Links to essential viewing:
- "Understanding Brushstroke Techniques" Oliver Pyle (10mins)
- "Brushstrokes & Their Effects" Oliver Pyle (58mins)
BRUSHES
Sable - Named for the animal from the mink family, the Sable Marten, sable brushes are soft and springy. Mostly used with watercolour and oil painting, sable brushes are capable of holding a sharp point for controlled painting. Although its name suggests that the hair fibres are taken from an animal called a "sable", the hairs commonly originate from a weasel or mink.
Squirrel - An alternative to sable, squirrel brushes are soft but lack spring making them a bit harder to control. Despite a lack of spring, squirrel brushes are capable of producing a fine tip. As their name suggests, squirrel hairs are taken from the tails of Gray and Brown Squirrels. Squirrel brushes are best for use with thin paints such as watercolours or inks.
Goat - Goat hair brushes lack spring but are capable of producing nice washes of colour.
Pony - Natural hair from mature horses (not ponies) is used in these brushes. Fibres are coarse and tough. These brushes are mostly used for water-based paints such as watercolour, tempera, and acrylics.
Synthetic - Made from nylon or polyester fibers, synthetic brushes offer the most versatility. Synthetic brushes can be used with virtually any type of painting medium. If you are not sure what type of brush to purchase, synthetic brushes may be the best way to go.
Paint brushes differ according to several characteristics.
These include...
Modified from: https://thevirtualinstructor.com/choose-the-right-paintbrush.html
Squirrel - An alternative to sable, squirrel brushes are soft but lack spring making them a bit harder to control. Despite a lack of spring, squirrel brushes are capable of producing a fine tip. As their name suggests, squirrel hairs are taken from the tails of Gray and Brown Squirrels. Squirrel brushes are best for use with thin paints such as watercolours or inks.
Goat - Goat hair brushes lack spring but are capable of producing nice washes of colour.
- A hake brush is an oriental wash brush with a long, flat wooden handle used in watercolour painting. The brush is typically synthetic, squirrel, goat, ox or bristle. These brushes hold a lot of water so they're perfect for wetting the surface, doing a large wash, or for picking up excess paint.
Pony - Natural hair from mature horses (not ponies) is used in these brushes. Fibres are coarse and tough. These brushes are mostly used for water-based paints such as watercolour, tempera, and acrylics.
Synthetic - Made from nylon or polyester fibers, synthetic brushes offer the most versatility. Synthetic brushes can be used with virtually any type of painting medium. If you are not sure what type of brush to purchase, synthetic brushes may be the best way to go.
Paint brushes differ according to several characteristics.
These include...
- Hair or bristle type
- Shape of the bristles
- Width or thickness of the bristles
- Length of the handle
Modified from: https://thevirtualinstructor.com/choose-the-right-paintbrush.html