Acrylic & Oil Art Brushes

Guideline to Oil Painting Brush Selection: What You Need to Know


While painting is a great way to express yourself and create great works, many people don't understand that there are different kinds of ways to paint.


Watercolor painting lets you bring out the rich colors of the pigments with little filler in between, and will produce a very delicate look to your painting.


Acrylic painting lets you bring colors that might not be as rich as the ones brought out by watercolor painting, but is generally easier to do if you are just starting out with painting. This kind of paint can also be used on mediums such as cloth and canvass because of the plastic content within the paint.


Then of course, you have oil painting, which is the the traditional method of painting and can be done using various painting techniques.


Oil painting is when you use paints that are made up of color pigments suspended in special kinds of oil. These oil types can include linseed, poppy seed, walnut or safflower, and each type can have its own special properties with regards to drying times or color tinges. Oil painting has been popular since the 15th century, most notably during the Renaissance in Italy.


Through oil painting, its possible for you to use a variety of different techniques to further enhance the look of your painting, which might differ from acrylic or watercolor paints. You can mix colors together to create different shades outside of the ones have available. Layering paints on top of one another on the canvass is also common, however you should remember that it is important for each additional layer of oil paint to contain more oil than the previous to allow for proper drying. Forgetting this rule can lead to cracking and warping when your piece finally does dry.


Because of the special properties attributed to oil paint, it is important when beginning a painting to understand proper brush selection. The best oil paint brushes need to be crafted to hold oil paint, which is more thick and viscous than its counterparts. Our online product catalog has many different oil brushes in store for you, and after reading on you'll feel confident in picking the right brush for your needs.


Brushes for oil painting are designed very simply and made with only a few main parts. The three main parts of a brush are the handle, the ferrule and the tuft.


The brush handle is typically made of wood and can sometimes be plastic. Oil painting brush handles are usually shorter than the watercolor counterparts, which offer more control when using the thick oil paint, compared to the thin and delicate watercolors. When finding the right brush, you should make sure that it fits comfortably in your hand and fingers. The handles themselves are usually the thickest right before you reach the ferrule, which allows you to get a better grip and ensures control of the brush when delicate strokes are necessary during things like layering or touching up.


Then you have the brush ferrule, which is what joins together the bristles of the brush's tuft. Ferrules keep all of the brush bristles together and binded, which is important especially for thicker or heavier oil paints. Depending on your brush, ferrules can be made of plastic, metal or other materials.


Lastly you have the brush tuft, which is the only part of the brush which should make contact with the paint. The tuft itself is typically made of synthetic hairs, but animal hair is not uncommon. Since oil painting usually requires a rougher use of the brush, stronger bristles in the tuft tend to hold up the longest. Tufts for oil painting are also designed to cater to the thickness of the paint as well as the drying time. Tufts come in all shapes and sizes, and our store offers plenty of different ones for sale.


Windsor and Newton is one of the name brands of oil paint brushes that we carry, and they make some of the best brushes for oil painting. In particular, the brushes of the Winsor & Newton's Artists' Hog Bristle Oil Brush collection are incredibly versatile.


These brushes are designed specifically for oil painting, but can also be used for the thicker acrylic paints. The high quality hog hair bristles are durable and keep their shape long after you've begun using them. The bristles are stiff and firm, and hold their shape which gives you great color control. The natural curve of the bristles spring back after strokes, and the handles are counterbalanced with a matte finish, which lets you paint comfortably outdoors with greatly reduced glare. You can buy various sizes and shapes from this collection through our website.


Mack is another name brand of oil paint brush that is available through our catalog. Consider the Mack Long Handle Striper series if you are looking for a brush that is both high quality and usable for detail work. The black lacquered handles make for a smooth and beautiful finish without compromising your grip and comfort. The tufts are made from brown kazan squirrel hair and can hold up under rough brush using, and are available in varying sizes. The seamless nickel ferrules keep everything together no matter what stroke you use.


Besides these two brands, our online store offers many different others including Dynasty, Daler-Rowney, Princeton, Royal & Langnickel, Weber and more. Our prices are affordable and cheap without comprosing product quality. There are plenty of oil paint brush shapes and sizes available for you; find the right ones for you and make your purchase today!

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