![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Pick them up and see how comfortable they feel in your hand. Larger art material stores and online art stores should stock a range of varnishing brushes. Check that the hairs are well anchored, that they're not going to keep falling out as you apply the varnish. You don't want a "scratchy" brush that will leave brush marks in the varnish. These can be either synthetic or natural hair, but either way should be soft with a bit of spring. You're looking for a flat brush which is at least a couple of inches (5 centimeters) wide, about a third of an inch (1 centimeter) thick, and has long hairs. And by using it only for varnish, it will never get tainted by paint. A good varnishing brush helps ensure you get a smooth coat of varnish. Why not just use one of your larger paintbrushes? Well, considering that varnishing is one of the final things you do to a painting, and probably only to those paintings you think worthwhile, isn't it worth a small investment to ensure it's done properly?Ī varnishing brush isn't going to wear out in a hurry, so you won't have to replace it very often. Your initial reaction to having a dedicated brush that you use only for varnishing a painting may be that it's an unnecessary extravagance. But these brushes also make painting large areas an even tone trickier than with a conventional brush. The bristles are also prone to staining (as you can see in the photo), but that's hardly unique to a waterbrush.Ī waterbrush makes painting from a dark to a light color really simple: Keep painting and the extra water thins the paint until eventually all that's left is water. Depends on the brand of the waterbrush (and particle size in the ink) it may be possible to fill the brush with sepia ink without problems.Ī waterbrush doesn't hold as much pigment as a sable watercolor brush since the bristles as synthetic, so you'll find yourself picking up color more often. It is generally not recommended to fill waterbrushes with dilute watercolor nor with calligraphy ink, since both may clog up the brush. Some have an easier, continuous flow of water and others require a definite squeeze to get water out. It doesn't take much water to clean the brush, but it's also easy to refill the waterbrush's reservoir from a tap or a bottle of water.ĭifferent brands work slightly differently. To clean the brush, simply squeeze it gently to encourage more water to flow out, then wipe it on a tissue. Waterbrushes are useful for on-site sketching, together with a small travel watercolor set, as it eliminates the need to take a container with water. If your local art store doesn't stock them, many online art stores do. Various manufacturers produce waterbrushes, in a few sizes, and in either a round or flat shape. A slow, constant trickle of water comes down the brush's bristles as you use it, and you can get more by squeezing the reservoir.Ī waterbrush is ideal for using with watercolor paints and watercolor pencils, including lifting color directly from them. The two parts screw together and apart very easily. It consists of a head with the brush on it and a handle that's a plastic reservoir that holds water. (It's most obvious on a round brush, rather than a flat one.) A substantial belly on a round watercolor brush enables you to pick up a large quantity of paint at a time.Ī waterbrush is like a combination of a fountain pen and a brush. ![]() The belly is, as the name would suggest, the fattest part of a brush. The toe of a brush is the very end of the bristles, while the heel is where the bristles go into the ferrule at the end of the handle (not that you can usually see this without taking a brush apart). A decent-quality ferrule won't rust or come loose. Mop brushes, for instance, can have a ferrule made of plastic and wire. It's usually made from metal, but not exclusively. The ferrule is the part that holds the handle and hairs together and in shape. Most important is that they're firmly held and aren't going to fall out constantly as you paint. What bristles or hairs are in a brush is also variable, depending on what the brush is intended for. You're going to be using it a lot, so it needs to be comfortable to hold. What's more important than length is that the brush feels balanced in your hand. The length is variable, from really short (such as those in travel paint boxes) to really long (ideal for big canvases). The handle of a brush is most often made from wood that's painted or varnished, but it can also be made from plastic or bamboo. All the variabilities can affect your work. When choosing a brush, examine each part of it. ![]()
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