Some brushes can be used in a variety of ways, others have been developed to perform specific jobs and have limited use, but if you choose wisely your job will be made all the easier. Brush selection will depend on four things: the type of paint being used, the type of surface, the size of the artwork, and the technique or effect to be achieved. You can use any brush type with any medium for the desired effect — I regularly use bristle oil painting brushes for watercolour as they give me a completely different effect to that obtained with softer, traditional watercolour brushes.

All brush shapes are variations of just two shapes, round and flat. Over the years these have been modified to help artists deliver the paint in specific ways — the main ones are illustrated here. You will come across others, but ask yourself if you really need them. I would suggest possibly not. With practice an awful lot can be achieved with a single brush. Buy a few of good quality, look after them, clean them after use and learn how to use each one to its full potential.


Waterfall, oil on board, (30x40cm)

The scene was blocked in loosely using thin paint applied with a No. 2 flat bristle brush. The painting was then reworked adding thicker applications of paint with the No. 2 flat bristle and a small No. 1 flat nylon brush.


Brush know-how

All brushes are sold in series according to type and each brush in that series will be given a number, the higher the number the larger the brush. However, two brushes of the same shape, each from a different series with the same number, may not be the same size.

Some brush series, notably larger flats may be sold and labelled according to width measurement, either in metric or imperial. But what size to use? The answer clearly depends on the size and type of painting you do. A tutor of mine told me to ‘use the largest brush that you can for each job’, which actually makes a great deal of sense.

Long-handled brushes are invariably intended for easel painting, as holding the handle far from the brush end enables expressive and rapid strokes.

Shorter handles enable the artist to get closer to the work and are used for detail or work like watercolour painting, which is often carried out on a near horizontal surface where a long handle may get in the way.


Brush fibres

Brushes are manufactured from a wide range of synthetic nylon or polyester fibres and natural animal hair. For oil and acrylic, hog bristle or synthetic fibres that behave like bristle are used. They need to be tough so that they can resist the corrosive chemicals and thinners used with oil paint and the abrasive action of the coarse canvas or board.

Artists who need to produce very smooth surfaces may use brushes made from sable or another soft animal hair.

Watercolourists invariably use soft animal-hair brushes or a synthetic equivalent, because they hold quantities of liquid — the best ones hold a large amount of liquid, which allows for good paint distribution; they should hold their shape well.

The best and most expensive brushes are made from the hair of animals from the Mustela genus, which includes weasels, stoats, ferrets and polecats. These are usually described as sable, with tail hair from a type of weasel found in Siberia commanding a premium due to its superior quality and resilience. Other animal hair, such as goat, squirrel, mongoose, ox, camel and pony hair is also used, often in mop brushes, which need to hold lots of liquid.

Synthetic fibre brushes are extremely good; they hold their shape well and are more resilient than natural fibres. Sable blend brushes combine sable and synthetic fibres and are intended to deliver on both price and quality.


Brush care

Look after your brushes and they will last a long time –– they have a hard life. They are subjected to chemicals, oils and thinners, submersed in water, pulled and scrubbed across abrasive surfaces. If used regularly they will wear down and at some point need to be replaced. Cheap brushes are a waste of money, but there are lower cost brushes that offer very good value.

Remove all paint, clean and rinse your brushes well after use and never leave brushes standing in liquid as it bends the fibres. Store the brushes flat or standing, brush fibres upwards, in a jar or pot, and a reasonably long working life can be expected.

One final point: brushes will wear; they reach a point when they seem to perform to perfection, but eventually pass that point and need to be replaced. Do not throw away your old brushes as they are very useful for specific tasks like applying masking fluid or applying the paint in a way that might damage the shape of a new brush.


Rounds

Round brushes have the brush fibres arranged so that they taper from the ferrule to a point or slightly rounded tip.

These general-purpose brushes can be used for broad loose work when blocking in or, if they come to a fine point, finer detail work. Round brushes for acrylic and oil painting are made from hog bristle or synthetic fibres. Round brushes for watercolour are made from animal hair and synthetic fibres that replicate the quality of animal hair. Again, depending on size they are used for general wash work, detail and expressive calligraphic mark making. Round brushes can be used to make precise hard-edged marks or scrubbed and rolled across the support to create broken areas of paint with indistinct edges. The brush on the right has worn with use but remains usable

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Flats

Flat brushes are usually twice as long as they are wide. They are a good choice for applying thick paint when building up an impasto. Large areas can be covered very quickly and they are good for blending.

They are good for straight lines and, with practice, can be used on edge to create long lines or marks of a uniform thickness; dabs of colour can be applied using long or short single strokes. They can be scrubbed over the surface to create a broken colour effect but such use will alter the shape of the brush. Flats are used for oil, acrylic and watercolour work.

Large, flat, soft fibre brushes intended for watercolour are sometimes described as wash brushes. Brights are short flat brushes that curve slightly inwards on both edges and are as wide as they are long. Used for oil and acrylics they are easy to control and, like flats, ideal for applying thick heavy applications of paint and for blending colours smoothly or loosely together. The brush on the far right has been scrubbed across a rough surface, but remains usable


Filberts

Filbert brushes are fuller bodied, relatively short flat brushes that have a slightly rounded outer edge. They are so-named because the shape resembles that of a hazelnut.

These multi-tasking brushes can be used on edge to create linear marks and the rounded shape can be used to advantage to create impressionistic and calligraphic marks — really useful when painting the landscape. Long-fibred filberts that come to a rounded tip are often known as cat’s tongue brushes. Filberts are more commonly used for oil and acrylic painting. The brush on the far right was once a flat but with wear has come to resemble a filbert


Fans

Fan brushes have fibres that fan out from the ferrule. They were invented for blending colours together and softening edges.

Available for use with oil, acrylics and watercolour the fan is a useful brush, especially for painting foliage, grass or movement and wave patterns in water.

Portrait artists might find it helpful when painting hair. The brush can be also be used to drag paint lightly across a surface, making it perfect for dry brush techniques


Riggers

Rigger brushes, sometimes known as liners, are thin, long fibre round brushes that were invented to paint thin uniform lines, as seen in the rigging of sailing ships. The long fibres enable them to hold a fair quantity of paint, which makes long single strokes possible. They are especially useful for fine work in watercolour. They can be used for detail work using oils or acrylics but need to be cleaned very carefully after use. Some rigger-type brushes come to a point; those with a flat or square tip were originally used for lettering. This is my small brush of choice, rather than the traditional small round


Mops

Mops are typically used for watercolour painting and come in two distinct shapes.

These full-bodied brushes are designed to hold copious amounts of paint. The shape can resemble that of a filbert, with a broad, slightly rounded end or tip; the other shape comes to a sharp point. The fibres, which are usually squirrel, are held in a traditional chrome ferrule or bound into place using wire — these are often known as petit gris. Both shapes are available in a range of sizes. The pointed mops can be used as general purpose brushes, but this type is usually used for applying washes over a large area and for blending. Large soft synthetic fibre flat brushes are made specifically for applying washes over large areas, and you may come across large soft-fibre brushes called hakes — these are Japanese brushes and are very good for watercolour washes


Levens Hall, watercolour, (54x74cm)

The initial washes for the sky and background were established using a 4cm wide flat wash brush and a No. 4 squirrel petit gris that was rolled and dragged across the support to create the variations in the sky. A No. 8 round sable and a small No. 2 soft synthetic fibre fan brush were then used to establish the topiary shapes. A medium-sized bristle fan was used to paint the trees behind the topiary trees. A No. 2 synthetic fibre liner brush was used for all detail work and the fan brushes used to add textural effects to the areas of clipped foliage.


Ian Sidaway studied graphic design. Throughout the 1980s and ‘90s he painted portraits to commission but now concentrates on the landscape. He is a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. http://iansidaway.co.uk

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