How Watercolor Brushes Are Made

8/10/2019 How Watercolor Brushes Are Made

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HOW WATERCOLOR BRUSHES ARE MADE

Some folks write with a stubby, chewed up wood pencil, and others writewith a gold plated Swiss fountain pen. These don't have much effect on the writer's

handwriting, but they do lend familiarity to the writing experience and a distinctivevisual style to the script.

In many respects, an artist's preferences in brushes are of the same kind. As apractical matter, many artists find that inexpensive brushes do the job just as well asexpensive ones: the style and appearance of their paintings are much the same.

An awareness of the brushes that are available, and the major differences amongthem, will help you find the tools that make you feel comfortably at your best, andlend those subtle touches of brushstroke and texture that make your work unique.

I have not been able to find a reliable account of the invention and history of thebrush as we use it today. The essential tool concept was probably adapted fromtwigs that were frayed by chewing at one end, so that they could hold ink or paint, asused in early painting or calligraphy. It seems that the modern brushanimal hair orbristle, or vegetable fiber, bound to the end of a wood handle was independentlydevised in Egypt, perhaps as early as 4000 BCE, and in China, perhaps as early as200 CE. The Chinese brush probably incorporated a quill ferrule around animal hair,making it the earliest tool similar to brushes used today. The first description ofEuropean artist's brushes and brush manufacture is probably that in CenninoCennini's Il Libro dell' Arte(c.1390).

A brief but excellent contemporary reference is Jacques Turner's Brushes: AHandbook for Artists and Artisans(Design Books, 1992), which includes manyphotographs of brush types and brushmaking techniques.

TYPES OF BRUSHES

Watercolor brushes come in a confusingly wide range of sizes, types and materials.But nearly all the painting you'll ever have to do requires only a few different sizesfrom the two essential, general purpose types of watercolor brushes. These aretheroundand the flat. There are many other brushes designed for specificapplications, and these are more useful to some painting tasks or painting styles thanothers.

Round. The classic watercolor brush, with hairs that shape to a rounded point whenwet (see Figures 1 and 2, right). A high quality round renders a wide range of shapesand effects, holds a good charge of water, wicks up excess paint, and rinses outquickly. The extraordinary flexibility of this brush means it is the instrument of choicefor "gestural" painters who want a lot of expressiveness in the brush marks. Roundscome in three subtle variations: the standard round, where the length out is slightlymore than 4 times the belly diameter when wet, with a slight flaring in width at thebelly; a full bellied roundin which the length out is about 4 times the belly diameterwhen wet, with an exaggerated belly widening in the tuft; and the pointed roundinwhich the length out is usually 5 or more times the belly diameter when wet, withoutany belly widening in the tuft. The cupping of the brush determines these brush


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proportions, and some brands tend to one or the other extreme in their "standard"rounds (compare the tuft shapes in Figure 2). These variations affect the carryingcapacity and flexibility but not the pointing of the tuft. The middle or optimal size inmost brush ranges is usually around a #10 or #12. The smallest sizes run to #00 or#000 (for extremely fine detail, and depending on thesizing systemused), but these

brushes hold very little paint; the largest usually run as high as #20 or #24 (somemanufacturers go even higher), but these largest rounds are very expensive andcumbersome to use.

1. Round b rushes

(left to right): Winsor & Newton #10 Series 7, Da Vinci #12 Maestro kolinsky, DanielSmith #12 red sable, Daniel Smith #12 oxhair, Yarka #8 Kolinsky sable

2. Round b rushessame brushes as above, but wet

Flat. These are chisel shaped brushes with a straight edge that first became popularamong Impressionist painters of the late 19th century (see Figure 3). These arespecialized as two types. The brighthas an approximately square tuft profile (thelength out is the same as the tuft width), usually with stiffer hairs; they hold less paintthan regular flats, produce sharply angular stroke edges, and can be used moreassertively in lifting, splattering, scumbling, and similar texturing techniques.

Theone strokehas a distinctly rectangular tuft shape with flexible, soft hairs; the tuftcan smoothly release a longer stroke of paint and produces a more calligraphic range
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of brushmarks. Flats are ideal for laying down large areas of even color or purewater, for shaping precise color edges, building graded washes, and creating avariety of shapes less convenient to render with a round. Nearly all the strokes madewith a flat leave an angular or straight edge in the brushstroke, so they are oftenused wet in wet (which disguises or softens these characteristic brush marks) or

boldly in "angular" painting styles. Sizes are usually measured in inches along the flatedge, and typically include 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" and 1", or equivalent widthsnumbered as sizes from about 6 to 24.

3. Flat brush es

(left to right): Daniel Smith acrylic synthetic 1", Daniel Smith Kolinsky sable 1", Isabeyred sable 1", Isabey mongoose 1"

Specialty Brushes. Most paintings will require two or more of these basic round andflat brushes. In addition, there are a number of specialty brushes that are lessfrequently needed because they are designed to serve limited purposes, usuallysome kind ofspecific texturing effectwhich the basic brushes handle lesseffectively.

Mop. Rounds made with very fine, soft hairs (usually squirrel hair) that can hold alarge quantity of water when wet or can wick up a large quantity of water whenthirsty. Because they take long to dry and take more effort to rinse completely, mopsare not the best brush for paint application, but they are exceptionally good forwetting large areas of paper or for blotting or blending paint that is already applied.

Good mops come to a precise point and can be used for very controlled applicationsof water from thin lines to sky wide washes (see Figure 4). The soft hairs severelylimit the range of brush marks in comparison to a round, but this coarser, "out offocus" effect makes them ideal for softening edges, for lifting vague lights inbackgrounds, and applying large color masses. Sizes run from #0 to #14.


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4. Mop bru shes

(left to right): Isabey squirrel mop (dry) #8, Isabey squirrel mop (wet) #6, Isabey filbert

Wash. Looking like miniature housepainting brushes, wash brushes extend the rangeof flats to much larger widths, hold much more water or paint, and release it over awider area (see Figure 5). Like mops, wash brushes are best for wetting large areasof paper or charging already wet wash areas with water or paint; their large size andblunt edge makes them unweildy for paint applications, especially when the paintedarea is bounded by complex edges. Sizes typically include 1", 1-1/2", 2", 3" andsometimes 4", depending on manufacturer and type of hair used.

5. Wash brus hes

(left to right): Isabey 2" squirrel wash, Daniel Smith 2" cactus wash, Winsor & Newton2" Taklon wash

Acrylic. Flats with synthetic fiber bristles and a clear plastic handle that ends in abeveled edge (see Figure 3). The tuft produces very even chiseled edges but runs


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out of paint across longer strokes; I find them very useful for the limited wetting andscrubbing of areas of paint I want to lift (blot away) with a paper towel. The handle tipis useful for burnishing, rubbing or scraping the watercolor paper. Sized as flats.

Filbert or Cat's Tongue. Oval flats that come to a point when wet, usually made with

soft bristles such as sable, mongoose or squirrel hair (see Figure 4). Used forblending or shaping washes, for washes where the width of the wash strokes must bevaried, for example where a large wash area must be laced through smallerpassages that require detailed maneuvering with more of a tuft point. Sized asrounds.

Rigger. Brushes with very long, thin hairs that come to a precise point, originallyused to paint the rigging lines in nautical paintings, but great for any rendering of veryfine, long lines (see Figure 6). The long tip of a good rigger will hold a fair amount ofpaint and will disguise minor wobbling in the hand through the flexibility of the tuft.Sized as rounds.

Liner(also script). Basically a rigger wrapped in a round. The hairs often do notcome to a needle point (as in a rigger), so that the line rendered has a consistentthickness, which is scaled to the size of the tuft. The length of the liner tuft allows theline to keep a more consistent width than the line possible with a round, while thebelly holds a larger charge of paint than a rigger, which allows you paint a rather longline for its width. (see Figure 6). Sized as rounds.

Detail. A stubby round that tapers quickly to a precise point, used for painting theartist's signature, short lines (especially lines that vary in width), small areas oftexturing (stippling, hatching), rendering single leaves in trees or plants, portrait eyes,and similar detail areas (see Figure 6). Sized as rounds.

Fan. As the name indicates, a brush with a fan shape used for drawing grasslike ortwiglike clusters of parallel lines, for irregular line hatching or texturing, and for softlyblending the edges of or gradations within wash areas (see figure 6). Different partsof the arcing fan edge should be used from one stroke to the next, to produce thegreatest variation in the irregular line spacings. Sized as rounds.

Travel brush. Collapsible round or mop brushes that enclose the tuft in the handlefor protection during travel (see figure 6). Only useful for quick sketching with a

pocket pan set and a small block of watercolor paper. The largest sizes can be usedfor washes, and travel mops are also available from Isabey (see Figure 6). Sized asrounds.


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6. Specialty brus hes

(top to bottom): Winsor & Newton #6 fan brush, Daniel Smith #9 liner brush, Isabey#8 and #4 detail brush, Daniel Smith #6 and #0 rigger brush, Isabey #2 travel squirrelmop, Daniel Smith #2 travel sable round

Japanese sumi brushes(see Figure 7). These come in many styles and sizes.Thegyokuranor korakuare basically calligraphic tools: they deliver elegant flowingstrokes that characteristically change texture as the fluid in the brush is exhausted,from the wet beginning of the stroke to the dry finish. This tends to happen quickly,because the brushes have a poor carrying capacity and release liquid fairly quickly,

and because the goat hair tufts are coarse and soft. For the traditional Japanesecalligraphy, which develops a skill in handling the old kanjiideograms as artistic icons,this variation in texture has a lovely expressive effect. In most other paintingsituations, it can be a nuisance. I don't use these brushes unless I want a calligraphic"Japanese brush mark" in the painting. Sized in inches.

The flat hakebrushes are used dry (without any water or paint in them) to gentlystroke and coax the distribution of paint or water in wash areas after the washsolution has been applied with another (wash) brush. Some are designed asindividual tufts set in a row of bamboo stalks (pictured at right); others are made as asingle row of hairs set in a thin, flat wooden handle. They are quite limp when wet,

and shed hairs as relentlessly as a sick dog, which makes them nearly worthless asdirect painting tools. When the hairs are wet they also straggle across a wash,leaving unsightly marks. I dislike these brushes and only use them to sweep lint anderasure crumbs from a paper surface. Sized in inches.

All these brushes tend to be used much less frequently than the four basic types,unless you specialize in a genre of painting (botanicals, ship paintings, calligraphy)where their texturing effects have a specific application.


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7. Japanese brus hes

(left to right): yoju hake, bamboo hake, gyokuran sumi brush, sansui koraku sumibrushbrush manufacture

Brushmaking is a very old art that in central European traditions was combined withthe making of brooms. England, France and Germany have the longest traditions inbrushmaking and continue to provide some of the finest brushes, though theguideto watercolor brushespoints to some fine makers in Spain and the Middle East.Several brands sold in the USA obtain their brushes from manufacturers in India orJapan, and China is making rapid inroads into the world market.

The manufacturer assembles the brush raw materials tuft hair or fiber, metalferrules and wood handlesfrom other suppliers. How much of this basicmanufacturing the brush company jobs out or does itself affects the amount of quality

control they can assert over their product.

The modern brush consists of only three parts. The tuft(Tat left) is thebundle of hair, bristle or fiber that holds and releases the painting liquid. Thevisible portion of the tuft, about half its total length, is the length out,whichconsists of the bellyor widest middle part and the taperingpointor tip (in around) or edge(in a flat). Theferrule(F) is the metal collar that connects thetuft to the handle, supports the tuft during painting, protects the end of thewood handle from moisture, and determines the size and shape of the brush.Finally, the handle(H) is made of a dense hardwood selected forstraightness. Plastic handles have been tried but have usually been found

wanting because they don't save the brush manufacturer money, yetcustomers associate plastic with low quality and lack of durability.

The Tuft. The pelts or ears of the harvested animals are first shampooed andthen hung to dry. Sable and squirrel pelts are sometimes oven cured at lowtemperatures to increase the hair elasticity or "spring."

Brush hairdressers scissor the prepared hairs or bristles from the pelt, holdlarge tufts between thumb and fingers and use a fine comb to separate the hairs andremove hair fragments, fine hairs and stubborn debris. Hairs are meticulously sorted,separated by length and cleaned of any broken pieces. Hairs of the same length arebundled for sale to brushmakers, and because there are fewer of the longest hairs onan animal, these are more expensive. According to Jacques Turner, hairs from the
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tail of kolinsky sables range in length from about 28mm (sold for about $1,000 akilogram in 1992) to 70mm (which went for $10,000 a kilogram). Prices haveincreased since then. Brushmakers who do not do the hairdressing themselvescarefully unbundle and inspect a shipment when it is received.

To make a tuft by hand, the brushmaker pinches out or counts the exact number ofhairs required for the brush size, then places these hairs (pointed end down) insidethebrushmaker's molda hollow brass cylinder with thick sides and base,somewhat resembling an oversized thimble, whose inner contour defines the shapeof the finished brush (rounded at the bottom for rounds, and flat for flats). The cup istapped repeatedly on a stone slab, which drives the tip of every hair to the bottom ofthe cup.

(A different procedure, called stacking,is used for liners or other tapering brushesthat do not have a pronounced belly. As many as five lengths of hair are used,carefully arranged with the longest hairs at the center of the tuft and inserted into the

cup butt end down, with the points exposed.)

Once the hairs have been cupped to the appropriate shape, the exposed ends arewrapped tightly at the base with string and the tuft is removed from the cup. If thebrush is a round, the string is tied off with a knot and trimmed. The brushmaker thenmanipulates the tuft with her fingers to perfect the shape of the belly and point. Theinner end of the tuft is then sheared off flat to the desired length, and the tuft isinserted into the metal ferrule from the wide (handle) end, pulled through to exposethe desired length out, then secured with a penetrating, waterproof adhesive andhung, tuft down, to dry.

Synthetic tufts are made of extruded fine filaments of plastic cut into desired lengthsand sorted by machine.

Tufts are sometimes purchased cupped and tied for assembly by brushmakers, butthey more often use a setthat consists of the tuft already glued into the metalferrule.

The Ferrule. Metal ferrules were first commercially used in brushmaking around1890, and the highest quality ferrules areseamlessnot made of a flat piece ofmetal rolled into a cylinder. Fine quality watercolor brushes are mounted into ferrules

made of a hard but malleable, corrosion resistant metal such as brass or copper;these are typically plated with nickel, silver or (rarely) gold. (Ferrules on cheaperbrushes are made of softer aluminum or tin, which bends too easily.) They representalmost a third of the total cost to manufacture a brush.

In nearly all fine commercial brushes the ferrule is double or triple crimped at thehandle end (as in the drawing at left) to fasten the handle securely and keep waterfrom seeping inside. Ferrules for flat brushes may be cylindrical in their original shapeand flattened to achieve a particular brush style. Natural quills from the feathers ofducks, geese, and other fowl are still used for brush ferrules by watercolorists, thoughmost often onsquirrel mop brushes.Japanese brushes do not have ferrules: the

tuft is secured directly to the handle.
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The Handle. The wood is chemically sealed, then finished by dipping in lacquer orpolyurethane. The end inside the ferrule is flat and the butt end of the tuft is glueddirectly to it. This is the weakest part of the brush, because the end is not lacqueredor varnished so that the adhesive can bond tightly with the wood. Prolonged soakingwill expand the wood and loosen the adhesive holding the tuft in place. Acrylic

handles are also used, particularly for synthetic brushes. Handles vary widely indiameter and length, but generally are shorter for watercolor brushes than foroil/acrylic brushes.

Brush Sizes. Round brushes are sizedusing a standard numbering system thatranges from #00000 or #000 for the smallest brushes, then typically runs #00, #0, #1to #12 in single number intervals, then #14 to #20 in even number intervals, andsometimes #24 or higher for the largest brushes.

I have not found an explanation for how these numbers are defined or assigned to abrush size. The best analogy is that they are like shoe sizes, fairly standard but

somewhat different across manufacturers and styles. The numbers usually identifythe relative sizes of brushes within the same type of brush by the samemanufacturer. But across manufacturers, brushes of the same numerical size andtype will typically not be exactly the same actual size or shape. (Compare the Winsor& Newton #10, the Daniel Smith #12 red sable, and the Yarka #8 in Figure 1: theseare all round brushes of approximately the same size.)

Because English brushes are typically made with wider bellies, there are effectivelytwo numbering systems, English and continental (or European). The Englishnumbers refer to a larger brush: an English size 8 brush is equivalent to a Germansize 9, an English 12 to a German 14, and so on. Flats, thankfully, are usually sizedby the measured width of the edge of the ferrule, although some companies size theirflats with a numbering system similar to rounds.

Brushes are handmade from raw materials that vary widely in quality and availability.For that reason, brushes are always subtly different from each other, even when theycome from the same manufacturer, in the same size and in the same series number.Even synthetic brushes show this variationa pleasant reminder that these areamong the oldest tools made for the human hand.

brush hair & bristle

Nearly all the magic in a brush is in the selection of the tuft materials and how theyare shaped and secured to the handle. This determines the resiliency or "spring" inthe brush, how much water it can hold, the variety of effects it can render, and howlong it stands up to use.

Brush Labeling. In the brushmaker's world, the label "kolinsky" refers to the guardhairs from the tail of the winter pelt of a male animal; these hairs are a distinctiveorangish brown with a dark tip. The animals must live in very cold climates for thehair to achieve the desired thickness and length. As kolinskies do not breed incaptivity (or so the story goes), the reclusive animals must be caught in the wild by

vodka fortified trappers.


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In fact, the animals are in the genus Mustela,which includes minks, ermines, ferrets,polecats and weasels, many of which are bred commercially. Many feral animals inRussia and China (including Mustela sibiricaor the Siberian weasel) are classified asendangered byinternational treaty,which prohibits or heavily restricts trapping wildpopulations.

Some "kolinsky" brushes are made from the pelts of very different Mustelaspecies,often cultivated in warmer (commercially more convenient) climates, which affects thehair quality. Less desirable grades of hair also called "kolinsky" come from otherparts of the pelt, from the pelts of female animals, or from summer coats; this hair issometimes very different from the winter male tail. Some manufacturers use"kolinsky" hair harvested from species of marten or red sable, which are inthe Martesgroup of animals. (Often as not, the "scientific" species names used in artmaterials marketing literature to refer to harvested animals are eitherfictitious orgarbled.)

Conclusion: as applied to currently available watercolor brushes, the label"kolinsky" does not consistently refer to any species of harvested animal, typeof hair or hair attribute. The right attitude is always to replace the word "kolinsky"with the word "varmint," and proceed to evaluate the brush from there.

Most sable brushes are more expensive than synthetic bristle brushes, sometimesexorbitantly so (see the price information underbrush brands). There is heavymarketing emphasis on "kolinsky" hair brushes, which is ironic since manyexperienced artists feel that the quality of "kolinsky" or sable hair has declinedsignificantly over the past few decades. As often happens, volume manufactureeventually degrades the quality of the final product.

There are many business variables between harvesting the hair and tying off the tuftof a brush: wholesalers sell hair in a range of qualities, hairs purchased by the brushmanufacturer must be further inspected and sorted, and some manufacturers aremore rigorous than others about discarding broken, short or substandard hairs fromtheir stock. The supplies available to wholesalers vary because of many businessand environmental factors; some wholesalers are better than others about informingtheir clients of these variations.

In short, without manufacturer or import regulations, and given the fundamental

variation in the seasonal pelts of these sexually dimorphic mammals, the label"kolinsky" tells you nothing about the quality of the brushyou are buying, andas often or not is misleading as to one or more qualities of the hair actually used. Ifyou can visit a well stocked art retail store, compare the brushes from differentmanufacturers and see for yourself!

Natural Hair & Bristle. Natural hair is in many respects the superior material to usein a brush.

Kolinsky Sable. The most exalted hair for use in watercolor brushes is kolinskysable, which is said to come from the winter pelts of the Siberian kolinsky, Mustela
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sibirica,a variety of weasel or mink (shown at right, wondering why you are sointerested in his tail). These are considered the ideal hair for watercolor brushesbecause the hairgently tapers at both ends,with a very sharp point at the tip and awidening of the shaft (the belly) about two thirds of the hair's length from the tip tothe root. The taper of the hair from the belly to the tip is what gives natural hair

brushes their capacity and their ability to point so well. At its best, kolinsky sable isdurable and has a spring and resilience unmatched in any other brush material.

Red sable. This is usually from the pelt of various subspecies of marten (Martesmartes) or sable (Martes zibellina). The hair is slightly thinner and stiffer than kolinskybut comparably resilient and thirsty. Red sable is usually a somewhat darker andduller brown than kolinsky, and the tips are a little blunter because the hair has amore abrupt taper. Because red sable hair is not as long as kolinsky, there usually isless hair visible outside the ferrule in a red sable brush (the ferrule must pinch thehair just below the belly to get the tapering effect). Sable can make excellent brusheswhen the hairs are high quality and are arranged properly by the brushmaker. In most

brush brands, "red sable" hair is indistinguishable from or substituted for "kolinsky"hair.

Squirrel hair. A dark, soft, dense hair that is normally used in brushes that must holda lot of water or that do not need spring in the tip (for example mops, flats, filberts,wash brushes). Squirrel is an exceptionally soft, absorbent hair. All varieties producea brush that is very absorbent, not springy, but that comes to an excellent point.Kazan squirrel hair is brown, thin and quite soft, sometimes with a salt-and-pepperspeckling of white. Canadian squirrel is a slightly thicker, less resilient, considerablyshorter hair with more belly; it is usually a variegated yellow and black.

Ox hair. Usually a brown or reddish hair, long yet stiff, taken from the ears of cattle. Itwill not come to a point because the hair is roughly cylindrical throughout its length. Itis inexpensive, strong and springy, which makes it great for rougher brushtechniques. It is also often mixed with other less resilient materials (such asinexpensive sable or synthetic fibers) to give the ox hair tuft a better pointingcapability. Sabelineis very fine ox hair, dyed red to match the color of red sable, andeither used by itself or with sable (or nylon fibers) in blends.

Boar bristle. A pale or white bristle, very stiff, taken from the ears of hogs. "Bristle"means that the shaft does not come to a single point but frays or splits near the tip

into "flags" or small protrusions. These tend to reduce the capillary action, makingbristles more suitable for oil or acrylic brushes. Watercolorists sometimes choosethem in brights or fans for textural effects, or in brushes used for scumbling orscrubbing away (lifting) paint layers or painting mistakes.

Mongoose hair. Another hair more commonly used in acrylic or oil brushes. Has avery distinctive and delightful coloring: brown tipped, white banded, then dappledwhite and black along the shaft. Holds a lot of liquid, and is stiff but with velvety tips.Some watercolorists use these brushes for textured washes and a variety ofscumbling effects.

Goat hair. A long, coarse, wavy and limp hair that is most often found in Japanesewash and calligraphic brushes. Because the shaft is very soft, wavy and cylindrical
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(does not taper to a point), it is not suitable in traditional rounds that require a needlepoint.

Camel. The most appropriate translation for this label is "an inexpensive brush notmade from a camel." The hair is not from a camel, is too inexpensive to label

accurately, and may be many other types of hair besides sable (typically the hair isblack squirrel, or a blend of two natural hairs such as squirrel and ox).

Synthetics. The variety of synthetic fibers on the market is large and growing. Thebest synthetics are as resilient as sable and as thirsty as squirrel, though they softenand wear quickly in use. Tapered synthetic fibers retain their shape better than "levelfilament" (untapered) fibers. They are used in the same shapes as other brushes:flats, brights, filberts, and rounds. Synthetic fibers are made of nylon, polyester, orother filaments. Color is not a factor in judging their quality.

The best synthetic fibers are extruded and treated in different configurations to

resemble natural hair. Increasingly sophisticated extrusions are making it possible toproduce much less expensive brushes with many of the same qualities as naturalhair. Synthetic brushes also combine filaments of different diameters to achievevarious qualities. Brush fibers are mostly of Japanese manufacture, though they arealso made in the USA and Europe.

Synthetics generally don't point very well when used alone in rounds, so they areoften mixed with natural hair. Many lines of brushes available today mix bristle types,for example natural sable with synthetic fibers, or ox hair with red sable (these arecalledblends). These mixed bristle brushes are often bargains and produce perfectlysatisfactory results. Many artists purchase synthetics by the dozens because they areso inexpensive, and throw them away as soon as the brush begin to wear or fatigue.

Do not be misled by kolinsky snobbery into thinking that kolinsky is the only kind ofbrush you should buy. You are only falling prey to a marketing gimmick


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Time for cleaning and boy do I have a lot of useless brushes sitting next to my

canvas! I decided to scale down to the ones I really use and love! Years ago when I

was affiliated with a brush company they sent me brushes to try out. Most of them

have gone by the wayside because they either didn't do what I wanted them to do or

they didn't last.

Why do artists need to have so many brushes anyway? I think it is our passion, like

women who love shoes and have tons we need brushes!

However, in reality I really don't need to keep all the brushes I have that take up

space and ones I will never use...so out they go!

I sat in the studio and studied the brushes and here is what I decided I could not live

without!

I used "brights" for most of my work. A natural hair brush especiallysuited for oil painting.This short hair Shader works well for

moving oils for blending.

This filbert is perfect of paint things where I want soft edges. Itsrounded edges give the perfect soft touch.

A natural hair brush especially suited for oil painting. This short hair

Spotter is perfect for small areas on a portrait!


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This is the only brush to use to make "clouds" look real!

This Flat is the one I love to base coat with, makes it easy!

Golden Taklon Champagne Handle

This is really good for floating and blending especially in small areas.I use this brush for acrylics.

The Moon Mop is a natural hair mop it is soft and it's short length

gives me extreme control. Perfect for blending techniques, I love

this brush!

Of course I could not paint without my Shining Feather

Soft Stroke Fur brush!


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My brush I use for my blankets is a inexpensive Taklon

bright that I have cut with "Pinking Shears" This brush

gives the texture to my blankets!

Supreme Script

I adore this brush and use it for all scrollwork, linework, filigree, tendrils,

borders, and highlights. When loaded properly it will do most or all of

your pattern without needing more paint. Used in all mediums!

This is a Red Sable spotter, I use this for all the tiny areas on portraits

especially

This bristle brush is really good for landscapes, foliage especially!

I love to use this for painting and blending pottery, flowers and

backgrounds.


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This long handle bristle brush is used for painting on canvas I love to

used this brush for textured backgrounds and scumbling.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YnLVAyAzaCE/UbZVMomBERI/AAAAAAAANts/WJ0J3vdKtF4/s1600/WHite+Bristle+Long+Handle.jpg


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Documents

How Watercolor Brushes Are Made