Frequently Asked Questions

What is One Stroke Painting?

One Stroke is a technique of decorative painting that requires no previous experience or art training. You simply load two colors of paint on a flat brush to achieve blending, shading and highlighting in "One Stroke".
 
This method of painting that is very versatile and can be used on many surfaces, such as, wood, glass, tin, walls, clothes, and candles just to name a few.
 
After a few classes you will see how easy this style of painting is to learn and how quickly you can complete a project.
 
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How do you Get Started?

I recommend purchasing the "Brush Stroke Basics" video and sitting at your kitchen table and watching the tape. Practice along with the tape, and then...watch it again. You will pick up things you missed the first time. When you're done with that, you guessed it...watch it again. Also, there are laminated teaching guides that allow you to practice right on the guide, wipe it off and practice again. You will get the feel of the stroke, where to begin and end it, and how to blend your colors. These two things are what I learned with. You are also welcome to  take a class from Jo-Ann's Fabric and Crafts on Babcock Street.
 
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How Long Will it Take Me to Become Proficient?

Once you have learned the basics of how to load your brush and how to perform the strokes all you need is practice. You will be able to see your progress from one day to the next.
 
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How Do I Become Certified?

You sign up for certification through Donna Dewberry's website www.onestroke.com She travels all over the country and has certifications many times a year. The certification class is very intense. You paint, paint, paint for three days. On the fourth day you take your tests. She teaches you everything you need to know in order to pass the tests. She is a fabulous teacher and is truly a genuinely warm and caring person. Her husband Marc teaches the business portion of the certification. He teaches you how to start a business and things along that line. They are a terrific team and will help you long after certification is complete. They are available to assist their instructors with difficulties they encounter in what every area of their painting career.
 
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What is the Purpose of Becoming Certified?

You are sure to know the entire technique and know it properly. You will receive a nametag that states you are a certified instructor and you will receive a certificate. You will then be able to teach correctly, and be able to participate in many of the programs Donna has developed for her instructors. You will also meet many other instructors and become part of a network of people who share successes and failures and are always open to helping each other. You also will be able to purchase your supplies directly from Donna at a wholesale price, to make a profit when you in turn sell them. Once you are a certified instructor, the doors are wide open to take this career to any level you want to work toward.
 
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Can I Use Any Paint with this Technique?

This technique will not work with most brands of acrylic paint. You need to use Folk Art paint as it is the perfect consistency for blending and shading. While other brands are terrific for certain things, One Stroke is not one of them.
 
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Can I Use Any Brush with this Technique?

No, it is essential to use the proper tools for this technique. While other brushes are good for many things, you need to use the brushes that were designed specifically for this technique. The One Stroke brushes come in a variety of sizes.
 
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Do You Use Water with this Technique?

One of the few times you use water with One Stroke is when you initially begin to paint with your flat brush. You dip it in water, then blot off the excess water before you double load your brush. Another time is when you are using the liner brush to make curliques. You need to water down the paint to an inky consistency to allow for the brush to flow for the long slender stroke.
 
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What if I'm Left Handed?

Left-handed people are just as good at One Stroke as right handed people. There are slightly different instructions for lefties, but the technique is for all of us, right or left handed.  What you should do is if you are working with a Reusable teaching guide is to start where it indicates to end and end where it indicates to start or turn the Reusable teaching guide upside down and the strokes will be easier to follow.
 
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Floating is a method of shading and highlighting that will add dimension to your painting.  FolkArt Floating Medium is especially designed for this technique, and it's smooth gel formula won't run as water can. 


Floating medium is used so that you can flow smoothly with your paints on porous surfaces that are very dry, such as wood, drywall, etc. Load your brush with paint and tip the chisel edge of the brush into the Floating Medium and paint.

If you want a faded look, load your brush with Floating Medium and pick up a touch of color and paint.

Floating Medium is also great for shading. Load brush with Floating Medium then side load into color you wish to shade with.  Blend on palette to merge and soften color.

**Helpful Hints**

* Use as large a brush as possible

* Be sure the brush is full. Blend the medium and the color on the palette enough to graduate the color.

* Apply the paint slowly and carefully.

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This wonderful medium gives "tooth" to slick surfaces to make painting easier.  Use it to increase the durability of paint on glass, tile and tin. Surfaces can be hand washed and should be used for decorative purposes only.

1. Gently stir Glass & Tile Medium; do not shake. Place pattern under glass and apply Glass Medium only to area where design will be painted. Brush medium on with a synthetic flat brush and apply smooth, even coverage, ALLOW PIECE TO CURE FOR 48 HOURS.

2. Paint design. When paint has dried thoroughly, a protective coat of Glass Medium can be brushed onto painted surface for maximum durability. Allow project to cure for 2 weeks before hand washing.

Helpful Hints

* Clean glass with soap and water, then wipe thoroughly with vinegar or rubbing alcohol to ensure paint adheres to surface.

* To correct a mistake immediately after application, simply wipe off the medium with a damp cloth. If the paint and medium are dry and you notice a mistake, remove with alcohol and water. You can also use a palette knife and scrape off any paint or medium that may get outside the pattern lines. Be careful not to scratch the glass.

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1. Using a 3/4" (1.9 cm) flat brush side loaded with Butter Pecan, make a One Stroke scalloped edge leaf. 

2. Lift to the chisel edge at the tip of the leaf.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for a cluster of three leaves.

4. Paint stems into each leaf with the chisel edge of the brush. I use this watercolor shading technique to subtle leaves and vines on the outside edges.

**TIP**You can also use FolkArt Floating Medium. It is great for shadowing. Load brush into color you wish to shadow with.

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1. With your finished painted object you want to shadow on.

2. Side load a no. 12 flat brush with Maple Syrup and stroke along the lower edge of the painted object. Keep the Maple Syrup corner of the brush next to your painting.

3. Create a shadow in the same manner underneath all the objects in your painting.

**TIP**You can also use FolkArt Floating Medium. It is great for shadowing. Load brush into color you wish to shadow with.

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Pour enough paint to make at least a 1" (2.5 cm) puddle of each color you need.

1. Dip one corner of your brush into the first color.

2. Turn the brush over and dip the corner into the second color.

3. To full load the brush, stroke it back and forth on the palette.

4. Repeat this two or three times to load the bristles with paint two-thirds of the way up to the ferrule.

5. Now that your brush is loaded, pick up paint on each corner to begin painting.  Don't stroke the brush anymore on the palette. As you continue to work, load the paint only on the corners of the brush.

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Yes, you can use FolkArt Textile Medium. Mix FolkArt Textile Medium with any FolkArt acrylic color to easily create permanent, washable painted effects on fabric. FolkArt Textile Medium allows paint to penetrate fibers, so your painted design is soft, not stiff, and actually becomes part of the fabric.

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1. Double load flat brush with two colors. I usually use Thicket and Sunflower. Starting on the chisel edge, push down on the bristles.

2. Now turn the green corner of the brush towards the tip of the leaf.

3. To bring the leaf to a point, lift the brush to its chisel edge.

4.To connect the leaves, pull the stem into the leaves to make a vine.

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