Paint Brushes
Paint brushes are made from stiff or soft hairs, which can be either natural hairs or synthetic fibres.
Soft brushes are ideal for thin paint which spreads easily & for detailed work as they form a sharp point which allows for precision painting.
Hard or stiffer brushes are ideal for pushing around thick paint & for creating brush marks in the paint.
Is natural hair better than synthetic?
Modern synthetic (usually taklon) brushes are excellent and have the advantage of being cheaper than natural hair. And made for both oil and acrylic paints.
What hairs and fibres are used in paint brushes?
Sable: Kolinsky sable from Siberia has traditionally been considered the best hair for watercolor brushes. Sable brushes can be expensive, but are renowned for their softness, flexibility, and fine point.
Squirrel: Cheaper than sable, squirrel is a soft hair. Larger squirrel brushes work better than smaller ones because the mass of hairs together gives them support.
Hog/bristle: The ultimate hard brush is made from the hairs on the back of a pig, which are strong yet springy. The bristles have natural split-ends, which increases the amount of paint they hold. Used for oils and acrylics.
Ox: Long, strong and springy hair.
Pony: Coarse hair that doesn't form a good point. Often used in cheaper brushes.
Taklon/nylon: A synthetic brush suited to oil and acylic paints.
Goat: Lacks spring, but forms a good point. Used in calligraphy and Chinese Brush great for watercolour washes.
