How to Use a Large Flat Brush

Sometimes, you see that your painting has too much texture, or that some areas look too dry, or that an area needs to have an overlaid wash. One of the solutions is to use a big flat brush.

In today’s critique to this student’s watercolor painting of a red apple, I am showing you how to use a one-inch flat hake brush to eliminate the unwanted texture in the apple area to give it the feeling of a smooth surface. I also use this flat brush to add an overlaid wash to the shadow and cast-shadow areas.

Some people who haven’t used enough of a large flat brush to paint are usually afraid to use it to paint in a small area. In this demo, you will see the techniques of how I use the flat brush for different purposes.