Used Equipment

Oil Painting Tips – All About Oil Painting Brushes

Oil painting brushes come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and this can sometimes overwhelm a beginner. This article will provide you with an overview of the various oil painting brushes available and help you decide what kind of brushes you should invest in.

BRUSH TEXTURES

Oil painting brushes come in two different textures basically, and they are classified as hard and soft. Hard brushes are generally referred to as “bristle brushes” and they are quite resilient. Hard brushes are made from hog’s hair and they are strong and stiff. They will hold a good amount of paint and can handle the oil painting medium quite well. I personally prefer working with bristle brushes exclusively as I tend to paint rather rough and direct.

Soft oil painting brushes are made from softer hairs that come from animals like sable, squirrel, or mongoose. Softer brushes will generally give your painting a softer smoother appearance and are more often used for finishing or detailed work. Sable brushes are the most expensive usually but there are synthetic brushes made of nylon that are very good substitutes for sable. They are more resilient and cheaper than sable.

BRUSH SHAPES

There are five shapes to brushes that are generally used and each is meant to have its own function. I prefer to paint with flats, brights and fliberts of various sizes, and only occasionally make use of the other shapes. This is my preference and you will certainly develop your own the longer you paint with oils.

Flats

Flat oil painting brushes have a wide square end with medium to long hairs. Flat brushes generally have a lot of spring to them and can hold a lot of paint. You can use these brushes for broad sweeping strokes or you can turn the brush on its edge to create fine lines. Flat brushes are great for earlier stages of a painting when you are blocking in large areas.

Brights

Bright oil painting brushes are similar in shape to flat brushes but the hairs are shorter. They are best used for making shorter controlled strokes. They do not hold nearly as much paint as a flat brush.

Filberts

The filbert is also similar to the flat brush only the edge of the brush comes to a rounded shape. The hairs of the filbert are medium to long in length. This rounded shape will give you more control then a bright. The filbert is great for blending and figurative work.

Rounds

A round oil painting brush has a round or pointed tip. They hold a nice amount of paint and are great for making thin or thick lines. Use this brush for dabbing on dots or blotches of color. Round brushes are also good for washes, fills and detailed work. They are not suited for creating hard straight edges.

Fans

The fan oil painting brush is a flat fan shaped brush. The fan brush is a specialized brush. It is either used very often by the artist or not at all. It really depends on your style of painting. This brush is not suited for holding paint. It is used more often for blending colors and you should keep this brush clean and dry if you plan to do a lot of blending during a session. The brush will begin to lose its effectiveness when it becomes filled with paint. You may want to keep a few extras on hand.

BRUSH SIZE

Oil painting brushes come in a variety of sizes indicated by numbers as in 1,2,4,6,8,10; size 1 being the smallest and 10 the largest in this example.

BRUSH MANUFACTURERS

Oil painting brushes are made by a number of different manufacturers. A few of the more popular brands are Winsor & Newton, Silver Brush and Robert Simmons. Some artists prefer one brand over another. Other artists like to have an assortment of different brands available. The only way you will know what you like best is by working with the brushes yourself.

CARING FOR YOUR BRUSHES

No matter what brush you buy, whether they are top of the line expensive brushes, or cheaper ones, you will definitely get more life out of them if you care for them properly. There seems to be a difference of opinion when it comes to brush care, especially when it comes to drying your brushes. I personally have two products on hand for cleaning and conditioning my brushes: Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver and Mona Lisa Pink Brush Soap. I have found that the Masters Brush Cleaner works great on brushes that are deeply stained and hardened with paint, that I would have otherwise thrown out. I use the Mona Lisa Pink Brush Soap to clean my brushes right after a painting session. These cleaners will also help condition your brushes.

After washing my brushes with either of these cleaners, I then attach a clothes pin to the handle of the brush and rest the clothes pin on the edge of a counter or table so that the brush is hanging with the bristles pointing toward the floor. Gravity then pulls the moisture from the brush so that it does not collect in the ferrule, which can damage a brush over time.

I hope this article has helped. Best of luck and happy painting!

About the Author

For more free oil painting lessons visit: http://www.creativespotlite.com/oil-painting.htm today! Be sure to also check out the Creative Spotlite Art Instruction Blog for more free art lessons & instruction.

FP-81092.10B Cabinet Pull 96mm CC Oil Brushed Bronze $0.01

FK-81091.10B 32mm Square Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $0.01

Hand painted Flower LZM03 Oil Painting with brush strokes floral canvas artwork $0.89

Nail Art Acrylic Powder liquid Brush pen Cuticle oil Nail tips Form glue Tool US $0.99

Hand painted Flower LZM03 Oil Painting with brush strokes canvas art unframed $0.99

Rustic Bronze / Brushed Copper 3″ Heavy Duty Solid Door Stop Oil Rubbed Antique $0.99

Delta Paint Brush NEW $0.99

Delta Paint Brush NEW $0.99

15 PAINT Brush Set for All Purpose Oil Watercolor Acrylic FLAT and ROUND tip USA $1.00

LOT Bob Ross Oil Paint Brushes & Knife Big Brush Lot NEW $1.25

K-80576.10B 30mm Cabinet Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.27

K-80960.10B 32mm Cabinet Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.27

81784-ORB – Oil Brushed Bronze Round Deco Rope Cabinet Hardware Knob $1.29

P-80008.10B Deco Cabinet Pull 3″ CC Oil Brushed Bronze $1.32

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80960-10B Knob 30Mm Deco Oil Brushed Bron $1.33

K-81784.10B 30mm Rope Cabinet Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.35

K-81784.10B 30mm Rope Cabinet Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.35

NW Functional Oil greasy Pan Wok Pot Cleaning Brush A $1.39

UN Functional Oil greasy Pan Wok Pot Cleaning Brush I $1.39

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P80008-10B Pull 3″ Cc Oil Brushed Bronze J $1.39

FK-82115.10B 32mm Braided Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.43

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80576-10B Knob 30Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J6 $1.44

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80960-10B Knob 30Mm Deco Oil Brushed Bron $1.44

Cabinet Pulls 3″ CC Oil Brushed Bronze P433.10B $1.46

K-80110.10B 30mm Cabinet Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.46

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80576-10B Knob 30Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J6 $1.47

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80576-10B Knob 30Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J6 Knob $1.48

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80960-10B Knob 30Mm Deco Oil Brushed Bronze Knob $1.48

15 x ARTISTS PAINT CRAFT BRUSHES Set Oil Watercolour BRUSH $1.49

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K82115-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.49

Flower Oil Painting w brush strokes Hand painted LZM01 UNFRAMED $1.50

15 x ARTISTS PAINT CRAFT BRUSHES Set Oil Watercolour Brush $1.49

Rustic Bronze / Brushed Copper Heavy Duty Handrail Bracket Oil Rubbed Antique $1.50

P-86765.10B Deco Pull 3″ CC Oil Brushed Bronze $1.51

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81784-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.56

ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING / NO RESERVE /(TEXTURED OIL PALLET KNIFE & BRUSH ) BY SMIG $1.57

ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING BY THE LAKE / NO RESERVE (PALLET KNIFE AND BRUSH)SMIG $1.57

ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING NO RESERVE MODEN ART (TEXTURE OIL & BRUSH) MY/ SMIG $1.57

ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING / NO RESERVE /(TEXTURED OIL PALLET KNIFE & BRUSH ) BY SMIG $1.57

81297-ORB – Oil Brushed Bronze Deco Rope Bow Cabinet Hardware Pull Handle $1.59

P-83063.10B Braided Pull 3″ CC Oil Brushed Bronze $1.62

FP-83063.10B Braided Pull 3″ CC Oil Brushed Bronze $1.62

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P83063-10B Pull 3″ Cc Oil Brushed Bronze J $1.67

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K82115-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.67

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K82115-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Knob $1.67

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80110-10B Knob 30Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.67

Cabinet Knobs 25mm Oil Brushed Bronze K-333. 10B $1.69

Cabinet Pulls 3 Inch Center to Center Oil Brushed bronze P-3167.10B $1.69

Cabinet Pulls Deco Pull 3 Inch Center to Center Oil Brushed Bronze P-80008.10B $1.69

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80110-10B Knob 30Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.70

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81784-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Knob $1.70

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K80110-10B Knob 30Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Knob $1.72

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81784-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.72

K-81353.10B 32mm Cabinet Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.73

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P86765-10B Pull 3″ Cc Oil Brushed Bronze J $1.75

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P86765-10B Pull 3″ Cc Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Pull $1.76

P-81366.10B CabinetPull 96mm CC Oil Brushed Bronze $1.76

K-81091.10B 32mm Square Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.79

K-81091.10B 32mm Square Knob Oil Brushed Bronze $1.79

Cabinet Knobs Dimpled Knob 27.5mm Oil Brushed Bronze K-064.10B $1.79

Cabinet Pulls 3 Inch CC Oil Brushed Bronze P-3167.10B $1.88

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81091-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.88

Cabinet Pulls Oil Brushed Bronze Wire Pull $1.89

Cabinet Knobs 32MM Deco Knob Oil Brushed Bronze K-80960. 10B $1.89

Cabinet Knobs 30mm Diameter Oil Brushed Bronze K-80576.10B $1.89

Cabinet Pulls With 3″ CC Holes Oil Brushed BronzeP-80008.10B $1.89

Cabinet Pulls 3″ CC Wire Oil Brushed Bronze P-353.10B $1.89

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P83063-10B Pull 3″ Cc Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Pull $1.90

P-81297.10B Deco Bow Pull 96mm CC Oil Brushed Bronze $1.90

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P86765-10B Pull 3″ Cc Oil Brushed Bronze J $1.95

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81353-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $1.97

Cabinet Pulls Braids 3″ CC Oil Brush Bronze P-83063.10B $1.99

Functional liquid Oil greasy Pan Wok Pot Cleaning Brush $1.99

Functional liquid Oil greasy Pan Wok Pot Cleaning Brush $1.99

OKAMI OIL FOR BRUSH #47 $1.99

Cabinet Knobs 32mm Braided Knob Oil Brushed Bronze K-82115. 10B $1.99

Cabinet Pulls Oil Brushed Bronze Wire Pull $1.99

Cabinet Pulls Oil Brushed Bronze Wire Pull $1.99

New Functional liquid oil greasy pan wok pot cleaning brush HM306 $1.99

New Functional Liquid Oil Greasy Pan Wok Pot Cleaning Brush $1.99

New Functional liquid oil greasy pan wok pot cleaning brush HM306 $1.99

Cabinet Pulls 4″ CC Wire Pull With A Oil Brushed Bronze Finish P-355.10B $1.99

Cabinet Pulls 3.5″ CC Wire Oil Brushed Bronze P-354.10B $1.99

Cabinet Pulls 96MM Center to Center Wire Oil Brushed Bronze P-396.10B $1.99

Cabinet Knobs 30mm Diameter Oil Brushed Bronze K-80576. 10B $1.99

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81353-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $2.00

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P81297-10B Pull 96Mm Cc Oil Brushed Bronze $2.01

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81353-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Knob $2.02

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P81366-10B Pull 96Mm Cc Oil Brushed Bronze $2.02

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81091-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 $2.04

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P81366-10B Pull 96Mm Cc Oil Brushed Bronze $2.05

P-81092.10B Cabinet Pull 96mm CC Oil Brushed Bronze $2.06

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P81366-10B Pull 96Mm Cc Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Pull $2.07

Oil Brushed Bronze Cabinet Knobs 30mm With Rope Detail K-81784. 10B $2.09

Cabinet Pulls Oil Brushed Bronze Wire Pull $2.09

Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle K81091-10B Knob 32Mm Oil Brushed Bronze J2 Knob $2.09

FP-954.10B Pull 3 in. CC Oil Brushed Bronze $2.17

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P81092-10B Pull 96Mm Cc Oil Brushed Bronze $2.18

Dresser Cabinet Kitchen Drawer Handle P81297-10B Pull 96Mm Cc Oil Brushed Bronze $2.18

Cabinet Pulls 3″ CC Oil Brushed Bronze P-847.10B $2.19