A
quality paint brush will have hairs that form a point and have a good
spring to them - they bend while painting but return quickly to their
original shape. A good brush will also hold lots of paint and deliver
that paint evenly throughout the stroke. Brushes
usually have a number to indicate their size - the larger the number,
the larger the paintbrush. The larger the brush the wider the line
that can be produced, although with a light touch a fine long line
can be made because of the pointed nature of the brush.
The
best brushes are made from natural hairs, although there are brushes
made from a combination of natural and synthetic materials which are
adequate.
Sable
hair brushes are considered to be the best for painting. The hair
comes from a variety of pine martin and the Kolinsky sable from
Siberia is considered the best. These brushes are more expensive
than others, but are soft and flexible, hold their paint well and can
make an expressive thick to thin line.
Ox
hairs are normally used for making rigger brushes. This is a round
brush with long hairs, said to be used to paint the lines of ships'
rigging in the past. The hair is strong and springy making it useful
for long lines and thicker paints.
Squirrel
hair brushes are useful for applying paint in broad, thin layers for
matting.
Goat
hair brushes are normally known as hake brushes. These are a
traditional, oriental style brush. It lacks spring, but forms a good
point and so is useful to cover larger areas quickly with a gentle
touch.
Pony
hair is made into short round brushes used as soft stipplers.
Hog
hairs
are made into hard, very economical brushes. They come in flat and
round shapes. They are most used for stippling and can be trimmed,
shaped, used, and abused for years.
Badger
hairs
are thicker at the end and thinner at the root, creating a conical
shape. These soft brushes are used to blend paint once it has been
spread on the glass. The brush is swept across the surface of the
paint to blend or move paint and remove stroke lines.
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