Painting is a great artistic outlet and having the right tools will make the process of creating works more enjoyable. The wrong type of brush can cause frustration when it doesn’t go as expected, so it’s important to identify what type of brush you’ll need before you start painting.

Painting is a great artistic outlet and having the right tools will make the process of creating works more enjoyable. The wrong type of brush can cause frustration when it doesn’t go as expected, so it’s important to identify what type of brush you’ll need before you start painting.

Artist brushes are characterized by the following:

size, shape, and material the bristles are made of. Brushes come in a wide array of sizes, shapes, and stiffnesses. The hairs can be made from natural hair or they can be synthetic. The first step to choosing a brush is identifying the density of paint you will be using. Soft brushes are good for paint and thin details while hard, stiff brushes are great for moving thick paint across the canvas and creating texture with brushstrokes.

The brush size will also be the main indicator in the stroke that will be made. Round brushes can range from one to 10 millimeters wide and five to 40 millimeters long. Flat or square brushes range from two to 20 millimeters in width and can be up to 25 millimeters in length.

There is a long debate about whether to use natural or synthetic brushes. Natural brushes are preferred by harsh artists, but animal-friendly artists think synthetics are just as good. Natural brushes are usually made of sable, squirrel, hog, ox, or goat, with the sable being the softest hair and the pig being the stiffest. Synthetic brushes are cheaper and are made of nylon. Quality synthetics are usually as good as the real thing.

Let’s go over some beginner tips on buying art brushes. First, pull gently on the hair of the brush. You don’t want hair to pull easily, this is a cheap brush trait and you could end up with hair in your dye if you use this. Second, check that the feathers have a good spring for them and that they don’t bend easily. While it must be said that brushes shouldn’t be pressed hard against the canvas, they should be able to withstand the pressure of your stroke without permanently curling them. Finally, start by buying three basic brushes: a large flat brush (to cover large areas of the canvas), a medium round brush (for wide and thin brushstrokes), and a small liner brush (for details and fine lines). Decide from there what brush you feel you are missing.

The type of paint is an important factor to consider when purchasing a brush.

Oil brushes are usually made of stiff hog hair which can effectively promote thick paint. Soft brushes can be used with oil only when the paint is thinned (especially done in glass.) Acrylic brushes also need to be stiff to move heavy paint. The thick bristles will help hold the paint and prevent dripping. The watercolor brush should be soft. Thin watercolor paint and a soft brush will do the trick. There are also watercolor brushes that have a water reservoir in the handle; this is great for itinerant painters.

Experimenting with brush shapes will help the artist learn what types of strokes each brush can produce. Corner brushes are good for stippling and can create wavy lines with the right technique. A flat brush will cover a large area with wide strokes, but rotate the brush on the side and can create thin lines. A round brush can create thick and thin brush strokes; even fine lines can be made with just the tip of the brush. Fan brushes are usually only used to blend colors, stipplings and create grass or hair. Paint dries faster on fan brushes so artists need to be quick. Liner brushes are used for details, fine lines of Computer Technology Articles, and dots. Brush the filbert like a number two pencil paint brush. It has hair tufts that are usually made from pigs. Technically it’s a flat brush with a round tip. Because the brush is used the bristles wear out over time. A well-worn filbert brush works great as a dry brush.

Choosing an artist brush can be a lot of fun. Online stores carry a variety of brushes and some may even carry wholesale brushes (great for when you have a favorite.) Experiment with shapes and sizes to be well rounded. Painting is the most fun when your tools give you the effect you want. …