An Artist's Guide To Brushes

by
Jeff Colburn

About a year ago I decided to try my hand at painting. Until then I had used only pencils. So off I went to my local art store. I walked around the corner of the brush isle, and the first thought that ran through my head was "Uh Oh!" There were hundreds of different brushes. I was bombarded with manufacturers, natural and man made materials, handle length and brochures making more promises than a used car salesman. I went home and did a lot of research. I now have some nice brushes, and want to share what I learned to make your brush choices easier.

Brushes are one of the most important tools a painter will use. But which brush is right for the painting you want to create? Should you use natural or synthetic hair? How long should the handle be? How do you clean your brushes? Well, let me answer these, and other, questions.

Natural hair brushes come in a variety of materials.

• Kolinsky - The finest sable, they are ideal for watercolor. The best hairs come from Siberian Kolinsky. I have several artist friends that swear by these and will use nothing else.
• Red sable - Red hair from any member of the weasel family. They are ideal for oils and watercolor.
• Ox - The tip is not as fine as sable.
• Goat - Good absorbency, found in cheaper brushes.
• Squirrel - Very absorbent but not as springy as red sable.
• Camel - Brushes made from a variety of hairs, including ox, goat, squirrel or pony hair. There is no camel hair in a camel hair brush.
• Bristle brushes - Made of hog hair, which is coarse and works well with heavier mediums like oils and alkyds. The black bristle brushes are stiffer than the white bristle ones.

Synthetic hair brushes cost less than natural hair brushes, and can be used for any medium, but work best with acrylics. They will also last longer, when using acrylics, than natural hair brushes. These brushes come in all the same types as natural hair brushes, but their performance characteristics vary widely. You will need to test various manufacturers and grades. The main drawbacks of synthetics are that they won't hold as much paint, and don't have the fine taper and point of natural hair brushes. To overcome these problems, there are brushes available that are a blend of natural and synthetic hair. I started out with synthetic brushes until my skills got better. I couldn't see spending $25 for a sable brush when a $5 synthetic was just fine while I was learning.

Short handle brushes are most often used when working at a table and for watercolors. Long handle brushes are used for easel work so that the painter can get farther away from the painting. This allows them to better see the entire work. I know one artist that buys the long handled brushes, then cuts them down to the length he likes, which is several inches longer than short handled brushes.

Depending on the manufacturer, there are over twenty brush shapes. However, there are really only five main shapes.

• Flat - These brushes give a soft brush stroke and carry a lot of paint. It's good for blocking in color, shading, blending and highlighting.
• Filbert - With this brush you can get both detail strokes and, using the angular edge, a broader stroke with soft edges. It's also good for blending.
• Bright - This is a stiff brush for making short flat strokes and blending. It works well with heavy mediums.
• Round - Since these brushes come to a point, they are used for detail work.
• Fan - These broad brushes are used to make highlights, blending and glazing.

Brushes that are properly used, cleaned and stored can last for many years. This is particularly important if you are paying $25 or more for each brush. Follow these simple guidelines for long brush life.

• Always work hairs in their natural direction.
• Don't leave a brush soaking for long periods, especially if it is resting on its bristles. This will cause the bristles to permanently bend, and may damage the handle if it becomes saturated with liquid.
  
• Mix colors with a palette knife, not your brush. Almost no one uses a palette knife for this though.
  
• Be sure that paint doesn't get into the ferrule (the metal band at the base of the bristles).
  
• Never let paint dry on the brush. It's almost impossible to remove dry acrylic paint.
  
• Clean your brushes as soon as you finish using them.
  
• You can hasten the cleaning process by using a paper towel or soft cloth to wipe off excess paint first. Always wipe away from the ferrule.
  
• After all traces of paint are gone, use your fingers to remove excess water and shape your brush.
  
• When done, store your brushes lying flat, or with their heads upright, so the hairs are not bent.
  

A good rule of thumb is that the more you pay for a brush, the better it is. Good brushes will last longer than cheap ones, and make your painting easier. Unless your kids use your brushes to discover "The Joys Of Sidewalk Painting." Happy Painting!