"A Quick Brush with Art"
Tricks and Tips – Visual Art
Michael S. True
11/29/20242 min read
11/30/2024
Tricks and Tips – Visual Art
A Quick Brush with Art
Perhaps one of the most crucial factors in the field of painting is the selection of your brushes. A good brush lets you control the amount of paint and the detail you are seeking in your finished work.
Here are five frequently used brush types:
Filbert = flat head with a rounded tip
Bright or Flat brush = flat head with a square tip (straight edged)
Round brush = round head with a pointed tip
Angular Flat or Shader brush = flat head with an angled edge
Fan Brush = flat head with a hand-fan shape
Every brush type has a variety of sizes. There are also long and short length handles. Longer handles are often used when painting on an easel. Shorter handles are more often used for painting on flat surfaces such as a desk or table top. As you begin to figure out your own painting style and subject matter, you will be better able to determine the sizes.
Again, in my blogs, I am trying not to recommend any specific brand. However, you will want to get quality brushes for your work. Otherwise, you may find that the bristles fall out or the metal section that connects the tip to the handle may come apart easily.
Also, it is important to know that the brush tips made of natural hair like hog’s hair brushes, can be very stiff or when put in water for cleaning can become very soft and loose their shape. They become more like a mop than a paintbrush. Synthetic brush hairs are preferred in acrylic painting, as they tend to hold up well over time.
Warning! One of the quickest ways to destroy any brush is to place it tip down in a glass or similar container of water for the purpose of cleaning or as a holder while switching out two or more brushes while painting. This will result in the tips losing their edge and flaring. Instead, swirl the brush in your cleaning water and wipe on cloth until you get all of the paint out of the bristles. If I want to do a deep clean for a brush, I put it in a shallow pan or bowl and make sure the tip is not jammed up against the bottom or any of the sides. I often add a drop or two of dishwashing soap. Then it can sit for an overnight soak. Be sure you rinse the tip before using to flush out any paint residue and to get the soap out of it before using it again.
I tend to use the Filbert and Flat brushes to cover larger areas. Sizes 8 or 10 are good work horse brushes. Once a brush has lost its edge, it can still be used to scrub or blend paints on the canvas. It is important to use an older brush instead of a newer one. You want to keep your newer brush edges sharp for as long as possible. Scrubbing will wear down a brush in short order.
My last tip this week is to watch a video or two on the subject. I found this video:
PAINTBRUSHES 101: All about paintbrushes! Acrylic painting tips for beginners.
By Jennifer Funnell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3daCD6INXRs&t=290s
You can find more informative videos by using the search-words –“choosing acrylic paint brushes”
I hope you find this helpful and that you are enjoying the holiday season.
Follow your dreams – Make More Art! M.True
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often represented as a pyramid, with the more basic needs at the bottom. As our baser needs are met consistently, we can more easily rise toward a higher state of human development or "self-actualization"
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”What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.”*
*Quotes derived from Wikipedia – Abraham Maslow
The jist of the "Theory of Human Motivation" is that once the baser, more primal needs are met, then we, as individuals may be enabled to move toward a greater fulfillment of our individual potential. As you may note, “creativity“ is toward the top of his pyramid, and is an element of “self-actualization”. In this context, creativity speaks to an appreciation of or personal engagement in the arts.
Self-actualization is gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and embracing who we are as an individual. Transcendence, (in many models, the tip of the pyramid), is where we get out of our own bubble, (ego), and start thinking in terms of being an active participant in the world around us. These last steps in our personal growth allow us to be the best we can be.
But enough about abstract theories and the need to satisfy our inner yearnings to be creative and to become a positive participant in our society.
I have written about what constitutes art in previous blog posts. I want to emphasize, once more, that art is a mind-blowing number of creative endeavors on the part of us humans. Once more, a quote from Wikipedia under the heading: Art.
“In the perspective of the history of art, artistic works have existed for almost as long as humankind: from early prehistoric art to contemporary art; however, some theorists think that the typical concept of "artistic works" does not fit well outside modern Western societies. One early sense of the definition of art is closely related to the older Latin meaning, which roughly translates to "skill" or "craft", as associated with words such as "artisan".**
**Wikipedia – Art
We should never be close-minded when it comes to diminishing the impact of art on our lives. In these times of increased environmental and interpersonal stressors, we are reminded that focusing on arts and crafts has a calming effect. As Maslow indicated, health is not just about disease or physical ailments, it is also a condition impacted by constant stress and various unhealthy mental conditions.
If we are to advance, as a society, as a species, art appreciation must be taught in the schools and vigorously supported by the educational community, parents, and the spiritual and political leaders of our nation. People, money and time must be devoted to the advancement of artistic experiences, including the various means to explore, educate and encourage individual artistic creativity in the young and the old, alike.
This part off our nature must be nurtured!
Follow your dreams – Make More Art! M.True