CHAPTER 5 T H E P A I N T I N G T O O L S O F S C E N I C A R T I S T R Y Critical scenic painting skills are gained in part by a thorough knowledge of the tools of scenic art. As in fine arts and related art fields, knowing how to use a tool is the first step toward mastery. Tools are the link between the scenic artist, the paint, and the surface. They are an extension of the scenic artist, and knowing which tool to use for a particular technique is something a professional scenic artist must know. Tools are to the scenic artist what language is to the writer. The wider a scenic artist's knowledge of and familiarity with the tools of the trade, the broader his or her range of skills will be. The basic tool of the scenic artist is the paintbrush. Yet nearly anything used to spread, spray, stipple, smear, or sprinkle painting with a brush demands excellent control of hands and body. You may remember your teacher saying, in grade school when you were painting art projects, "Now remember, class, your brush is your friend!" Brushes are the most important part of a painter's kit of tools. A scenic artist's ability to handle them with alacrity is one of his or her primary skills. The Anatomy of a Brush A brush has three parts: bristles, a ferrule, and a handle (see Figure 5-1). The bristles are the working part of the brush. They absorb, hold, and spread paint. The ferrule is a band of metal,