A brush is one of the most important working tools of an artist, so if you are new to painting, then it is advisable to briefly familiarize yourself with what brushes are and for what purpose they are used in painting.
It is believed that the first brushes appeared in China, at the time when writing appeared. It is not difficult to guess that their main purpose was to write hieroglyphs. Brushes were made at that time, almost as much as now.
For the brush itself, the bristles of animals were taken, the most expensive are the brushes from fox bristle, marten or sable, cheaper ones were made from cat bristles.
The most suitable bristle is on the cat’s tummy, I don’t think that cats really liked it when they cut out, if you have a cat at home, you can try to make yourself a brush, although it will be much easier to buy it in the store.
More rigid stubble and at the same time cheap, borrowed from rats and mice. When the bristles were cut, they were tied with threads, and the base was dipped into molten rosin.
After the resin was hardened, you just had to insert it into the slot of the bamboo stick. The wand itself was decorated with various precious stones, gilding was used, some of the sticks were made of ivory.
Watercolor brushes
For drawing water paints, for example, watercolor. You just can not do without brushes made of natural hair.
Artistic paint brushes
Artistic paint brushes are usually called the same as the animal from the wool of which the brush itself is made.
Squirrel brushes
Perfect for artists working with watercolors. Squirrel hair is rather thin, the tip of the brush is always sharp, and most importantly squirrel brushes hold water well.
Do not use squirrel brushes in oil painting, since the hair is rather thin and soft and it will be quickly erased; in oil painting, it is better to use columns brushes or ear hairs for painting small parts.
Brush speakers
Very good and high-quality brushes. The wool of this animal is quite elastic and resilient. On the tassels take the wool from the tail. Brushes have good wear resistance, can be painted both with water-based paints and oil paints.
With a column, perhaps that can compete for a brush from the wool of sable. True, such brushes are quite rare, and for the price, they will come out not cheap. But the sable is very wear-resistant, in terms of elasticity is something between a column and a squirrel.
Bristle brushes
Such brushes are usually made from pig’s hair, it is very hard, therefore it is not very suitable for working with water-based paints. Bristle brushes are widely used in oil painting.
Synthetic brushes
Very common brushes, especially in oil painting. For the price and quality is not a bad option.
Art brushes
Art brushes are also the size and shape, in size, they are from the smallest ones from 0; usually, such brushes are used extremely rarely in miniature painting. Advice for the future, do not buy too small brushes, as the brush has the properties to wear off, and it is better to take a brush a little larger. With experience, you can choose the most convenient brush sizes for you.
Shape of the brush
The shape of the brush is round, flat and fan. Each brush is used for its intended purpose, for example, round it is convenient to prescribe small parts if the size of the brush is large, then it can hold a fairly large amount of water. It is convenient to cover with a flat brush a large volume of space. Such a brush is simply irreplaceable in oil painting. Fan brush (it is a flat brush, only with long hair on the sides, which splits in different directions, that is, as a fan). Such a brush is convenient to make a glaze.
In order to master painting well, you need to use a variety of tools, at least to try. Then with experience, you will be able to use existing brushes and other tools for painting as much as possible.