Choosing art tools — Art, 4–6
Different tools leave different marks and help you do different jobs. You can choose the tool that suits your idea.
One tool, one kind of mark
A crayon, brush, sponge and finger can all put colour on paper, but they do not make the same mark. A brush can make a smooth wash, while a sponge can make little dabs. Try a tool, look at its mark, and choose it for the job you want to do.
Why choose a tool?
Artists need ways to make the marks they imagine, not just any marks. Someone painting a rainy sky may want a soft brush, while someone making grass may want a thin pencil. The problem is not finding the one correct tool; it is finding a tool that helps your idea appear.
Making a rainy sky
First, choose blue paint and a wide brush for the sky. Next, wet the brush and spread the blue gently, so the paper has a soft-looking area. Then choose a thin brush and add short grey strokes for rain. The wide brush made the sky quickly; the thin brush made the small marks.
The tool is not the picture
It is easy to think that a special brush or a new pencil will make the picture good by itself. That feels reasonable because tools really do change marks. But the tool only helps; you still decide where to put it, how much pressure to use, and when to stop.
Tools in the world
Illustrators choose pens, brushes or tablets for different kinds of pictures. Decorators choose rollers for wide walls and small brushes for corners. You make the same kind of decision when you use a big sponge to wash a toy or a small cloth to clean one tiny spot.
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