Day 6 – Stems, Tendrils, and Tiny Twigs

Fine Line Practice

Technique level: Basic to Intermediate
Duration: ~20–30 minutes

Objective:
Practice creating clean, flowing fine lines with a pointed brush – essential for painting slender plant structures like stems, tendrils, pine needles, and delicate twigs. This exercise sharpens brush control and pressure sensitivity.

Materials:

• Smooth cold press or hot press paper (avoid heavy texture today)
• Fine round brush (size 2 or smaller; a good rigger/liner brush works beautifully)
• Pigments: Earth tones, greens, or muted neutrals
• Scrap paper for warm-up
• Optional: real twigs or plants to observe closely

Steps:

1. Warm Up: On scrap paper, load your brush with diluted pigment and practice making fine lines. Try light pressure, then add more weight, then lighten again – like a calligraphy stroke.
2. Sketch a Few Twigs: On your good paper, lightly draw a few curved lines as guides – mimic the arcs of a vine or branching twig.
3. Load and Flow: Load your brush with pigment (not too watery!) and paint over the pencil lines in one steady motion. Let the tip do the work – keep a light touch.
4. Vary the Lines: Add tiny offshoots, curling tendrils, broken twiggy ends. Practice making some with a dry brush for extra texture.
5. Bonus Details: Add small buds, seed pods, or tiny leaves at the tips for character, using just a few simple shapes.

Focus:

• Keep your wrist relaxed – use arm movement for smoother curves.
• Vary your pressure to thicken or taper the lines naturally.
• Notice how your brush holds pigment – when do lines start to fade or break?

Bonus Tip:
Try using the belly of the brush to start thicker at the base of a twig, then lift to a point for the tip. This gives a sense of weight and growth direction.