The Components of Artist Brushes

 Whether you are a professional artist, grandmaster, or like to paint for fun, the artist brush is the tool you need create your masterpiece. There are several components that go into the making of an artist brush.

The Filament

Filaments are the hairs or bristles of the brush. Because there are so many choices, it can be a bit overwhelming. Filaments are glued together at one end before being crimped into the ferrule.

Before deciding on the type of filament, it is necessary to determine your medium. Do you typically paint with oils, watercolors, or acrylics? Next, you’ll want to think about your level of expertise and what you wish to accomplish when painting.

One type of filament is a "bristle" brush. These are course and come in a variety of lengths. The shorter or stiffer bristles are usually used with thicker paints that require a lot of blending of the paints whereas thinner paints are best applied with longer or softer hairs that do not create texture.

Then there are natural filaments are made from the fur of an animal i.e. squirrel hair, sable, hog, badger, ox, pony, mongoose, mink, etc. They are very good at holding fluid because they are so absorbent. The natural brushes can be used for any medium whether it's oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc. They are super great for working with heavy bodied paints and work well on rough surfaces.

Natural brushes: 

·        work well with oil paints –oil conditions the bristles or hairs making them more pliable

·        work well with watercolors—really soak up water and redistribute onto canvas

·        are not super compatible with acrylics

·        tend to hold shape well-good shape retention

·        are more expensive

·        can become damaged by acrylic paints

·        tend to leave brushstroke marks—can be good or bad depending on your intent

·        animal rights and other environmental sustainability issues may be a concern for you

Synthetics filaments are man-made. They were developed to provide substantial use of the brush and can be used with any medium. Synthetic brushes are the workhorses for many an artist. Synthetic bristles have thicker filaments and are ideal for rough or hard surfaces such as ceramics and craft projects. Brushes that are "synthetic hairs" are softer and finer, hold a lot of liquid, and keep an excellent fine chisel edge. Synthetic hairbrushes provide a smoother stroke than natural bristle. They retain their stiffness and are very durable. They clean well with soap and water when used with acrylics or other water-based media. When used with acrylics, natural bristle brushes lose their stiffness, but they do hold more paint.

Synthetic brushes:

·        are made of nylon or polyester or mix of both

·        are budget-friendly

·        work well with acrylics, oils and watercolors

·        tend to hold and release a lot more paint

·        splay more easily/faster

·        leave a smoother finish, and few to no brush marks

·        don’t exploit animals

·        are good for all levels of expertise

The Ferrule

A ferrule is the part that connects the filaments with the handle. Ferrules will determine the size of the brush, the numbers of filaments in the brush. The ferrule is crimped at one end to hold the filaments in place; the other end is glued onto the handle. The ferrules can be made with either metal or plastic.

The Handle

Handles are usually made of wood or plastic. Wood handles are made of hard wood and manufactured both domestic and overseas. They are made proportioned to balance in the hand and to give optimum control when painting. The wooden handles are lacquered to prevent the wooden handle from swelling and to help prevent the handle from crackling or warping when in contact with a fluid.

Plastic handles will not crack or warp, and as a result, they usually cost more. The length and diameter of a handle is important in your selection. Long handled brushes are used when working with an easel; oil painters prefer long handles for this reason. Short-handled brushes are for working on a table and preferred by acrylic, watercolor, and craft painters. Large diameter brushes aids those with hand pain but they can be used by anyone. Different brushes tend to fit differently in the hand, thus giving good control when painting.

Choosing the right type of brush for your project is critical. Brush types include:

Flats

Flats are brushes with a straight chisel edge and square shaped filaments. These can be known as shaders if they’re in smaller sizes and washes/glazes if in bigger sizes. Large areas are painted with a wash/glaze brush whereas smaller flats are used for small areas of painting.

Round 

Round brushes have a large diameter of the ferrule, more so than a liner, which can be used for applying thick to thin lines, filling in odd-shaped areas, painting details and work great for lettering. Liners don't hold as much paint as a round, however, they are super great for creating lines or curves. Script liners are similar to liners, but the filaments are much longer and hold more paint. A round brush tapers to a pointed tip. Angle brushes are filaments that have been cut on an angle. These are excellent to use in small or curved areas of the painting.

Filbert

Brushes with oval shaped filaments are known as filberts in smaller sizes and oval wash in larger sizes. Both shapes can be used for base coating, stroke work and more. There are filbert combs, filbert wash and more.

Mop

Mop brushes are great for blending and smoothing out small areas. They're also ideal for applying powdered pigments.

Specialty

Specialty brushes are used for certain techniques and garner their own results: fan, deerfoot, scumbler, mops and more.

Other paint brush characteristics to consider are:

 

Brush Width

Brushes come in a wide variety of widths, commonly ranging from about 1 inch to 5 inches. You can apply more paint with a wider brush, but you should always match the brush width to the surface being painted.

 

Bristle Shape

Most paintbrushes available today are square-cut brushes. They are perfect for holding and laying paint onto virtually any surface. However, square-cut brushes don't provide as much control when painting into corners, up to adjacent surfaces, or along narrow edges or surfaces. For more precise control, use a sash brush, which has its bristles cut at a slight angle. Sash brushes are particularly well-suited for cutting in around the perimeter of a room.

 

Bristle Tips

Better quality brushes have bristles with flagged, or split, ends. Flagged bristles hold more paint and spread paint more smoothly. Some brushes, especially sash brushes, have tipped ends, which should not be confused with flagged ends. Tipped brushes come to a point; they're not cut flat and straight, as is a standard brush.

Gordon Brush® manufactures 255 artist brushes with a wide variety of fill material, handle material, shapes, types, styles, and sizes. Whether you are a professional artist, grandmaster, or like to paint for fun, Gordon Brush® has the perfect Americanmade artist brush for your project. Contact us at 323-724-777 or sales@gordonbrush.com, for one of our stock brushes or if you need a custom brush for any project or application.

(for a full read of the original article, please visit https://issuu.com/brushwaremag/docs/21v5_brm-digital?fr=sNjU2YTQxNDc3OTU - pages 25-27)