The Paint Brush And how to take care of it.

The artists paint brush… As with so many art supplies and tools in this high-tech age, it is easy to take brushes for granted. But a great deal of work goes into creating a brush that is suitable for serious artists. The quality of a paintbrush can determine the overall quality of the final image. So lets learn about the proper treatment of brushes.

Anatomy of a Brush There are three parts of a paintbrush: the head, the ferrule, and the handle.

Sizes & Shapes Brushes come in many different shapes and sizes. The most used shapes in oil and acrylic painting are round, flat, bright, filbert, and fan brushes. Rounds carry more paint in a fluid form, and they are also good for making precise lines. Today the preferred shapes are flat brushes. An artist uses a flat brush for softer, subtler brush strokes. The shorter and stiffer bright brush is good for making firm, decisive strokes that cut into a painting with bold dashes of color. A filbert combines the features of a round and a flat brush: it spreads color in broad strokes, and its edge can be used for more precise brushwork. Finally, a fan brush can be used for lightly blending paints that have already been applied to a surface. Fan brushes are also useful for glazing thin coats of transparent color over more opaque, dried paint.

Flats & Brights: Oil & Acrylic Painting Brushes –Straight painting edge available in various lengths. They have flat ferrules with long handles –Brights: Short-haired, flat bristled brushes used for stiff paint -- paint which is only slightly thinned. –Flats: Used for general painting, these brushes are shaped to a flat edge. –Hog Hair: The most common type of brushes or oil painting, they're also known as bristle brushes. Made of stiff white bristles, These bristles are strong, stiff and ideal for holding thick paint.

Filberts: Oil & Acrylic Painting Brushes –Tongue-shaped head available in various lengths They have flat ferrules with long handles –This brush is similar to a flat but with a slightly rounded tip.

Caring for the brush Both of these brushes are flats. One of them has not been used or cleaned correctly and is ruined

Caring for the brush Notice how the bristles of the head are splayed out. This is because paint was forced into up into the bristles and allowed to dry. The dried paint accumulates and forces the bristles appart.

Caring for the brush Swirling the paint around with the brush while attempting to mix the paint forces the paint up into the ferrule.

Caring for the brush Eventually the paint is pushed so far into the ferrule, it can not be cleaned out. The brush is ruined. The dried paint and splayed bristles may make your brush leave streaks and the application of paint will be uneven.

Caring for the brush Brushes take on paint through capillary action and draw pigment up into the bristles. You can then apply it to your painting surface through light contact.

Caring for the brush When getting paint on your brush, try not to let the paint get more than half way up the bristles…

Caring for the brush So… How do you mix the paint if you can’t use the brush… Well… you can use the brush if you mix gently Or you can use a pallet knife

Caring for the brush Finally, after gently cleaning the brush, Mold the bristles back into their proper shape and place it into one of the containers with the brush facing up.

Use of Palettes The palette is for mixing paint Use only a small amount of paint in each circle (no more than a dime sized amount, unless you are doing a background area). Add water to make the paint flow more easily Add a small amount of color to black or white paint to a make a pastel or dark shade. Use palette knives for mixing paint, not your paint brush!

Other Important Cleaning Procedures Clean water containers thoroughly Use the sponge to wipe the rims and inside free of paint. Use the sponge in the sink to wash all paint down. Any paint that hardens on the sink will be extremely difficult to remove