Prepare
What I Use
I don’t use that many brushes when I paint. Don’t get me wrong — I own a lot of brushes — but in reality I end up only using a few brushes on my paintings.
Because I work with thinner paint mixes, I tend to use softer brushes with synthetic bristles. The finer bristles hold a lot of paint and allow for a smooth flow of paint from my brush.
Most of my brushes fall into the category of Flats — longer bristles with a rectangle shape. I prefer these because I can make big bold graphic strokes as well as thin lines and smaller details.
Large Hake Brush
This is what I use to cover my panel with a ground color prior to painting. You can likely use any big brush you might have.
Alternatives:
Blick Mega Gesso Brush 3”
House paint brush from the hardware store
Blick Studio Short Handle Synthetic Brush - One-Stroke Wash, Short Handle
I’m using both the 1” and 1/2” wide version of these brushes. I use just these two brushes for most of my painting.
Utrecht Manglon Synthetic Brush-Flat, Size 6, Long Handle
This brush behaves very similar to the Blick Studio brushes above, but comes in smaller sizes. This is about the smallest brush I ever use
Alternatives:
Blick Essentials Brush Set Flat Brushes Set of 12
A good starter brush set to help you decide which size brushes you prefer before purchasing a pricier brush.
Any flat brushes in roughly 1/4” - 1” sizes. Preferably finer synthetic bristles.
FAQs
CAN I USE THE BRUSHES I ALREADY OWN?
Yes. I’m a big fan of experimentation, so go for it and see if you get similar results. My style leans towards a graphic blocky look, so the brushes I use help me on that path. If you’re more comfortable with a different shape, that’s no problem. There are certain brush techniques that are better suited for the shape I use, but you can watch how I do it and decide if it’s for you or not.
CAN I BUY SOMETHING CHEAPER?
Yes. If you’re just starting out, you might want to consider an economical starter pack of brushes. Just look for something that has similar sizes and shapes to what I’m using here. I find that synthetic bristles work best for the thinner paints I’ll be using.
Links
Alternatives
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