Oil Paint Brushes

Brushes are probably the most important part of a painter's toolkit. It's very difficult to make good paintings with bad brushes. What constitutes a good brush? A good brush is made out of quality materials, it's well crafted and it's sturdy.

It's true that a good brush by itself won't make you a better artist, but you can rest assured that a bad one will definitely hinder your potential. When it comes to brushes, always go for quality.

For a beginner painter, choosing a right brush can be quite a challenging task. There is a huge selection of brushes available on the market and they come in a variety of different shapes and sizes.

When you choose a brush, it's important that it has the right shape and size for your particular needs.

But before we go into details about how to choose a proper brush, let's take a closer look at how they are made.

The Anatomy Of A Paintbrush

A paintbrush is comprised of four main parts: the handle, the crimp, the ferrule, and the bristles.



The ferrule is a metal part that connects or clamps the bristles (hairs) to the handle. Bristles come in a variety of sizes, lengths, shapes, and materials. They can be stiff or soft and are made of either natural hair or synthetic fibers.

As said before, brushes come in many shapes. Each shape is intended for different use and allows you to apply paint in a specific manner. The most common shapes are: flats, filberts, rounds, and brights. There are many more, but we'll focus on these ones.

• Flats: A flat brush is the most versatile of brushes. It has a clean, straight edge, and can be used for base coating, floating, strokework, blending, varnishing, and more. This is a type of brush that you simply must have in your painting arsenal.
  
  
• Filberts: Filberts have a rounded, oval profile. They are sort of a compromise between flats and rounds. They can produce a variety of marks and are particularly effective in blending and figurative work.
  
  
• Rounds: Round brushes, as the name suggests, have a round or pointed tip. They are most often used for small details and line work.
  
  
• Brights: Brights are similar to flats, but with shorter, springier hairs. They are very useful for short, controlled strokes.
  

How To Choose A Brush?

Well, that depends on what kind of painting you want to create. Choose brushes that will be most useful to you. There are two main factors you must take into account when choosing a brush - size and shape. Experiment with different sizes and shapes to find what suit your needs best.

If you're just starting out, then start with the basics. You don't need every brush shape and size in existence. For starters, get some flats and filberts and then expand your toolkit over a period of time. Three flat brushes and three filbert brushes in different sizes are basically all that you need in order to start.

But remember, quality is important, so always buy the best you can afford. If you don't want brush hairs to become a permanent part of your paintings, then stick to quality.

Where To Buy?

I prefer to shop online, it's usually cheaper. My favorite place to shop is www.dickblick.com.

Always be on the lookout for special deals. It's definitely worth it.