The Bramley Brush Technique

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The Bramley Brush Technique
// Gurney Journey

Frank Bramley was a member of the Newlyn School, a group of 19th century on-the-spot painters in Cornwall, England.

Frank Bramley, detail of "Domino!"

'Newlyners' were known for their square-brush technique, notable for its overall chunky brushstroke shape.



Another strategy of this technique is to paint small, thin forms not by pulling a pointed, round brush along the form, but rather by using the thin edge of a big brush dragged sideways.

Frank Bramley. Note trim on hat brim is painted with short strokes made with the thin edge of a square brush

A contemporary critic said: "The technique of the Newlyner is often thus roughly described: the ordinary everyday artist, if he wants to paint a ship's mast against the sky, takes a brush, coming to a fine point, and draws it vertically up and down his canvas in the place desired. The Newlyner does nothing of the sort. He uses a squarer brush and gets his mast by a series of horizontal strokes, and of the practitioners of this technique, Mr. Bramley is the easy first; indeed his strength and dexterity are marvellous. He has been called the Father of the Newlyn School."

-----Books on the Newlyn School
Stanhope Forbes: Father of the Newlyn School
Artists of the Newlyn School, 1880-1900
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