The thing is our mind naturally goes to paintings when one hears conversations about art. That is how much we associate art with painting. Having said that, one also realizes that painting is not just about artistic vision, skill and techniques, one also needs to know about the right kind of brushes one needs to use. You may look at the work of the top 10 painters of all time to know more about it. You can of course seek the help of easy abstract painting ideas to get started on the right path.

However, before you start working on those easy canvas painting ideas, you will need to know more about the type of brushes you use and the materials they are made of along with the right way to take care of them.

A Tutorial About Brushes

Here Are Some Facts That You Will Find Useful:

Red sable: This is the most superior watercolor brush in terms of quality as it comes from the semi-aquatic mink from Asia makes it very precious due to the way paint makes the hairs cling together.

Sabeline hair: Made from treated ox hair that is silken this one is quite similar to red sable but at a lesser price.

Ox hair: Made from hair this is trimmed from cattle ears and is not that good at forming a point.

Squirrel hair: The hair is taken from the tail of the animal are good for retaining liquid and have superior elasticity.

Bristle: This is the name given to hair that is taken from swine and work very well for painting with oil paints due to their split point and resilience.

Sceptre hair: Made of a blend of synthetic hair and red sable it is both durable and good at holding water and comes at a more affordable cost.

Nylon: This is a fiber that is entirely synthetic and treated in such a way as to taper at the tip and work very well for acrylic painting. They may not have qualities suitable for oil or water painting.

White synthetic sable: This offers superb quality at a good price as it made of good quality artificial hair.

Knowing about the fibers is as important as knowing about the shape of the brush and here are some details:

Round brushes: These are used to create a smooth finish and to have a soft flow of color.

Pointed round brush: They have a wide line control with a more a reservoir to hold paint than round brushes.

Filberts: These come in versatile shapes with no particular edge and can be used to create a wide range of strokes.

Flat brushes: These can lift and have lots of color and be used to create crisp edges.

Oval brushes: This can be used to make soft edges and can carry a lot of color.

Spotters: These are good for adding finer details and can be used for watercolors as well as commercial arts and ceramics.

Fan blender: Works very well to create a softer effect.

One strokes: These are made of soft ox hair or gold sable and are good for sign writing.

Liners: These are good for scroll creation.

Scripts: Again great for writing and drawing stripes.

Brights: Used to create textured brush strokes.

Here Are Some Hints For Good Maintenance Of Brushes As This Too Is Very Important:

Make sure that paints do not enter the metal band as it will clog the hair and modify the shape of the brush.

Don’t make the brush rest on the bristles as it will spoil the brush.

While putting away brushes ensure that they are dry and clean.

Wash watercolor on brushes in cold water and remove water to reshape the bristles.

Clean oil paint as per the instructions and then clean with water.

Acrylic paints on brushes can be rinsed in cold water