Go out into nature or the nearest park. Find pine cones, branches, dried grass, maybe a feather, or whatever catches your eye. Look through your treasures at home – find a comb, cut it into smaller pieces, maybe you have some cotton swabs or just a piece of string. Now it’s time to start making marks, and especially to create your own brushes and materials that you can draw and paint with. It’s about mark making, and about freeing yourself and your imagination.

It is when you let go that the most honest moments of creativity appear

Now it’s about preparing your new “tools” so you can start creating your works. I will show you some of the tools and homemade brushes that I have found, combined, and use – feel free to get inspired.

These are the materials you will need to make one brilliant brush:
An old paintbrush that you no longer use
Interleaving paper
Painter’s tape

And later, when you are ready:
Indian ink
Paper: 250 mg art paper/watercolor paper – or any type of paper you have available

Watch this short video to see how you can easily create one of your own handmade brushes.

Just explore

But don’t stop there.

Experiment. Combine different materials. Try something unexpected. Every handmade tool will leave its own unique mark, and that is exactly the point.

There are no right or wrong brushes—only new ways of seeing, exploring and creating.

The most beautiful marks are often the ones we never planned.

So step outside, gather what nature has to offer, look at everyday objects with curious eyes, and begin your own creative adventure.

Because art is not about perfection.

It’s about curiosity.
It’s about exploration.
It’s about having the courage to make the first mark.