Special Sub-Topic: Painting 3: Paintbrushes Click Here To Play: Painting 3: Paintbrushes

Which of these is NOT a type of brush?

Stiff-hair. Bristle brushes have stiff bristles, and are good for oil paints. Soft-hair brushes are softer and better for thinner paint, like watercolors.

What is the area at the end of the bristles called?

Head. The head transfers the paint onto the paper. It is usually pointed for a round brush or wide for a flat brush.

What is the area of bristles close to the handle called?

Belly. The size of the belly determines the amount of paint a brush holds. Only soft-haired brushes have a belly.

What metal piece attaches the bristles and the handle?

Ferrule. It is often made of nickel, a metal that does not rust.

True or False: Split ends are bad for paintbrushes.

f. Really! Split ends help the brush hold more paint, especially for bristle brushes.

What kind of brush has bristles that lay flat and spread out, like a fan?

Fan brush. This brush is used in oil paintings for blending colors.

True or False: A large paintbrush (2 inches across or larger) should not be used to paint the base color because it will ruin the painting.

f. No! If it helps you speed up the beginning stages of the painting and you like it, go for it! The type of paintbrush you use does not matter, as long as you are comfortable using it.

To paint a museum-quality painting, is it necessary to use expensive brushes?

n. No, as long as you are comfortable with your brushes. Some artists use less expensive brushes because they go through brushes quickly, and they don't have enough money to buy expensive brushes every few weeks.

True or false: You must use a different brush for each color paint.

f. No, you don't have to, but it is a good idea to do this if you can. Doing this helps to keep the paints looking brighter.

What is the minimum number of brushes required to paint a museum-quality painting? (Always assuming you're using brushes...)

One. You really only need one brush! One artist I know uses one flat brush for everything in her painting. However, many artists like to use several brushes of different shapes and sizes.