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A look at Brushes
Starter Brush Set
This is a great starter set and you can purchase this from Amazon. The set is called ‘Royal & Langnickel Keep n Carry Artist Soft Grip Brush Set with Zippered Case’
Brushes for Acrylics
Filbert Brush
It is a flat brush with the hair rounded into an oval at the tip. This brush combines rounds and flats, which means you can use it for detail and to cover much space. It’s excellent for blending, with soft rounded edges like flower petals.
Flat Brush
Flat Brushes have a row of hair clamped flat in the ferrule and trimmed straight across the top edge to create a rectangular brush head. It’s good for bold strokes, washes, filling wide spaces, and impasto. You can use the trim for fine lines, straight edges and stripes. Long-haired flat brushes are ideal for varnishing.
Hog Brush
Hog bristles are coarse and brutal, which makes them an excellent choice for thicker paint consistencies like oils or acrylics. A hog brush is a paintbrush with a large, flat head. It can hold a large quantity of paint, which is great for creating thick, bold strokes and lines.
Round Brush
Round brushes are the most versatile brush type. Round brushes are great for sketching, outlining, detailed work and controlled washes. They create thin to thick lines depending on how much pressure you apply to the brush. The narrower the tip, the thicker it becomes as you press down. Round brushes can be used with thinned paint rather than thick paint
Fan Brush
This brush is shaped like an open fan, and it can be used to create marks that look like foliage in landscapes. Fan brushes are great for smoothing, blending, and feathering. They’re also suitable for creating textural effects like clouds or leaves on trees.
For acrylics, use a strong and sturdy one that won’t bend under pressure or break off easily.
Brushes for Oil Painting
When starting out in oil painting, it is recommended to have a variety of brushes to achieve different effects and textures in your paintings. A good starter set of brushes typically includes a flat brush for blocking in large areas of color, a filbert brush for soft blending, and a round brush for fine details and lines. It is also recommended to have a few different sizes of each brush type to accommodate the varying needs of your painting. While it is possible to paint with synthetic brushes, natural bristle brushes are often preferred for oil painting due to their ability to hold and distribute paint well. It is important to choose high-quality brushes, as lower-quality brushes may shed bristles or become misshapen with frequent use. As you progress in your painting skills, you may want to add more specialised brushes to your collection, such as fan brushes or palette knives, to increase your range of painting techniques.
Brushes for Watercolour Painting
When starting out in watercolor painting, it’s important to have a range of brushes that will allow you to control the flow and application of paint. A good set of brushes for beginners typically includes a round brush, a flat brush, and a small rigger brush for fine details. A medium size round brush (size 6 or 8) is a versatile brush that can be used for both washes and details, making it a great choice for a beginner. A flat brush (size 10 or 12) is useful for laying down large, flat areas of color, while a rigger brush (size 2 or 4) is perfect for creating fine lines and details. Synthetic brushes are a good option for beginners, as they are less expensive than natural hair brushes and are easier to clean. It’s important to choose brushes with good quality bristles that will hold their shape and not shed or become misshapen with frequent use. As you progress in your painting skills, you may want to add more specialized brushes to your collection, such as mop brushes or wash brushes, to increase your range of painting techniques.