cleaned. This causes the brushes to splay
prematurely. Whereas, for watercolour
work natural hair brushes, such as sable
and squirrel, are favoured, with acrylic the
synthetic ranges are preferred, because
they are easier to clean and less expensive.
With watercolour work, your tutor will
advise you not to leave your used brushes
in a water pot when not in use, in case
the water seeps into the brush handle,
causing the wood to expand and loosen
the ferrule. Because used brushes can drygood lightfastness, retaining brushstrokes
well and drying to a satin finish. The 60ml
tubes cost £3.95(rrp); larger pots of up to
1 litre are available.Acrylic brushes
Acrylic colours are hard on brushes. Even
if cleaned carefully after use, their lives are
likely to be shorter than those used for
other media. The reason is their speed of
drying causes paint to seep into the hair at
the ferrule and dry before they can be34 JUNE 2017 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
out if not cleaned thoroughly, lay the used
brushes in water deep enough to cover the
head of the brush and at the end of the
session, clean them thoroughly with soap
and water. An ideal container is a disused
1 litre ice cream tub.
The types of brush hairs and shapes
will largely depend on the techniques
used. If using an oil technique where
impastoand brushmarks are sought, you
will need a stiffer brush, such as a synthetic
hog (natural hogs soften as they absorb
water and are more difficult to clean
than synthetics), or a semi-stiff burgundy
coloured synthetic fibre. These are generally
long handled. If you use watercolour or
gouache techniques, golden-haired nylon
brushes that imitate the spring of sable are
ideal. These normally have short handles.
For general use a selection, including a
mixture of both types, will be found useful.Head shapes
RoundA round pointed head made in all
types of fibre. A general-purpose brush, it
is capable of fine detail via the fine point,
with a reservoir of colour held in the belly
of the brush, and useful for applying broad
swirls of colour.
FlatThe end of the ferrule is flattened to
create two brushes in one. When laid flat,
it will paint a broad stroke of paint with a
square edge. This is ideal for covering an
area quickly. In watercolour techniques it
is often employed to make large washes.
On edge it can draw thin lines or sweep
in a curve from thin to thick.
FilbertThis is a similar style brush to the
flat, but with a rounded tip. It gives it a
less angular mark.
RiggerA small diameter long-fibred Round
brush, traditionally used to paint rigging
on ships. It also functions as a small Round
brush, delivering fine lines, but the long
fibres act as a reservoir to hold a greater
quantity of paint than a small brush so you
don’t have to stop and replenish as often.
FanThe fibres are splayed from the ferrule
in a sweeping curve. The original use was
in oils, to blend colours. Nowadays it is
used to create textural effects.
Cheap brushes are a false economy
and will let you down – losing their hair
and not holding their shape. Reputable
manufacturers such as Rosemary & Co,
Pro Arte, Da Vinci, Winsor & Newton,Different shapes of Acrylic brushHere are my favoured selection of acrylic brushes (left to right) RoundsSystem 3 No. 3; Cryla No. 12;
System 3 No. 10; and Winsor & Newton Galeria No. 8. FlatsSystem 3 1in.; Daler-Rowney Dalon 1in.; Winsor & Newton Artisan No. 14; and
System 3^12 ⁄in. FilbertsGaleria No. 14; Rosemary & Co Golden Synthetic No. 10; and Rosemary & Co Ivory No. 4. RiggersRosemary & Co
No. 6; and Daler-Rowney Expression No. 2. FanDaler-Rowney Expression No. 2; and Winsor & Newton Monarch No. 2.tMARKS MADE WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF BRUSHES
RoundRiggerFanFilbertFlatLP06 32-35 Paul2_Layout 1 05/04/2017 13:27 Page 34