Types of brushes for painting, their uses and ways to clean them

a definition :

The paintbrush is considered one of the most important tools associated with drawing since time immemorial. It is often used in oil, watercolor and other colors...and over time it formed and developed its shape and appearance, becoming what it is today. of different sizes and shapes, in order to give the artist the opportunity to innovate, develop and further satisfy his need for varied designs.

Choosing the appropriate brush for each type of drawing or based on each drawing is considered one of the most important factors contributing to the success of painting and achieving the desired result, as it plays a major role in achieving success artistic work. every artist must choose the most suitable brush, and to facilitate the work, it has been divided into types according to Coloring type or types of paints.

Brush types:

 Often, each artist's opinion is taken based on what they wish to apply, and a balance is made between tools, such as a painting, a preliminary drawing, and others... then they choose the most appropriate brush . However, the classification agreed by drawing schools is as follows:

- Soft Brushes: These are the brushes that often accompany watercolors and acrylics... and they vary depending on the type of material the hair is made from, such as animal hair (squirrel), as they are high quality and have high absorption. capacity, allowing them to retain a large amount of color, resulting in a larger area of coloring in the area. Painting is considered expensive and very expensive. As for the second type, these are synthetic brushes, which are the most commonly used and available. Low price. Of course, they are of lower quality than the first, but they remain for moderate use. There are moderate-duty brushes that rival the quality of pet hair brushes. Artists also prefer synthetic brushes. It is cruel to think that animal brushes and hair are extracted from an animal, whether through torture or murder.

- Coarse brushes: These are brushes that have great durability and are often used in oil colors due to the nature of the difficulty in dealing with the latter. If we compare it to watercolor, we must not forget the surface or the paint, which is always made of a resistant material. For all these factors, the coarse brush is best, and like the soft brushes, it is divided into bristles. Made from animal hair and synthetics, they have almost the same quality and materials, which makes pet brushes superfluous, they are characterized by different and diverse shapes and many dimensions in the head.

How to clean and maintain brushes

One of the painter's most important priorities is to preserve and care for drawing tools, whether for reuse or replacement. Among the most important tools that require special care is the brush, since it is easy to damage it. and somewhat weak, on account of the hairs, which, if treated carelessly and harshly, begin to fall out and the ends fray, rendering them unfit for work.

Firstly, maintaining brushes requires using them in their proper place, which is the soft brushes used for water coloring and the like, and we've talked about that.

Brush cleaning methods:

Proper cleaning prevents hair from becoming stiff or clumped, making it easy to break and fall out, and the cleaning process only takes a few minutes.

The cleaning process is done according to the type of brush or the type of coloring

Watercolors/acrylic colors/gouache: These are the colors that only need water to clean, but the following steps should be followed

• 1 Cleaning is carried out immediately after completion of work, that is, the brush should not dry out
• 2 Wipe first, either on a clean towel or cloth, without putting pressure on it.
• 3 Use a towel or cloth and run the brush back and forth so as not to leave any residue.
• 4 Dip the brush in a cup of water and move it touching the bottom. Be careful not to leave it on for too long.
• 5 If the process is not successful, and this is normal, sometimes use liquid soap and gently scrub the hair. Use the faucet for more water and rub it as if you were drawing with it in the palm of your hand.

Oil colors: These require the use of a special cleaning fluid, such as turpentine, and there are many types available in small bottles.

• 1 We try to wipe off the colors, whether on a towel or a cloth
• 2 Pour the turpentine liquid into a cup in which the brush has been placed for a period of between 15 and 30 minutes.
• 3 We remove the brush and wash it with soap until it is clean

Learn more:

- What are the best Watercolor markers? Watercolor markers and their advantages, alt

- Watercolor Painting: Skills, Techniques and Methods. Everything you need to get started

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