A painting brush is used to spread the paint on the surfaces preferred for painting while painting and undertakes one of the most important tasks among painting materials. It is important that the brushes used in painting have the appropriate features to transfer or color the forms we design in our imagination and want to make to the surface to be painted. When brushes suitable for the forums you want to draw are used, the desired results in terms of both drawing and coloring are easily obtained
What to Consider When Choosing a Painting Brush?
Painting brush types are classified as natural or synthetic according to the materials used in their production and oval or flat according to their tip shapes. The most commonly used painting brushes are generally between the numbers 1-18. If you are new to painting, it is generally useful to start by buying 3-4 brushes instead of buying all the brushes. For those who are new to painting, brushes numbered 5, 10 and 14 may be sufficient at first. These 3 brushes will help you create both thin, medium and thick forms.
Low numbered brushes indicate the thinness of the brush, while high numbered brushes indicate the thickness of the brush. Thin brushes are used to shape, make detailed drawings, create symmetrical forms, while thick brushes are used to spread the paint on large surfaces.
Painting Brushes According to Production Materials
Natural bristle brushes are brushes that are loved to transfer paint to paper. Natural bristle brushes are generally made of horse, sable, and squirrel hair. The most important place among natural bristle brushes is brushes made of cat hair. These brushes have a historical importance. Cat hair brushes were used in miniature art during the Ottoman period.
Sable brushes are among the most loved natural bristle brushes today. For this reason, it is very difficult to find brushes made of real sable hair. Today, replica sales of sable hair brushes have become widespread.
Sable hair brushes are very delicate brushes since they are made of natural hair, and therefore it is very important to clean them correctly, otherwise they cannot be used for a long time. All natural bristle brushes have a shorter lifespan compared to synthetic bristle brushes, but brushes made of sable hair have a higher sensitivity compared to other natural bristle brushes. For this reason, they should be cleaned with special cleaners containing natural ingredients and dried by hanging the bristles downwards.
Synthetic bristle brushes are harder and naturally longer-lasting compared to natural bristle brushes. Unfortunately, since they are synthetic, they have less water and paint retention capacity than natural bristle brushes. Their prices are also quite affordable compared to natural bristle brushes.
Art Brushes According to Tip Features
Art brushes can be classified as oval, cut, flat, and fan according to their tip shapes. When choosing a tip of an art brush, the important thing here is which paint you will use and which technique you want to use to paint. Art brushes vary according to the paint to be used and the technique to be used.
Oval brushes are among the most commonly used art brushes. They provide great convenience in both detail and surface work. The most preferred painting technique for oval brushes is watercolor. Because oval painting brushes have the best tip structure that will allow water and paint to spread easily on surfaces. For watercolor works, it is important for the brush to hold enough watercolor to transfer it to the paper, as its name suggests. Since the bristles of the oval brush tip gather together when it comes out of water, it can easily transfer the watercolor it has trapped inside when applied to the paper. You can reach our other article for the best watercolor brands here.
Flat brushes are brushes that can be used quickly and effectively to wet large surfaces or create base paints. They can hold less water or paint compared to oval brushes and are therefore used to create different textures or in line works. Flat brushes are generally preferred in oil painting works. Flat brushes are available in versions made of synthetic and natural bristles.
Fan brushes, which belong to the flat brush category, also have an important place for painting. Fan brushes are brushes used to add artistic features to the painting. Fan brushes are the most commonly used brush type to create different textures and effects.
What Should Be Considered When Cleaning a Painting Brush?
As we mentioned above, cleaning the brush is very important both to achieve the results you want in your paintings and to use the brushes for a long time. There are some sensitive points in brush cleaning. Brushes should be cleaned well with the right cleaning material. If paint residues remain between the brushes and dry, this will shorten the life of the brush.
It will cause. You can clean the brush by applying solvent to it and then wiping it with a clean cotton or linen cloth. After repeating this process a few times, you should wash your brushes with warm soapy water as a final step and then rinse them with plenty of water. You can get rid of paint residues on your brushes by following this method.
