5 things that can be used instead of a paint brush

I love painting with a brush but there is something really fun and exciting about ditching those brushes and using alternative tools and supplies for painting! Here are five of my favorite things to use instead of a paint brush.

BRAYER

A brayer is one of my favorites tools for applying paint because you have the ability to spread uniform layers of paint onto a surface. I love rolling that color onto paper or canvas when I want to quickly fill that surface with color.

PALETTE KNIFE
A palette knife can be a really fun alternative to using a paint brush! Typically a palette knife is used for mixing paint but it can also be used to apply paint. These days there are all kinds of palette knives (and even decorative scrapers) with different tips and edges that can be used in many creative ways.

FINGERS AND HANDS

One of my favorite ways to apply paint is to use my hands, my fingers and my arms.There is something so raw and powerful about using your hands to apply paint and the best part is that there are no other tools or materials that make a mark like your own hands!

ANYTHING FROM NATURE

I love using anything from nature (flowers, leaves, twigs, feathers, etc) dipped into paint to use instead of a brush. Flowers and leaves make wonderful tools to create really expressive marks and lines.

CREDIT CARD OR CARDBOARD
I LOVE using an old credit card, gift card or piece of cardboard to drag, swipe and scrape paint onto a surface. It is such a fun way to add quick, colorful and expressive layers to a painting.