Quick Brush Miles: 10-Minute Spider Mums with a Dagger Brush
Finding Creativity in the Busy Moments
We've all been there—that feeling of needing to paint but watching the clock tick away as life's responsibilities pile up. But here's what I've learned: even 10 minutes of focused play can feed your creative soul and improve your skills.
That's exactly what I did with my Princeton Neptune dagger brush (also called a sword brush) when I desperately needed some painting time but had very little to spare. Instead of skipping art altogether, I turned those precious few minutes into an opportunity to explore a brush I don't use nearly enough.
Getting to Know Your Brush: The Exploratory Dance
Before diving into a "finished" piece, I always recommend spending time simply playing with your tools. This relationship-building with your brush pays dividends later when you need to call upon its unique capabilities for specific effects.
With my 3/8-inch dagger brush in hand, I grabbed some green paint and began testing what this interesting tool could do:
Light pressure for whisper-thin lines
Pressing down for wider strokes
Side-to-side dragging for textured marks
Tapping for angled dots and stippling effects
Flicking for grass-like marks
Creating organic, imperfect circles
Each mark revealed something new about this brush's personality. I noticed how the angled tip created natural variation in my lines and how pressing down suddenly revealed the full width of the brush.
The beauty of this exploration? It happened on inexpensive paper where there was zero pressure to create something "frame-worthy." Just me and my brush getting reacquainted.
From Play to Purpose: The Spider Mum Challenge
With a better understanding of what my dagger brush could do, I noticed certain marks that immediately reminded me of spider mum petals—those delicate, cascading filaments that radiate from the center of these beautiful flowers.
The lightbulb moment: Why not try painting a quick spider mum using those flicking, radiating strokes I'd just practiced?
Technique #1: Working Wet on Dry
For my first mum, I started with the brush tip loaded with red paint while keeping some of the brush body relatively dry. Working from the outer edges inward:
I used light pressure on the brush tip to create those thin, radiating petals
Dipped into quinacridone gold halfway through, allowing the colors to blend on the paper
Made shorter, tighter strokes toward the center, mimicking how these flowers grow naturally
Used quick, deliberate flicks to capture the feeling of movement and dimension
What I love about the dagger brush for this technique is how it naturally creates tapered lines—thinner at the tips of the petals, slightly thicker where they connect to the center.
Technique #2: Changing the Color Approach
For the second mum, I switched things up. Rather than starting with red, I:
Loaded the brush with quinacridone gold first
Added red as a secondary color
Painted with the same radiating motion, but with a slightly different energy
The resulting flower had a completely different feel—warmer, sunnier, with more prominent gold highlights. This simple color-loading variation created a distinct personality for the second bloom.
Finishing Touches: Grounding the Flowers
Even quick studies benefit from feeling complete, so I added simple stems and leaves using the same dagger brush. The angled tip was perfect for:
Creating thin, elegant stems with a single stroke
Forming leaf shapes with a push-pull motion
Adding quick texture to suggest leaf veining
The best part? These finishing touches took less than a minute but transformed my loose flower heads into a more cohesive mini-painting.
Why These "Brush Miles" Matter
I often talk about putting on "brush miles" because, just like driving, nothing replaces hands-on experience. These quick, focused sessions:
Build muscle memory for various brush movements
Boost confidence in your ability to work quickly and decisively
Reveal techniques you might not discover during more planned, careful painting
Keep your skills fresh even during busy periods
Remove the pressure of creating "perfect" art
Your Turn: Quick Play Sessions
If you're feeling the time crunch but craving some creative expression, try this 10-minute approach:
Grab a brush you don't use often
Spend 5 minutes making different marks and strokes
Use the remaining time to create something simple that showcases what that brush does best
Don't worry about perfection—focus on discovery and joy
You might be surprised at how satisfying and educational these brief creative moments can be. I walked away from this quick session with renewed appreciation for my dagger brush and two cheerful flowers to show for it!
What brush have you been neglecting in your collection? Maybe it's time for your own 10-minute exploration! I'd love to hear what discoveries you make when you give yourself permission to simply play.
Until next time, keep fitting in those brush miles wherever you can. Even the smallest creative moments add up to significant growth!