paint. Can you say connundrum? The only solution I can think of is to have a separate small container (somewhat like an emptty dippy pot) where you can mixup some black and thin it accordingly. I don't mean pre mixing a quatity of thinned black paint and keeping at the end of the gig. I mean using the container as a mixing placet that you go to with your loaded thin brush when you need to thin it out with a little more water. That way, your main black cake doesn't get super gloppy. You could even but a wedge out of your cake and use that empty space as a mixing area...just don't add more water than you need for the face you're painting...you don't want it seeping to your cake.

I personally have given up on trying to maintain water in a well in my paint...the paint just soaks it up and gets soft. Good Luck!

Tag white is too thick for linework. Wolfe is my favorite! I like a thin consistancy and I wipe a lot of the excess off on the back of my hand to create a good point.

I am in love with TAG pearl black, and a Mark Reid round 2. Super amazing lines.

rthling wrote:I am in love with TAG pearl black, and a Mark Reid round 2. Super amazing lines.

Me too!!!

my favourite brush for when I want to do very fine lines is Royal Garden #1 and I like DFX black/white for that

For tear drops I use a #2 or a #4, smaller than that and I don't get enough 'spread' of the brush to create the thicker blobby bit of the teardrop

I have only just subscribed to fabatv today and i cant stop watching it. Mark Reid does a wonderful tutorial on linework and i have already learnt so much. So if you havent subscribed yet, i think its worth the money, especially with the aud/usd exchange rate atm.