A selection of old brushes from my collection. Some of them are very worn but all of them have character...
From left to right, they are:
1) A size two flat for fiddly details;
2) A size two round - used mainly for drawing-in at the start of a painting and for details;
3) Size 12 filbert, well worn;
4) Size 6 bright, for tight, controlled areas of paint;
5) Size 6 filbert, for comparison;
6) Size 8 filbert
7) Size 12 flat for large areas of paint
8) Size 6 round
All the brushes (except no. 3) are synthetic. I prefer synthetic bristles because I use acrylics and oils in equal measure and synthetic bristles do not soften in water.
How to Choose Brushes
Hog, filbert, sable... how do you choose the right brush for the right job? Here's a short article to help you tell your filbert from your rigger.
Part 1) Hair Types
Bristle. The best oil painting brushes are made from hog (pig) bristles. The bristles for a good brush taper naturally along their length, and are split into several smaller filaments at the tip, allowing the brush to be loaded with extra paint. The hairs have a natural curve towards the tip that gives the brush a natural springiness.
Bristle brushes are ideal for oil painting because they can cope with the thick buttery texture of oil paint but remain flexible and responsive to the pressure you apply. They can also take quite rough treatment as you scrub paint into the canvas.
Tip: Most brushes are dipped in starch by the manufacturers. This has the effect of keeping the bristles of a brush together during transit. Make sure your brush doesn't contain any rogue bristles that stick out by soaking the brush in water before you buy. Good art shops will provide a small dish of water for this purpose so don't be embarrassed to ask.
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Good bristle brushes can become like old friends - acquiring new qualities as they wear, so don't be afraid to spend good money on a quality brush, and don't forget to look after your brushes once you've bought them!
Sable is a soft hair obtained from the tail of the Sable Marten (a mammal related to the mink). Sable brushes are used extensively for watercolours, and for obtaining soft effects in oil colour. The best sable is known as Red (or Kolinsky) Sable from Siberia. The quality of a sable brush determines how much liquid colour the brush can hold while maintaining a fine point. The best sable also has a vibrant responsiveness that is reflected in the price - expect to pay over £100 for a larger Kolinsky sable brush!
Synthetic. Ten years ago I would have advised aspiring artists to steer clear of synthetic brushes as they were poor imitations of hog and sable. This is no longer the case and good hog- and sable- equivalents are now available. The only catch is that some of the synthetic brushes
cost as much as their natural counterparts!
Tip: I find that synthetic brushes are especially suited to acrylic painting. Traditional hog brushes do not take kindly to prolonged soaking in water (they tend to become very soft) - not a problem for synthetic brushes. High-quality synthetic brushes are now available (try the Pro Art Sterling Acrylix range).
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Part 2: Brush Shapes
Flats have square ends and long bristles. They hold a lot of paint and can be loaded up with paint that is then applied in long, juicy strokes. They are springy without being soft and can be very responsive to the slight changes in pressure applied by your hands as you paint.
Brights also have square ends, but shorter hairs. They allow much more control over how much paint you apply. Because the hairs are shorter, the brush is much less springy and much firmer than a flat.
Filberts are about the same length as flats, but the hairs taper slightly towards the end. They create a softer, less angular brushstroke than flats. I find their responsiveness useful for portraits and figures.
Rounds. As the name suggests, the cross-section of these brushes is round. I use them mainly for 'drawing in' the composition at the start of a painting. They're also used extensively during the main painting by most artists.