©2018 Lori McNee Hazy Day 12×24 oil on linen

Sometimes when painting small details a paint brush just doesn’t seem to do the job. That’s when a toothpick comes in handy!

I used a toothpick to help me with the finishing details in my oil painting, “Hazy Day.”
You can see the fine lines the toothpick created in this image below! This technique can be used in oil, acrylic or watercolor painting. I even use this toothpick technique in my encaustic paintings! 
Cow painting with blackbirds
This blog post is titled, “Painting Small Details with a Toothpick.” However, the toothpick is actually scratching through the painting and removing a trace amount of the paint. This is a little trick, but it truly comes in handy at times!

I hope you give it a try next time you need to create fine lines. It will also work with painting the illusion of fur.