All types of paint brushes are featured here as well as a brief description of their main purpose.
Flats are the types of paint brushes you’ll use the most often in your painting projects. You’ll use them for basecoating, floating, strokework, blending, washes and varnishing. As you can see, they’re very versatile. FILBERT, CAT’S TONGUE & OVAL WASH. You can use polyester brushes with all types of paint, but it can be very difficult to get the filaments completely clean. Use these brushes on exterior projects as long as you are only painting on semi-rough, semi-smooth, and smooth surfaces. These brushes come in different sizes and yes, of course, in two different bristle types. While the natural bristles brushes are best suited for oil-based colors, synthetic brushes can be used for both the water and oil-based paints. Depending on the shape of the bristles, brushes are used for different purposes.
Acrylic - Acrylic paints are extremely versatile, and ideal for fine brushwork, glazing, staining, water. Bristles: Transfer paint onto the substrate surface Ferrule: Retains the bristles and attaches them to the handle Handle: The intended interface between the user and the tool Trade painter's brushes. Brushes for use in non-artistic trade painting are geared to applying an even coat of paint.
Thanks to Heinz Jordan & Company™ as well as Loew Cornell™ for supplying images of their fine line of art paint brushes.
We've also created a section for proper care and maintenanceof your brushes. We hope you'll find the information useful.
FLATS, SHADERS & WASH / GLAZEFlats are the types of paint brushes you’ll use the most often in your painting projects. You’ll use them for basecoating, floating, strokework, blending, washes and varnishing.
As you can see, they’re very versatile.
FILBERT, CAT’S TONGUE & OVAL WASHA filbert is a flat brush but it has a chiseled rounded edge instead of a straight one. Sort of like a cat’s tongue. When you look at the brush from the chiseled edge, the hairs should form an even oval edge.
As a tool for basecoating, these types of paint brushes can't be beat! The shape of the hairs eliminates ridges. It can be used for side-loading similarly to a flat brush to create shades and highlights.
It's also used for blending. And because it can hold a fair amount of water, it’s also great for applying washes of color. And lastly, because of its shape it’s perfectly suited for doing leaves, flower petals and bird feathers.
Take a look at my video tutorial on how to use a Filbert.
CHISEL BLENDER and BRIGHTAlso a part of the Flat family of brushes, the hairs here are much shorter. These types of paint brushes won’t hold enough paint for doing flowing strokes. They are very good though for blending paint, cleaning up messy edges and for other special techniques.
ANGULAR, ANGULAR SHADER, ANGLE FLAT and ROSE PETALA brush by any other name..... This one is also a Flat but it has an angular chisel or brush tip. This means it will hold less paint and water, so you can’t get good continuous flow.
On the very positive side, this is THE brush for doing tight shading and highlighting. And it is especially coveted by artists who love to paint roses and flowers because they can get into all those little nooks and crannies. So, if you’re painting a realistic rose, consider trying this brush. But for long floats or strokework... not the right choice... best to use a flat.
ROUND, ROUND STROKE and ULTRA ROUNDThese types of paint brushes come in many sizes; The smallest being a 20/0 and climbing all the way up to size #10. Mostly they are used for strokework and watercolor. This one is invaluable as a teaching tool for perfecting brush control.
Learning to use this brush for traditional strokework will provide a very strong foundation for all your painting efforts. Strokework is beautiful so mastering it is worth the time and practice.
LINER, SCRIPT LINER, LONG LINER, MID-LENGTH LINER,SHORT LINER and SCROLLERThese are part of the Round family of brushes. They range in size from 18/0 to #8. Another feature of liners is that they come in different lengths and thickness. This means that selecting the right liner can be challenging. The longer the hairs, the more paint and water the brush can carry.
The best advice is to try a variety of these types of paint brushes and stick to the ones that feel right for you and the task at hand.
A script liner has longer hairs than a regular liner, which makes it appropriate for doing fine lettering. By the way, using a script liner means you have to have a lot of brush control. It can be a little difficult to manage in tight curves because it tends to flick out. Practice, practice, practice!
Obviously a short liner will do great for small details like eyelashes. And a scroller will be ideally shaped for doing, you guessed it, scroll work.
The best memory is nothing
compared to a good brush.
- Old Chinese Proverb
As you can see there are so many types of paint brushes. For the beginner you only need a few of the most commonly used brushes to start.
But as you develop your craft, you’ll want to start dabbling in all sorts of different ways to paint. That’s when you’re ready to try all types of paint brushes.
RAKE, FILBERT RAKEThe filbert rake is fun for creating hair, beards, feathers, fur, grass and woodgrain. It's a flat texturing brush with an oval, naturally fingered shape. Because of it's shape it offers softer edges than a flat rake.
When you're using either of the rakes you can choose to thin your paint depending on the effect you're trying to achieve. To get light texture just apply very little pressure. Don't overload the hairs with paint... the idea is to make sure that the bristles stay apart. Rakes are available in many sizes.
MOP BRUSHA mop brush is designed for gentle blending and softening. Used with a light touch, these types of paint brushes can quickly blur and soften a hard edge.
Mops come in a variety of shapes. Some resemble a make-up (blush) brush. Others are flatter and stiffer. These are the ones we prefer to use.
Mops are available in 1/4', 3/8', 1/2', 3/4', and 1'.
STIPPLERStipplers are the types of paint brushes used for creating fur and foliage and to give an open or soft general appearance to a painting. The stippler can be oval with flat, tidy bristles. Or it can be domed and round, as in this brush from Heinz Jordan.
It should be used dry. The amount of pressure you apply during the pouncing or stippling will determine the overall look and color value of your painting. They come in many sizes.
DEERFOOT STIPPLERThe deerfoot stippler is also a texturing brush used for creating fur and foliage. It's round and the bristles are long on the toe and short on the heel, bringing to mind the shape of Bambi's foot.
You should pick a deerfoot that has a lot of texture in its bristles over one that's stiff and neatly formed. You can use these brushes either wet or dry.
The amount of pressure you apply during the pouncing or stippling will determine the overall look and color value of your painting.They're available in 1/8', 1/4', 3/8', and 1/2'.
FAN BRUSHThe fan brush is flat with its bristles widely fanned out. It can be used dry to drag paint lightly across the surface of your painting. It can be used wet to create textures. And dragged through wet glazes it gives a fine wood-grain effect. Comes in a range of sizes.
DAGGER STRIPERThese brushes require a little practice to use at first... it's like they're a filbert brush with half their bristles missing! They are terrific once you get the hang of them.
Truly a multi-purpose gem. You can load the brush with multiple colors, create great ribbons and petals and do stripes all in one fell swoop!
NEEDLE POINTED BRUSHThis artist paint brush is fairly new and funky looking! The needle pointed brush is a round with a long liner that extends through the end.
You can create some very interesting effects, especially great vines and twigs. Loaded with inky consistency paint, the round part acts as a reservoire and the liner is, well...a liner. By holding it almost perpendicular to the surface and using varying amounts of pressure, you'll have loads of fun with this one! It comes in Sizes #4, #6 and #8.
FANDANGO BRUSHThe Fandango brush...we just LOVE saying it... looks a bit like a fanned mop brush. This brush has long hairs with shorter ones in between. All hairs have very fine points on the ends. Not only does this brush hold lots of paint, but stroke it once on the surface and you've just made lots of fine lines. Great for creating grasses, fur, feathers and Santa's beards. Ready to Fandango?!
WHALE'S TAILThe Whale's Tail...a flat brush with the bristles cut in a 'V' shape which can be used for lots of one stroke effects. Loaded with two colors and fully pressed, results in a tulip shape. Change to green and three presses of the brush will give you an ivy leaf. It can also be used to create plaid, ribbon, layered petals and palm trees. Available in sizes, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1'.
WAVE BRUSHThe Wave Brush, with scalloped bristle tips, comes in multiple sizes cut in Angular, Filbert and Flat shapes. There's a ton of stuff you can do with these brushes. Quick and easy strokes result in flower petals, leaves, simple birds, butterflies, woodgraining, eyelet lace and more. They can also be used to stipple light, airy foliage, and for some dry brushing techniques. Set your imagination in motion and have fun!!!
FOUNTAIN BRUSHAnother interesting brush shape, the Fountain Brush has a ring of bristles with a center opening. Loaded and spun in a circle gives you a quick rosette. Press down firmly for other interesting petal shapes. Also, try your hand at stippled foliage or fur and pulled strokes that create waterfalls and feathering.
Stay tuned as we will continue to bring you more information on all types of paint brushes such as stencil brushes, scruffies and scumblers.
If you'd like more information on allall types of paint brushes, drop us a line here.
You Can Paint These Trees and More
Get Your Video Course Now
Introductory Price
Save 55% plus
a Money Back Guarantee
a Money Back Guarantee
Click Here Treat Me To A Coffee
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.Classification | Brush |
---|---|
Uses | Painting |
A paintbrush is a brush used to apply paint or sometimes ink. A paintbrush is usually made by clamping the bristles to a handle with a ferrule. They are available in various sizes, shapes, and materials. Thicker ones are used for filling in, and thinner ones are used for details. They may be subdivided into decorators' brushes used for painting and decorating and artists' brushes use for visual art.
Brush parts[edit]
- Bristles: Transfer paint onto the substrate surface
- Ferrule: Retains the bristles and attaches them to the handle
- Handle: The intended interface between the user and the tool
Trade painter's brushes[edit]
Brushes for use in non-artistic trade painting are geared to applying an even coat of paint to relatively large areas.
Types Of Paint Brushes For Art
Following are the globally recognized handles of trade painter's brushes:
- Gourd Handle: Ergonomic design that reduces stress on the wrist and hand whilst painting.
- Short Handle: The shorter handle provides greater precision when painting small spaces such as corners, trims & detail areas.
- Flat Beavertail Handle: This shape is rounded and slightly flattened to fit perfectly into the palm of the hand whilst painting.
- Square Handle: Square shaped handle with bevelled corners is featured mainly in trim or sash brushes and is comfortable to hold when painting.
- Rat Tail Handle: This handle is longer & thinner than the standard making it easy to hold to give greater control.
- Long Handle: Rounded and thin, a long handle is easy to hold like a pencil giving great control & precision when cutting in & painting tricky spaces.[1]
Decorators' brushes[edit]
A paintbrush, with parts identified
Decorators' brushes
Using a paintbrush
The sizes of brushes used for painting and decorating.
Decorators' brush sizes[edit]
Decorators' brush sizes are given in millimeters (mm) or inches (in), which refers to the width of the head. Common sizes are:
- Metric: 10 mm, 20 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm, 70 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm.
- Customary: 1⁄8 in,1⁄4 in, 3⁄8 in, 1⁄2 in, 5⁄8 in, 3⁄4 in, 7⁄8 in, 1 in, 11⁄4 in, 11⁄2 in, 2 in, 21⁄2 in, 3 in, 31⁄2 in, 4 in.
Types Of Paint Brushes For Artists
Decorators' brush shapes[edit]
- Angled: For painting edges, bristle length viewed from the wide face of the brush uniformly decrease from one end of the brush to the other
- Flat: For painting flat surfaces, bristle length viewed from the wide face of the brush does not change
- Tapered: Improves control, the bristle length viewed from the narrow face of the brush is longer in the center and tapers toward the edges
- Striker: Large round (cylindrical) brush for exterior painting difficult areas
Decorators' brush bristles[edit]
Bristles may be natural or synthetic. If the filaments are synthetic, they may be made of polyester, nylon or a blend of nylon and polyester.Filaments can be hollow or solid and can be tapered or untapered. Brushes with tapered filaments give a smoother finish.
Synthetic filaments last longer than natural bristles. Natural bristles are preferred for oil-based paints and varnishes, while synthetic brushes are better for water-based paints as the bristles do not expand when wetted.
A decorator judges the quality of a brush based on several factors: filament retention, paint pickup, steadiness of paint release, brush marks, drag and precision painting. A chiseled brush permits the painter to cut into tighter corners and paint more precisely.
Brush handles may be made of wood or plastic while ferrules are metal (usually nickel-plated steel).
Artists' brushes[edit]
Short handled brushes are for watercolor or ink painting while the long handled brushes are for oil or acrylic paint.
Artist's brush shapes[edit]
The styles of brush tip seen most commonly are:
- Round: pointed tip, long closely arranged bristles for detail.
- Flat: for spreading paint quickly and evenly over a surface. They will have longer hairs than their Bright counterpart.
- Bright: shorter than flats. Flat brushes with short stiff bristles, good for driving paint into the weave of a canvas in thinner paint applications, as well as thicker painting styles like impasto work.
- Filbert: flat brushes with domed ends. They allow good coverage and the ability to perform some detail work.
- Fan: for blending broad areas of paint.
- Angle: like the filbert, these are versatile and can be applied in both general painting application as well as some detail work.
- Mop: a larger format brush with a rounded edge for broad soft paint application as well as for getting thinner glazes over existing drying layers of paint without damaging lower layers to protect the paintbrush
- Rigger: round brushes with longish hairs, traditionally used for painting the rigging in pictures of ships. They are useful for fine lines and are versatile for both oils and watercolors.
- Stippler and deer-foot stippler: short, stubby rounds
- Liner: elongated rounds
- Dagger looks like angle with longish hairs, used for one stroke painting like painting long leaves.
- Scripts: highly elongated rounds
- Egbert
Types of brushes
Brushes used in one stroke painting
Some other styles of brush include:
- Sumi: Similar in style to certain watercolor brushes, also with a generally thick wooden or metal handle and a broad soft hair brush that when wetted should form a fine tip. Also spelled Sumi-e (墨絵, Ink wash painting).
- Hake (刷毛): An Asian style of brush with a large broad wooden handle and an extremely fine soft hair used in counterpoint to traditional Sumi brushes for covering large areas. Often made of goat hair.
- Spotter: Round brushes with just a few short bristles. These brushes are commonly used in spotting photographic prints.
- Stencil: A round brush with a flat top used on stencils to ensure the bristles don't get underneath. Also used to create texture.
Artists' brush sizes[edit]
Artists' brushes are usually given numbered sizes, although there is no exact standard for their physical dimensions.
From smallest to largest, the sizes are:
- 20/0, 12/0, 10/0, 7/0, 6/0, 5/0, 4/0 (also written 0000), 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30. Brushes as fine as 30/0 are manufactured by major companies, but are not a common size.
Sizes 000 to 20 are most common.
Artists' brush bristles[edit]
Closeup of an oil paintbrush
Types include:
- watercolor brushes which are usually made of sable, synthetic sable or nylon;
- oil painting brushes which are usually made of sable or bristle;
- acrylic brushes which are almost entirely nylon or synthetic.
Turpentine or thinners used in oil painting can destroy some types of synthetic brushes. However, innovations in synthetic bristle technology have produced solvent resistant synthetic bristles suitable for use in all media. Natural hair, squirrel, badger or sable are used by watercolorists due to their superior ability to absorb and hold water.
Bristles may be natural—either soft hair or hog bristle—or synthetic.
- Soft hair brushes
- The best of these are made from kolinsky sable, other red sables, or miniver (Russian squirrel winter coat; tail) hair. Sabeline is ox hair dyed red to look like red sable and sometimes blended with it. Camel hair is a generic term for a cheaper and lower quality alternative, usually ox. It can be other species, or a blend of species, but never includes camel. Pony, goat, mongoose and badger are also used.
- Hog bristle
- Often called China bristle or Chungking bristle. This is stiffer and stronger than soft hair. It may be bleached or unbleached.
- Synthetic bristles
- These are made of special multi-diameter extruded nylon filament, Taklon or polyester. These are becoming ever more popular with the development of new water based paints.
Artists' brush handles[edit]
Artists' brush handles are commonly wooden but can also be made of molded plastic. Many mass-produced handles are made of unfinished raw wood; better quality handles are of seasoned hardwood. The wood is sealed and lacquered to give the handle a high-gloss, waterproof finish that reduces soiling and swelling.
Metal ferrules may be of aluminum, nickel, copper, or nickel-plated steel. Quill ferrules are also found: these give a different 'feel' to the brush, and are staple of French-style aquarel wash brushes.
References[edit]
- ^'Choose The Best Paint Brush | World's Finest Handcrafted Paint Brushes'. Monarch Painting | Australia's Finest Handcrafted Brushes, Rollers & Accessories. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to paint brushes. |
Look up paintbrush in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paintbrush&oldid=1017636879'