Portrait painting lessons (3) about brushes

Sometimes I see students paint with miserable brushes because of slackness or just stinginess. A Very Bad Habit!

In my studio I have a brushes’ grave yard.

– Why not throw them all away?

– I can´t do that. They have served me faithfully.

– But they are far from being worn!

– No, but they are not good enough anymore.

Actually I should not think of a cemetery, let me call it a brushes retirement home. Sometimes I take some brushes out of that stock and I try them again, but I have to conclude that they are turned down for some reason.

What standards must a good brush meet?

1. It must accurately lead paint on the canvas where the artist wants it.
2. It must be able to bring sufficient paint onto the canvas.
3. It should be shapeable, a paint brush must be able to cut like a knife.
4. It must not scrape off paint.

There are numerous shapes, sizes and materials, each for their own specific purpose. But remember one thing: worn out brushes make you despair!

Good Brushes Make Good Paintings!