Small Brushes

[Jesse C. Draper]

I've always heard choose the biggest brush you can find for the job, then go one size bigger. I think I have a problem with using small brushes. What are the dangers of using really small brushes. How can one break the habit. I also find myself using only one brush for the entire painting. Any information on brushes would be very useful. Thank you.
-Jesse C. Draper

[Michele Rushworth]

I think how many and what size brushes you should use depends on your style. My style is more realistic than some other people's work and so there are places in my portraits (around eyes and mouth especially) where I use tiny 00 brushes sometimes. But then, on large areas of clothing, especially far away from the face, I use 1 inch wide flats sometimes. Depends on what you are painting and how you like to work.

I find if I grab a brush that is really too big for the area I'm working in that I just can't get the control I need. Then I move a size or two down. I don't think it's always true that a bigger brush is the best one for the job.

That said, if you work with brushes that are smaller than you really need your painting can get an overworked, stiff look pretty fast.

Also, to overcome the habit of painting the whole piece with one brush (something I used to do) I make sure I have tons of clean brushes in all different sizes readily at hand. This also makes it easier for me to use a different brush for each color and each value so I'm not always cleaning them out between colors too. That keeps my colors fresh and prevents my values from all tending towards the mid-tones.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

[David Dowbyhuz]

I had a teacher in high-school who actually advocated that "if you can't paint it with a broom on the end of a 10 foot handle, it's not worth painting".

However, I agree with Michele.

[Marta Prime]

Remember what Helen Van Wyk used to say? Start with a broom....finish with a needle. It's true.

I have found that as I have developed as an artist, I don't depend on the small brushes as much anymore. I have gained more control, and can use bigger brushes (not huge!) to accomplish what I used to only be able to do with a small brush. It also helps to control those hard edges. Of course, I do use small brushes for detail work at the end. And I agree with Michele, having an array of brushes available helps.

And what about the type of brushes? I find (for the most part)it doesn't seem to matter if it's a red sable $$$$ brush, or a brush not even made for oils! As long as it is kept in good condition, it works. I get really frustrated with brushes that have frayed. I try to keep them in condition with everything from special soaps, to hair conditioner, to murphy's oil soap, which seems to work best for me for some reason.

What are some of you using?

[Jesse C. Draper]

Marta,
I mostly use mixed synthetic brushes from Utrecht. I have many different sizes. I prefer hog hair brushes in the larger sizes. I mostly paint on small canvasas. I think that might be part of my problem. I learn a lot on those small little paintings. They don't take as much time as do the larger canvases. I wonder if I'm forming any bad habits here. Is it best to hold brushes further away as opposed to closer to the canvas or is that just a style some prefer? Thanks
-Jesse

[Yoshiharu Himata]

I've always heard choose the biggest brush you can find for the job, then go one size bigger.

In Japan, I've never heard this. It's very clever words. I inspired.
Using suitable size brush, depends on own style, is normal.
But, therefore, this simple phrase is meaningful.

Thank you.

[Kirk Richards]

Anyone who has attended art classes in a college or university has heard this same clich

[Jesse C. Draper]

Kirk,
I think you hit it right on the money.

[David Dowbyhuz]

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Maybe my teacher was suggesting we use really, really, REALLY big canvases ...

[Stanka Kordic]

Because I used to be overly-detailed oriented, a teacher suggested as an exercise to tape my 2 inch brush on a broom handle, stand on a chair, and work on my figure painting on the floor.

Maybe I should have done a back-bend simultaneously . Funny thing is, it worked. I loosened up quite a bit!