What is the Fearless Brush?
Mission Statement: The Fearless Brush is a space for open, honest discussion for self-guided artists, our struggles, the never-ending quest to level up, and making a living along the way.
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Can you Paint with Traditional Gouache on top of Acrylic Gouache?
Over the past few years I’ve been posting a lot of videos about my gouache process. It’s such a fascinating and alluring medium to paint with! But gouache is fairly new to the masses, previously only known to illustrators and animation background painters. Now it seems that every year a new brand of gouache appears, […]
Read MoreGouache Spotlight: Mike Hernandez
The Gouache Spotlight is a segment where I focus on an artist who creates gouache artwork that I admire. I will share some examples and discuss what I find appealing about it. I first discovered Mike’s work in 2019 when it was recommended to me by the Instagram algorithm. I clicked on his profile and […]
Read MoreWhat is a “Color Study” and how does it help you become a better landscape painter?
What is a color study? And how does it help you become a better landscape painter? Let’s break it down. A color study is a painting of a scene but rather than focusing only on creating a beautiful result, the goal is to explore different color combinations (or arrangements). Typically an artist will do multiple […]
Read MoreGetting Started with Gouache in 2023 (advice for beginners)
The question I get the most often on my YouTube channel is “what is the best gouache for beginners?” Followed closely by “what is your favorite gouache?” It’s time to answer those questions! Table of Contents This post may contain affiliate links. Using an affiliate link to purchase your items gives me a small commission […]
Read MoreMy Favorite Sketchbooks as of 2023
My favorite sketchbooks come in a wide variety of papers, colors, sizes and prices. Let’s take a closer look! Jump to the bottom of this page to watch the full video, or read on for the links and some thoughts. Oh and FYI – I’m not sponsored by these companies. All of these thoughts are […]
Read MoreMy Ultralight Travel Sketch Kit (6.24oz / 177grams)
Hiking is one of my greatest passions. Combine that with painting and I’m a happy girl. The biggest lesson I’ve learned after hiking hundreds of miles with heavy packs is that if I don’t make sketching as easy as possible on the trail, I just won’t do it. If my sketch kit is buried in […]
Read MoreI designed these brushes! | Custom Gouache Brush Set by Sarah Burns Studio & Craftamo
Throughout 2021-2022 I have been on a mission to find the perfect gouache brushes. I have tried dozens – and even started sharing my results and thoughts with you all. So imagine my delight when Craftamo reached out to me about creating a custom gouache brush set!! Naturally I fell off my chair and screamed […]
Read MorePainting Snowy Scenes with Gouache
I thought it might be helpful to collect all of the videos/tutorials I’ve made about painting snowy scenes with gouache. These were published during 2021-2022. Enjoy! Free snowy gouache tutorials on YouTube Buy my Snowy Gouache tutorials (real time with instruction)
Read MoreWater Soluble Graphite Tree Sketch
Exploring the variety of marks I get from a single water soluble pencil.
Read MoreHaving Fun with Water Soluble Sketching
I love mixed media sketching, but never delved into the vast universe of water soluble sketching – until now! I recently splurged on some new supplies, and today I’ll share a bit about them, but there will be much more in the future as they become a normal part of my practice. This post contains […]
Read MoreIgnoring the Algorithm and Letting the Magic In (A frank conversation about social media for artists)
I was around 13 when we first got internet at home. The slow dial-up kind. I was 19 when Facebook was invented. I’m not a technology curmudgeon, but perhaps growing up without social media embedded into my brain has given me a different outlook on it all. Well…I know it has. I have seen the […]
Read MoreThe Traditional Artist’s iPad: a guide after 12 years of experience
This post is not sponsored or affiliated and I don’t get any money if you buy an iPad. My experience with the iPad as a (mostly) traditional artist I’ve been using an iPad for over 12 years and love it as a “sidekick” to my art endeavors. I know MANY artists who do digital painting […]
Read MoreHow drawing with ink makes me (& you) a better painter
As most artists know, painting is an exercise in decision making. What materials to use, what colors to mix, how to apply each color…the list goes on. A single painting can be made up of thousands of small decisions.Some decisions are easier than others. And occasionally, the painting seems to decide everything for itself and […]
Read MoreNew Gouache Travel Palette Colors for Plein Air (July 2022)
Lately I’ve been diving deeper into exploring GREENS and GREYS. At first I was determined to make an entirely separate travel palette containing custom mixes of greens and greys. Upon further thought I realized that two travel palettes wouldn’t align with my goal of slimming down my travel supplies. Less is more when painting outside. […]
Read MoreEtchr’s Gouache Brushes – Close Look | Comparison
Etchr is one of the few companies who have a set of brushes marketed towards gouache painters. Are they any good? And how do they compare to Etchr’s watercolor brush set? Let’s discuss! My first impressions were that the gouache brush hairs are very fine and very soft, and not as densely packed as the […]
Read MoreWhat to bring to your first Plein Air Meet-up [intense weather edition] | #pleinairproblems
This past weekend I attended my first public art meet-up in Scotland. The Art Society of Inverness organized a plein Air meet-up in Findhorn, a beautiful coastal town in Moray county. Since it was my first time, of course I over-planned and brought every art supply I owned. So in order to spare you the […]
Read MoreComparing and testing BRUSHES FOR GOUACHE (flats) | Only vegan & under £20
This blog post will contain results from my search for the perfect brushes for gouache, comparing and testing brushes, and all my insights into the process with video examples. Each brush must adhere to my criteria: Must be under £20 Must be synthetic (vegan) Must be flat Must be easily available where I live (highlands […]
Read MoreHow to DEEP CLEAN your Gouache Travel Palette
Do you use a gouache travel palette? If so you know how messy they get! I usually deep clean my palette every few months. In this post I’ll show you step by step how to clean, mix, renew your gouache from dry and filthy to new! I will also tell you everything I know about […]
Read More30 Day Outdoor Painting Challenge
During April I took part in a 30-day outdoor painting challenge known as #PleinAirpril – if you want to see lots of lovely artwork, use that hashtag to search on instagram or pinterest. So much good stuff out there!Anyways, for my challenge I used gouache in a toned paper sketchbook. See below for my travel […]
Read MoreThe Perfect Landscape Palette – Marker Edition
Today I want to share my final palette of alcohol markers for landscapes! I honestly feel like this is the perfect palette. You don’t need this many colors, but you could also have much more. If you want a really well-rounded palette, this is a great place to start. — Jump to my marker supply […]
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