Choosing the Right Brush

For Oils

Cézanne said: 'Painting and drawing happen at the same time'. You therefore need to have several different brushes with different bristle/hair quality at your disposal.

To choose the right brush for oil painting, you need to consider the criteria:
1. The consistency of the paint: more or less liquid for carrying out glazes and impasto work.
2. The quality of the support: fineness of the canvas texture.
3. The technique used: whether painting large surfaces or doing detailed, precision work.

There are different brush shapes for oil painting:
- Flat, rectangular or square shaped brushes for backgrounds and opaque areas.
- Flat brushes with rounded tips for a more modulated approach.
- Round brush for detail.
- Fan shaped brush for blending.

Furthermore, there is a choice of bristle/hair quality:
- Hog bristle, straight or curved for canvas preparation, backgrounds and colour laying.
- Fine hair (ox-hair, squirrel, pony, polecat) or extra fine (sable, Kolinsky sable) for overlaying several coats of paint or carrying out detailed work.
- Synthetic which replicate the shape and uses of natural hair brushes.

The handles of oil painting brushes (about 30cm) are always longer because the oil artist is in fact always further from the support than the watercolourist.

The Different Tips

For Watercolour

The watercolour brush is an extension of the artist's hand and offers incomparable subtlety and sensuality. It will respond to all movements just like a musical instrument. The quality of the ferrule and handle contribute to the perfect balance of the brush whilst the filaments/hairs of the tips are selected for their ability to absorb and retain water. Extremely fine and soft, the hair of the red sable and grey squirrel bend with the slightest pressure of the hand, fan out to give a broad stroke, then regain their original shape and point perfectly. Squirrel hair is the finest to be found. The limited space between each hair allows liquid to flow easily and to produce very long washes on the paper. The hairs come together spontaneously to form a superb point. The hair of the red sable offers vigour and remarkable elasticity. It is ideal for very fine detail and offers contrast to the intensity of the work in hand. Red sable brushes take more colour and less water. The handle of the brush must be short and well balanced for optimal precision. The ferrule must offer good resistance both mechanically and chemically - notably to oxidisation. When all these elements come together they make a gem of a tool for the watercolourist. 

The Different Tips

For Acrylics

If paint is of the heavy body type then be guided by the recommendations 'for oil'. If the viscosity is more fluid, then a brush 'for watercolour' may be more appropriate.