Artist’s Guide to Oil Painting Brushes

Paintbrush Types You’ll Need

In the image below, you can see several common types of artist’s paintbrushes: Round, Flat, Bright, Filbert, Fan, Angle, Mop, and Rigger. Besides the differences in shape, some brushes use synthetic fibers, some use natural hair, and some paintbrushes have a blend of both.Which brushes should I buy?

Some advices:
- If you want to be an oil painter, you really only need two types of brushes in a few different sizes. Obviously, there’s nothing stopping you from buying sets of brushes, and you might even find use for each of them occasionally—but you don’t HAVE to have them, and anyone who tells you different is probably just trying to make a buck.
- Sticking with the basics: Flats and Filberts. Flat brushes will give you sharper edges when you paint, while Filberts will create softer more rounded strokes because of their shape.
- If you’re going to create paintings bigger than 18 by 24 inches, you should get a large paintbrush to speed up your painting process. Buying just those seven paintbrushes will cost you enough as it is, but if you’re bound and determined to get more, you might like having a Rigger or small Round to sign your paintings with.
- When it comes to synthetic versus natural, oil painting requires natural hogs hair brushes. Synthetic fibers are great for watercolor or inking, and can be used with acrylics occasionally, but they just aren’t tough enough to handle oil paint.
- The average arts and crafts store might not have the best brushes (or paints for that matter) if you’re planning on using oils. Go to an established painting supply store or order online from places like Dick Blick or Utrecht.

Visit this link and learn more -
http://emptyeasel.com/2007/03/02/an-artist%e2%80%99s-guide-to-oil-painting-brushes-and-the-paintbrush-types-youll-need/

Source: http://emptyeasel.com