contact us | about us | privacy | how to draw blog Oil brushes are made with long handles for a purpose. Much painting is accomplished by holding the end of the brush handle-particularly in the early stages of a canvas. This enables you to paint with more freedom and, since you are holding the brush at arm's length, to see your work more clearly. Then, as the canvas becomes covered with color, details can be added by grasping the brush by its metal ferrule.
Holding the brush like a pencil is almost instinctive, but you should experiment with the effects that are achieved by handling the brush in various other ways. Notice how the color is deposited on the canvas when you pull the brush firmly downward, in contrast to holding it lightly and patting the color on gently. Try painting a thin line by twirling a pointed brush between your forefinger and thumb; the resulting line will be broken and softer than when the brush is gripped by the ferrule. Keep this in mind for rendering tree branches without leaves, wires, ropes, and similar lines. As you work you will find that long-haired bristle brushes produce a more fluid stroke than short-haired brushes. The flat sable brush with its soft hair will be found useful for smoothing rough passages, blending various colors together, and generally refining the painting.
Give your much used brushes a rest every so often. After washing them thoroughly, place the brush part between the pages of a heavy book for a few days. This will help to hold their shape and add to their life.
In addition to turpentine, which is convenient for cleaning brushes quickly while painting, soap and water should be used regularly. Use a mild soap and lukewarm water. Work up a lather with the soap and rub the lather well into the brushes. Pay special attention to cleaning the brush where it meets the ferrule. It is when the paint becomes imbedded into this area that the brush loses its shape. Rinse thoroughly with the lukewarm water, making certain that all the soap is removed. Finish rinsing with cold water. Then, with your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the surplus water out, and at the same time reshape the brush. Put clean brushes in an upright container, brush end up.
Do not discard old brushes; you will find them useful for achieving certain effects that can be obtained only with a worn brush. I have some brushes in my collection that have just a few wisps of hair remaining, but I still find use for them.
If you accidentally allow the color to dry in a brush, try soaking it in turpentine or kerosene overnight. If the color still adheres, use a commercial paint remover as a last resort. No brush is ever quite the same again after the powerful remover is used, so make every attempt not to allow the color to set in your brushes.
There is an excellent brush- and hand-cleaning fluid on the market. The cleaning agent is properly balanced and will not harm brushes. Color is removed faster with less rubbing, and the fluid acts to preserve the brush.
A brush that has lost its shape can be restored to some degree by being dipped in a mild solution of mucilage: and water. First properly shape the brush hairs with the fingers. The mucilage will hold the hairs in position. Allow the solution to remain on overnight, then soak the brush in warm water to remove the mucilage. The brush will generally come back to a semblance of its original shape.
Continue to Arranging Colors on the Palette & Color Mixing
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AN INTRODUCTION TO OIL PAINTING
Material & Equipment for Oil Painting
> Introduction & Colors
> Working with Canvases
> More about Using Canvases
> The Paint Box and Palette
> The Palette Knife and Other Tools
> Oil Painting Brushes & the Home Studio
> Care of Equipment & Brush Handling
> More about Brush Handling
> Arranging Colors on the Palette & Color Mixing
> More About Color Mixing
> Color Mixing Exercises