How to Choose a Paintbrush for Your Needs

 Whether you’re a newbie or you are an experienced painter who’s after a new set of brushes for his next project, having a good quality set of brushes can be a game changer. With the huge choice of brushes these days it can be quite confusing to choose the right ones, however, by going over everything and taking into account all options available on the market, you will be able to make the right choice and choose the right paint art brush set.

For one brush to be qualified as good, it should have a good head which is formed by bristles of hair as well as from good ferrule and handle. The bristles of a paintbrush should be glued together and the ferrule should have a seamless seal in order to prevent paint or any other liquid from seeping into the handle. The ferrule should also be made from a rust-proof metal that is coated with a special layer of coating to prevent this. And lastly, the brushes’ handles should be smooth and coated with primer or paint.

Types

source: jacksonsart.com

First things first, you should know that there’s a huge range of paint art brush sets ranging in type, size, shape and bristles. Even though it is said that you can use them with different kinds of paints, sometimes, it’s the bristle type and shape that won’t be appropriate for being used with a particular paint. In light of this, you should know that:

• Oil paint is the thickest and it requires stronger brushes made from longer hair, however, it isn’t wrong to use stiff synthetic bristle brushes as well.
• Acrylic paint are in need of the use of synthetic softer brushes that are also strong and with natural sable hairs.
• Watercolour and gouache require the use of medium sable brushes or synthetic watercolour brushes which are made from hair that imitates soft animal hair.

Types of Hairs

Natural

Well, it goes without saying that natural hair has a taper towards its tip. Brushes of this kind are highly precise and are also known for their natural belly. This means that they are fatter at the middle part and taper towards the tip and base, and this feature precisely allows them to soak a greater amount of paint and spread it smoothly. Being made from natural hair, these brushes also seem to be more absorbent than synthetic ones.

Synthetic

As the name suggests, these hairs are manmade, usually from polyester. Even though in the past these hairs were quite cheap and didn’t carry paint well, nowadays, the technique of making these hairs has improved and sometimes it’s almost impossible to differentiate them from animal hair. Given the fact that technology is constantly improving, you can easily buy brushes with synthetic hair that resemble the hair of a particular animal.

Types of Shapes

Flat

Flat shapes seem to be perfect for painting large areas of colour, but also for blending and painting straight lines. These brushes are available in a large selection of styles like flat shaders, wash brushes, filbrets and angular shaders.

• The flat shaders are longer types of brushes designed to create longer strokes. They are perfect for filling larger areas of colour and also for creating thinner lines.
• Filbert brushes have a little bit of a rounder tip instead of a straight one and they are perfect for creating soft edges.
• Angular are great for creating crisp edges, while wash brushes are good for creating a base coat, for making broad strokes and for applying colour to larger areas.

Round

These are just some other types of versatile brushes used for a plethora of painting techniques. Practice shows that they are great for detailed work and for creating some interesting shapes like liner, round, spotter, long round and quill.

The larger round brushes are perfect for holding more water in their belly. They have a tapered point which allows for creating a variety of strokes,

Liner brushes have longer hairs and they are great for creating constant thick to thin lines when painting tree branches and vines for instance.

Spotter brushes seem to be great for all the detailed work you need to do on the painting. They are perfect for creating very fine, precise and even miniature details.

Quill brushes also have a larger belly for holding more paint and they seem to be perfect for creating larger washes of colour.

Fan

Well, these brushes are mainly used for blending and also for softening the edges of paint strokes. They also seem great for creating hair, trees, shrubs and grass when used dry. For those times when you need to soften an area, you should use a round blender brush.

Buying these brushes separately is possible, however, you should consider the idea of buying brushes in a set as they are more affordable.  Just make sure to buy ones coming from trusted brands in order to be sure of their quality.