Even if you’re brand new to the world of painting, you know that painting as a medium of art is a magical gate that allows you to explore the world beyond your imagination and experiment with shades of colours you may have never seen before. However, you also need a magic wand to perform this wizardry! As you are already guessing, I’m referring to the many paintbrushes and art supplies you’ll need to fill that canvas with your creativity. So, let’s learn more about these various types of paintbrushes, including their names and uses.
Painting brushes come in a variety of bristle types, shapes, and sizes which explains why they’re available in different numbers – the bigger the number the bigger the brush and the higher the amount of bristles. Each of these serves a different purpose and adds details to the drawing in its own distinct way. The painting watercolour brush you use is determined by the details and strokes you need in your artwork and the style you like to pursue.
Wash Brush
The largest of the bunch is an acrylic wash brush with a square end and medium to long hairs. Because it is thicker than any other brush, it provides maximum coverage quickly and effortlessly when varnishing. It produces bold strokes and can be used to make fine lines, geometric shapes, and stripes.
Angled Brush
The angled brush, as the name suggests, has an angled or slanted tip. This is why it is also identified as the slanted brush. Some may even refer to it as a shader due to its ease of filling small to large areas. It’s ideal for arched strokes and edge filling.
Round Brush
Imagine you’re holding a pencil and that’s how you’ll feel holding using a round brush. Because it is narrower than other brushes, it offers more control over the flow of paint. There are primarily two types of round brushes. One is a simple round brush with a pointed end that can be used to paint fine lines and details. The other round brush is even narrower than the round brush with the sharper tip. It is ideal for capturing fine lines and details in sensitive areas.
Round brushes are the most adaptable and widely used watercolour applicators. Their shape lends itself to fine details and delicate lines, as well as broad strokes and washes. If you’re going to spend money on high-quality hair, such as Kolinsky’s sable, it’s best to use it in the form of a round brush. However, if you’re a beginner or someone looking to explore different kinds of art supplies, try synthetic watercolor brushes for sale or combination.
Flat Brush
Consider the flat brush to be the miniature version of the wash brush. Whereas the wash brush has bristles with gently round edges and is typically very thick, the flat brush is the opposite. When you need a great deal of colour coverage, and the chosen art paper you’re working on is too small for a wash brush, use the flat brush. Not to mention that this brush will make it simpler to manoeuvre, and is a great option to have amongst other acrylic and watercolor brushes for sale so keep this in mind on your next shopping.
Fan Brush
A fan brush resembles a fan, as the name implies. It is flat and has spread hairs, making it an excellent choice for painting nature elements and landscapes. It can also be used to blend backgrounds and add subtle highlights to darker areas. You can use a fan brush with natural hairs for smoothing, blending, and feathering, or you can use a fan brush with chemically synthesized hairs for interesting textural impact and leaves on trees.
Liner Brush
If you believe that no other brush can be narrower than a pointy round brush, you are mistaken. Liner brushes, also defined as rigger brushes, are thin brushes with extremely long bristles. This brush’s tip can be flat or square, and if it’s angled, it’s called a sword brush. This is the brush to use if you want to make very fine and thin lines. Because the brush has such a small tip, it is frequently used to write letters and numbers. This brush is commonly used by artists to sign their projects. And, believe it or not, this incredibly thin brush can hold a lot of paint.
Filbert Brush
A filbert brush is a flat brush with medium to long hairs that end in a rounded point or an oval shape. When used on its side, it creates a lovely thin line and broad brushstrokes when used flat. It is a cross between round and flat brushes, with the ability to add details to your work as round brushes and cover more space than flat brushes. The filbert brush, with its wide range of marks, has become a favourite of many artists, particularly figurative painters.
