Brushes - Oil & Acrylic

Oil and Acrylic Artist Paintbrushes

What defines a really great artist paint brush for oil and acrylic painting? Well, that really depends on what kind of painting that you do? Are you a scrubber or a dabber? Do you create paintings that are really large scale or very small? Do you paint thick or with thin glazes? There are as many different artists brushes out there as there are painting styles. So make sure that you choose the paintbrushes that are the best fit for you.

The first thing to note with oil and acrylic art brushes is that the real thing that makes a paintbrush an "oil or acrylic" brush is the length of the handle. Oil and acrylic art paint brushes have long handles and brushes for watercolor use are smaller. The reason for this is that long handled brushes are intended for use while standing at an easel. Watercolor is generally done while seated since that media is kind of runny and not necessarily conducive to painting upright.

The second point is that oil and acrylic brushes generally come in a few of general varieties of hair. They are generally bristle brushes for tougher uses (for scrubbing color onto canvas), synthetic bristle (for lower expense and greater softness) and then sable hair brushes (for smaller areas of color). The best bristle is male pig bristle, Chungking bristle, that comes from the ridge on the pigs back. Synthetic bristle brushes are generally less expensive but a little less durable.When shopping for oil and acrylic brushes in sable, notice that the sizes are much smaller than comparably numbered watercolor brushes.

Lastly, make sure that your brush fits the way you paint. Don’t purchase a 3’’ wide flat brush when you generally paint 8’’x10’; paintings. It won’t work out for you. Find a brush that suits you and your art. Sables are a favorite with portrait painters and artists who love smooth color transitions and detail. Bristle brushes are loved by artists who paint big and rough. They will handle the toughest treatment and keep on going.

So, hopefully this will get you started on an art supply collection filled with art materials that you will enjoy for years. That’s the best part about painting… enjoying the process as much as the result.