Art is a part of humanity that goes beyond time and understanding. It is not merely a canvas painted with different colours and finite detail; they symbolise the deeper emotions and existential thoughts expressed by the artist through the strokes of their brushes into the canvas. In the words of Anton Ego from the Pixar film Ratatouille, “Not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” Who knows, the next Da Vinci or Van Gogh could be anyone, including you, and all it takes is passion and the stroke of a brush.
To make such exceptional works that embody the very spirit of one’s emotions, of course you would need the proper paint brush for that. Paint brushes aren’t universal; there are several types that fit a specific role. Of course, every artist wants only the best in making their works of art, so it’s only natural that you pick only the best high-quality paintbrush out there. But first and foremost, let’s look at the various kinds of paint brushes to see what’s best suited for you.
Flat Shapes: There are four types of brushes in this category: flat shaders, angular shaders, filbert, and wash. Flat shaders are longer and are great for filling up large areas in your canvas that need colour. Angular shaders, on the other hand, are used for sharp edges and tight areas. Meanwhile, filbert brushes are almost like flat shaders, but instead of having a straight tip, they have a round one, which is perfect for manoeuvring around softer edges, like if you’re painting flowers or mountain summits. And finally, wash brushes are used mostly to apply the base coat of a painting and for wider strokes.
Round Shapes: There are four types in this class of paint brushes: round, liner, spotter, and quill. Round brushes are great because they serve multiple functions depending on the pressure of your strokes; they can be used for finer details or covering large areas of the canvas when needed. Liners, on the other hand, have a thin but longer brush that can either be used to paint thin to thick lines depending on the angle. Spotters, meanwhile, are the best and ideal for fine details like painting faces, angled shadows, clothes, and machinery, and lastly, quill brushes are thick and spongy brushes used to absorb more paint and water to create large washes over your art piece.
Specialty Shapes: There are various types of brushes in this category, such as the fan brush, which is the go-to when it comes to dry brushing, perfect for painting grass and shrubs. The round blender is used to soften areas and in colour blending. Meanwhile, the filbert grainer has tips that are spread apart, allowing for strokes perfect for fur, textures, and cross hatching. And last but not the least, mops; these are mostly used to blend colours and in doing soft washes to spread colour.
