Painting with Brusho

LIBRARY JOURNAL, Oct 2023

Artist and debut author Thomas guides readers through using Brusho, a highly pigmented, water-based paint powder, to create colorful paintings in this gorgeously illustrated volume. Introduced to the medium 10 years ago, the author explains how experimentation and practice led her to appreciate the flexibility of the painting medium, which can be activated with a wet brush or spray bottle or applied to wet surfaces for different effects. The bold, bright colors of the example artworks have an impressionistic quality that suggests movement and textures. Several demo activities give readers a chance to gain skills, while 10 projects incorporate Thomas’s techniques for using wax to repel paint or diluted bleach to lift color in creating animals, insects, flowers, and landscapes. The book includes line art for each project.

VERDICT While some artists may not have the skills to draw similarly beguiling images, Thomas’s Brusho techniques are appealing enough to be used for abstract pieces or simply for enjoyment of the painting process itself. Many readers will certainly be inspired to give Brusho a try.


Art Book Reivew - Jan 2024

Brusho® is a relatively new medium that is an inheritor of the powder paints some of us remember from school – Joanne says she was introduced to it by a friend who teaches in a primary school. Where those were generally horrible to use, this however is intended as a serious medium and has been gaining traction for some time. Although there has been a video about it, this is the first book to deal with its versatility and use.

The technical introduction is quite long and definitely worth giving your full attention. The remaining two-thirds of the book are devoted to a series of projects that demonstrate the kind of results you can expect to produce and this is where the vibrancy and expression really come in.