A lot of people think that there's not a lot to painting and there are countless sayings in the building trade, some of which are probably too crude to quote here, about how easy it is. But if this is the case, then why is there so much poor quality painting everywhere I seem to look. It's certainly easy to apply Paint to a surface but doing it well is what counts.

The key to a professional-looking paint job is cutting in. It's the edges and where there's a contrast in colour that you're really going to notice sloppy painting but I'm convinced that precise cutting in is something that anyone can do with a few techniques you'll learn here and a bit of practice.

A fairly common misconception about cutting in is that you need to be using a small paintbrush. This is anything but the truth and actually, you'll probably find it easier with a larger Brush as it offers more support when in contact with the wall and keeps your army steady. The only thing a good cutting in paint brush needs is to not have any stray bristles poking out of the edges as these still carry paint and making cutting in virtually impossible.

Cutting in is all about long, steady motions and to achieve these, you're going to want to make sure there's as much paint 'in' the brush as you can. It's a strange idea to think of paint being in the brush rather than on it but the whole point of a brush's bristles is to maximise the surface area of it that can hold paint.

Everyone is familiar with the idea of lightly dabbing the edges of the paint brush against the edge of the pot to remove any excess but if you haven't used the following tip to get the paint in the brush, then you're going to be revisiting you're pot very often and not achieving uniform, continuous strokes.

While dipping the brush in the paint, be sure to press the brush firmly against the side of the pot to spread the bristles apart so that they can really take in the paint. Do this two to three times on either side of the brush and then as always dab off the excess to minimise drips.

Cutting in isn't so much about how precisely you can place the paintbrush to the edge without going over, it's all about the pressure you're applying to the brush to spread the bristles apart to paint up to edge.

Ideally you want to bring the brush into contact with the wall with the edge of the brush about 5mm away from the part you don't want to paint. Now, as you start to move the brush along, begin to steadily increase the pressure you're placing on the brush to spread the bristles apart. Don't worry if they don't get to the edge straight away, you can always come back from the other direction. Aim to be at the edge within 10-15cm from where you start.

Once you get the right pressure and are on the right line, it's surprisingly easy to stay there. This is why you'll be glad you followed the advice to get more paint safely in the brush so you can keep going without having to reload. It's also important to remember to be making the movement from the shoulder rather than the wrist. This just offers more stability and gives you more control, like when putting in golf.

So now you know you've learnt these tips to paint like a professional, you can start your own DIY redecoration project. If you want a great paint supplier with a wide range and fast cheap UK delivery, be sure to visit Designerpaint.