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Art Brushes - A Virtu Guide
Sable and equivalent synthetics absorb water, hold it in the fat belly, and then release it through the tip. These are known as water absorbing and releasing brushes and are used with watercolor and other fluid paints.
The soft but snappy hair works well for painting details and glazing because this brush allows fluid to be smoothly manipulated. These brushes are made with both short and long handles. The long handled brushes are intended for painters who work on a vertical surface and often stand a distance away from their painting, while the shorter handles are designed for up close work.
Hog bristle and equivalent synthetics are known as paste brushes. These brushes hold the paint in the tips, also known as the flags or split-ends. Those who paint in acrylic may prefer synthetic bristle because natural bristle has a tendency to soften in water.
There are essentially two different schools of brushmaking: the French and the German. The French recognize the importance of split ends; they leave their brushes loose and fuzzy at the top. The German brush is more controlled and tightly interlocked, which means the brush bristles are turned inward and carefully arranged around the natural curve of the hairs.
The best bristle reputedly comes from the wild Manchurian hog, but does anybody chase hogs these days, not even in Manchuria and certainly not through the streets of say Skibbereen (for example).
Many people are confused by the terms flat and bright. A bright is essentially a shorter version of a flat, designed for a little more control. Flats, on the other hand, are intended to cover large areas.
Poor quality brushes lose hair, and the ferrules loosen on the handle. Primitive attempts at interlocking result in a brush that splits somewhere down the middle. Sometimes brush companies will trim the bristles excessively so the brush looks good on the shelf but, without split ends, the brush will not pick up and place paste paint.
There is no college for brushmakers. The stability of a brush company is crucial to the quality of the product. All brush manufacturers start out at the low end, and then, as they acquire knowledge and experience, graduate to making artists quality brushes.
According to our sources, two or three factories in Japan assemble the majority of high quality brush heads. Japanese heads are then purchased and made into brushes elsewhere. Putting the head on a handle gives a company a right to the claim made in Clonakilty.
Here are some general recommendations:
Protective Substance: If brush's hair is fixed by a protective substance then, before using the brush, put it into a glass of water with a temperature less than 50 C (122 F) for 5-10 minutes. After that rinse it out in clean water.
After-Painting Care: After painting, rinse a brush thoroughly trying to remove all the paint left. Use an appropriate solvent for type of paint.
Keeping The Hair Shape Don't leave brush's hair in the contact with a bottom of the glass with a solvent even for a short time. Hair might lose its shape forever. Use a glass with a special brush's holder to prevent the hair from contact with the walls and the bottom of the glass.
Hair of a dry brush could also lose its shape. Keep a brush horizontally or on the handle (hair up).
If you use acrylic paints rinse a brush in the water immediately after using it. That is if you use many brushes all the brushes except one (which is in use) should be kept in the water. Acrylic paints dry out fast especially near a ferrule and they are difficult to remove afterwards.
Sometimes if hair lost its shape you might somewhat recover the shape by putting a brush into the water with the temperature 80-90 C (176-194 F) for 2-3 minutes.
The Other Recommendations
Don't press on a brush while picking up a paint, painting or rinsing the brush (especially, if it has a soft hair).
Always rinse a brush in the water after using a solvent.
If you don't use a brush for a long time keep it in a closed box.
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Promoting the Art + Craft of South West Cork, Ireland