Watercolor brushes - how to choose the right ones. Paint brushes: main types

Paint brushes are sold by number, as this makes it easier to determine their size. Each number corresponds to the width of the hair bundle (capsule), which is measured in millimeters. For example, if the brush has the designation No. 1, this means that the thickness of the hair bundle is 1 mm. and so on. The brush can also have different handle lengths. Products with a short handle are recommended for painting on a table or for a hobby (for example, for painting by numbers, which is popular today), as well as for working with watercolors. For easel painting you will need brushes with a long handle.

Hair characteristics

When choosing a brush, you also need to pay attention to what kind of wool the hair bundle was made from, since for working with different types paints will be needed different instruments. They can be made from:

squirrel fur: a great option for watercolor painting. They are thin and soft, convenient when you need to paint over small details of a drawing;
goat hair: budget, used for working with watercolors;
sable wool: expensive products used mainly by professionals. They are suitable for painting with watercolors and gouache. They are convenient for drawing thin lines, performing both large works and miniatures;
pony hair: a good option for drawing with ink and gouache. The brushes are soft, elastic, making it easy to apply strokes;
badger hair: flat in shape;
polar bear hair: used for painting with gouache, watercolor, acrylic, oil, tempera;
hair columns: elastic and resilient, suitable for use in all styles of painting, but are expensive;
bristle (from pig bristles): hard, large. Suitable for working with oil.

There are nylon brushes with artificial wool on sale. They are elastic, elastic, and come in different lengths. They are more wear-resistant and easy to clean. They are recommended to be used for painting with acrylics, since the synthetic fiber is not afraid of the corrosive effects of such paints. To ensure that the hair does not lose its shape, it is additionally covered with a protective layer.

Shape of brushes

According to the shape of the brush, it is customary to divide it into six main groups:

round: the capsule has a cylindrical shape. Suitable for painting with gouache and painting small details;
flat: the capsule is pressed on both sides, the shape of the brush resembles a spatula. Elastic, suitable for painting landscapes and painting large areas of paintings;
Flutes: have a wide shape, so they are easy to apply strokes with. Used for working with oil and watercolor paints;
pin: round, characterized by a long brush shape. Used in graphics, they are convenient for drawing thin lines;
linear: similar to pin ones, only they have short hairs;
fan: a type of flat product. used to soften the contrasts of the contour and color stretching.

The result of an artist’s work depends largely on the correctly selected tool. Although it can be done with a low-quality brush beautiful drawing, but it’s more efficient and pleasant to work with a good tool.

Before we begin to describe the different types art materials and their features, I want to pay attention to the artist’s main tool: the brush.

I will tell you what shapes and types of brushes there are, why and in what cases they are used, how to choose the right brush when purchasing and how to properly care for brushes. The artist's main tool when working with most art materials is a brush. If you decide to get creative for more than one day, then it is better to purchase brushes good quality(this applies to brushes when using any art material).

The brush consists of three parts: a wooden handle (sometimes a plastic one, but it’s better to take a wooden one), a metal clip (capsule, base) and a hair bun. Hair bundle - the working part of the brush can consist of various types hair - synthetic or natural, collected in various shapes and sizes. The clip serves to give shape and safety to the beam and connect it to the handle of the brush. Most often made of metal. Seamless clips (no seam, most convenient).

What you need to pay attention to in order to choose the right brush:

The base on a wooden or plastic handle should not wobble, much less fly off it, the seam should be tight and not twist; high-quality brushes have a very tight crimp. - the hair on the brush must be securely fastened so that it does not fall out of it later, try stroking the tip of the brush, if at least one hair remains in your hand, then it is better not to take such a brush. In a good store you should be allowed to wet the tip of the brush with water; when wet, it should be perfect, the hair should lie to the hair, the tip of the brush should not bristle. A good brush will always have a wooden handle. The handle should be made of hard deciduous wood - beech, birch. So, the types of brushes differ in shape and material from which they are made.

How to properly care for your brushes?

A good artist always keeps his tools in perfect order. - If you use natural hair brushes, be sure to use special moth repellents for prevention. - Try not to put too much pressure on the working part of the brush when drawing, washing and applying paint, as soft hairs may break off on the edge of the iron clip. - If you do not use the brush for a long time, then in order to protect the brush hair from all sorts of bacteria, you can store the brush wrapped with camphor balls. - Never place a wet brush, tip up, directly into a glass. Wait for the brush to dry. - Never place a brush in water with the tip facing down. The brushes are stored in a jar standing with the hair part up. If you simply fold them, they will lose their shape. - The hair of new brushes is glued so that the tip of the brush does not lose its shape. The hardness will disappear as soon as it gets wet. Many round brushes are sold with a plastic cap, which helps maintain the shape of the brush. Try to continue using this cap, but be sure to dry the brush completely before capping the tip of the brush, otherwise rust may form on the ferrule. - If you work with acrylic paints, always try to keep the working part of the brush in water, because acrylic paint dries very quickly, clogging the base of the brush beam at the holder and practically cannot be cleaned. - Always clean your brush thoroughly after working with paints. If you use water-soluble paints (watercolor, gouache, tempera, acrylic paints), then it is recommended to rinse your brushes several times in a clean, clear water. Professional artists usually add a drop of dish soap to the water. - If you use oil paints, then after working with them you must immediately clean them. Under no circumstances should the brush be allowed to dry out. First, remove excess paint with a dry cloth. Some people recommend washing brushes quickly in a solvent such as pinene, turpentine or white spirit, but this risks the fact that the solvent gets under the tin clip at the base of the brush bristles and dissolves the binder holding the hair bundle together. Therefore it is recommended after use oil paints wash the brushes in warm water using regular laundry soap until the water and foam no longer discolor the paint.

Let's talk about brush shapes.

ROUND

These are brushes with a bunch enclosed in a round clip. The bundle can be short in length, such brushes are used for miniatures, or the bundle can be long. This is the most versatile brush shape. With this brush, lines with a constant thickness or lines varying in thickness are applied. This is an excellent brush suitable for working out details, covering large surfaces (based on size), creating an entire design, creating texture.

FLAT

These are brushes with a beam enclosed in a flat clip. The beam of such brushes can be short or long. Such brushes hold a lot of paint, they are very good for evenly covering surfaces and are suitable for working on large areas of the surface of a sheet or canvas, and the strokes with such brushes will be wide and even.

CAT'S TONGUE

This brush has an oval or dome shape. This brush is used very universally - it can be used as a regular flat brush and, at the same time, as a round one if you turn it to a perpendicular position.

CONTOUR

This is a subtype of flat brushes: they have a similar shape, but the tuft of these brushes is shorter, which gives the brush more elasticity and improves control over the quality of flat strokes. In addition, more short hair makes it easier to create a smooth transition from one color to another and highlights the outline well. Contour brushes can be used for the alla prima oil painting technique, which involves completing a painting (or a fragment of it) in one session.

FONT

This is a subtype of round brushes with a long beam; such brushes are used for applying and securing contours. Used with liquid paints.

RETOUCHED

This is a flat brush with an angled tip. Designed for very precise strokes. Because the tip of the brush allows you to quickly and confidently change the volume of hair or bristles carrying paint, this part is an excellent tool for creating a transition of one color to another in relatively small areas of the painting.

SCENIC

These brushes are used to apply an even layer through a stencil. These brushes are also great for glazing or free-form painting.

LINEAR

Such brushes are shorter than font brushes but longer than round brushes, they leave precise lines, long strokes and are also suitable for applying inscriptions.

FLEITZ

These brushes are designed for free-form painting with fills. They are mainly used when working with watercolors and are almost always made from soft squirrel hair. They apply thin, even lines. The visible part of the hair serves as a reservoir for dye. Therefore, it is possible to draw a long line without refilling the brush, which is very important when working in watercolor painting. The flute shape is also often used when applying makeup. for powder and blush.

FAN

Flat brushes with a sparse fan-shaped bunch. With their help, it is possible to create a sophisticated color stretch. You can also soften the contrast of contours and texture.

TYPES OF BRUSHES

Now we are gradually approaching the types of brushes. An artist always has several types of brushes in his arsenal. Each brush has its own special qualities, thanks to which it is possible to solve one or another problem when creating a picture. Whether it's drawing a thin line or covering with paint large space, careful application of a repeated transparent layer or confident strong strokes. Here we will look at each type of brush and their purpose.

Squirrel brushes

They are made from processed squirrel tail hair, since the best hair is in the tail, where the hairs are the longest. Therefore, professional brush makers buy unprocessed squirrel tails and choose the best hairs themselves. Such brushes are only round, very soft and elastic, and they can also be used to make flute-shaped brushes. They are mainly used for working with watercolors and water-based paints. But for oil paints, these brushes are very delicate and immediately begin to come out from the solvent. Squirrel brushes need to be carefully looked after. The squirrel's hair is very thin, blue, black or brown. The tip of the squirrel hair brush resembles the tip of a rapier and has the same fluidity control as a column, but is not as elastic in nature.

Core brushes

These brushes are made from processed Kolinsky tail hair. These brushes come in both round and flat. They are distinguished by such quality as a combination of elasticity and elasticity, while at the same time remaining soft. This type of brush is used when working with any material. They are well suited for working with gouache and watercolor in cases where greater elasticity is required from the brush. In oil painting they are used when making small details; core brushes are also convenient for glazing techniques on wet surfaces.

Bristle brushes

They are made from pork bristles. The best bristle brushes are made from the hair of the Chinese Angking hog. The elastic, strong bristles of this animal (hair up to 20 cm long) are processed - the bristles are boiled and bleached and only the white hair is used to make brushes professional quality. These brushes, in addition to elasticity, have another important characteristic: this is a split pig hair tip - it contributes to good fullness of the brush and even application of paint to the surface. There are both flat and round, used mainly for working with paints such as oil, acrylic, and also used when working with gouache using dry techniques. These brushes tend to wear out quickly, but replacing them is not difficult, since they are relatively inexpensive.

Brush badger

A badger hair brush is softer than a bristle brush and is ideal for working with moderately diluted paints. It has no equal when mixing oil or acrylic. The hair of this brush has a conical shape, and the “belly” of the hair is located closer to the tip. That's why the brush is very fluffy. The best badger hair brushes have a tip white and a dark stripe in the middle part. Badger hair can be used to make brushes such as fans and flutes. Manufacturers sometimes imitate them by coloring pig bristles or goat hair brushes. However, the latter cannot compare with a badger hair brush in their working properties. If you are not sure about the authenticity of the brush, pay attention to the following: if the hair does not have a “belly” or tip, and there are twisted and curled hairs along its length, then it is a goat hair brush; if there are split hairs, it is hog bristles. Sandstone brushes These brushes are made from processed marmot tail hair - sandstone. They are only flat in shape with short or long hair. The hair is very soft and low-elastic. It is used when working with most types of artistic materials: tempera, gouache and watercolors, when working with oil paints, for glazing, varnish coatings, for applying a thin layer of painting, etc.

Bear brushes

These brushes are made from processed brown or polar bear hair. Brushes made from polar bear hair are produced only flat with a long or short hair tuft. These brushes are less rigid, but more elastic compared to bristle brushes; they have high elasticity and softness. Used for “heavy” types of paints: oil paints. gouache, etc. Hair brushes brown bear They are round in shape and are more soft and elastic. Used for working with tempera, watercolor, ink, etc.

Pony brushes

Brushes made from pony hair absorb paint well, but they don’t give off paint as readily as they absorb it. Brushes made from pony hair are collected into a cone shape; they hold their shape well, but are not sufficiently elastic. This type of hair, like that of a pony, belongs to the design group, since it does not have a tip. These brushes can be brown or white. Designed for working with water-soluble paint: watercolor, gouache or tempera.

Weasel brushes

These brushes are an alternative to kolinsky hair. The hairs are red-brown in color, with a good sharp tip, good fullness, but not as long as that of the Kolinka.

ox hair brushes

These are brushes made from lightweight ox hair. Oxhair brushes are suitable for working with liquid paints due to their softness and elasticity, although they do not have such a sharp conical shape as kolinsky or squirrel.

Brush marten

Such brushes are made from the hair of the marten or mustelidae family. Brushes made from marten hair differ in their properties depending on what kind of marten it is: lowland or mountain. Brushes made from plains marten hair are as soft as those of a squirrel, but brushes made from mountain marten hair are a little more elastic. On sale, such brushes are less common than squirrel brushes.

Goat brushes

These brushes are made from goat fur. The hair on these brushes is quite long, soft and elastic, holds paint well and does not leave hard marks on the surface. Used when working with watercolors. Also, such brushes are used in the technique of sumi-e (Far Eastern ink painting), calligraphy (an ancient branch of applied graphics, aesthetic design of handwritten fonts), and in working with ceramics. In addition, goat hair brushes can withstand the temperature of hot wax, so lovers of hot batik use them with pleasure. Often these brushes are made with a lightweight bamboo handle that is non-swelling and durable.

Wolf

These brushes are made from wolf hair. They are distinguished by their special elasticity and elasticity; thanks to these qualities, such brushes are mainly used for calligraphy and Guohua painting (the style of traditional Chinese painting which uses ink and water paints on silk or paper), also the type of “wolf” brushes includes brushes made from Chinese yellow wolf, which is essentially a kolinsky brush.

Mongoose

These brushes are made from mongoose hair.

These brushes have such qualities as elasticity and the ability to hold a lot of paint; mongoose bristles are stiffer than sable, but softer than bristles.

These brushes are used in oil and acrylic painting. These brushes can be identified by their color: the tip of the bristles is dark brown.

And the length is black and white.

Ear brushes

Such brushes are made from hair that is taken from the inside of the ears of oxen and cows, the quality of which is determined by the breed of the animal.

Such brushes are inexpensive, but durable, elastic and sensitive in work, give good results and keep their shape well. The hair has a silky texture.

Brushes are made flat and round, brushes for coating are also made large surfaces. Oxhair brushes are used to work with oil paints, acrylic, tempera, and gouache.

Cow hair brushes are used to work with almost all types of paints: watercolor, gouache, tempera, acrylic, oil paints.

Sable brushes

These brushes are made from sable tails. These brushes are distinguished from others by their excellent wear resistance, they practically do not wear off or peel off, even when working with rough surfaces, the sable tool lasts a very long time.

The special properties of such a brush are sufficient elasticity with simultaneous softness and maneuverability. That is, sable is not as resilient as kolinsky: it will not cut paint and remove the lower layers, and is not as soft as squirrel: sable can easily draw a thin line, unlike the unpredictable squirrel.

The brush is very flexible, picks up a large volume of paint and releases it in doses. Because of these balanced qualities, these brushes allow you to work in a variety of techniques, from dry brushing to wet brushing. Everything can be done with one brush, which is very convenient.

The best choice for working with watercolors, egg tempera, gouache. Sable brushes are quite rare and quite expensive, but they are worth it.

Synthetic brushes

Synthetic brushes are made from nylon, polyester and other fibers.

Synthetic hair based on nylon is hard and does not release water, so it is not suitable for watercolor painting, but for oil paints and acrylic this quality is just appropriate.

Synthetic hair based on polyesters provides varying degrees of elasticity. Hairs of different lengths and diameters are collected into a bundle, which gives a capillary effect, which allows you to use such brushes even in watercolors.

Such brushes are less prone to destruction under the influence of thinners, insects, paints, and direct sunlight. But due to mechanical stress, these brushes are inferior in wear resistance to natural ones; the bristles quickly wear out and become soft. Such brushes are not expensive, so artists prefer to buy synthetics in large quantities.

Shapers

Let's pay attention to such brushes as rubber brushes.

They officially appeared relatively recently.

These brushes are made of rubber, silicone and are modeling brushes.

Excellent for shading both pastels and pencils, charcoal

Foam brushes

These brushes are made of foam rubber.

They come in both round and flat shapes, as well as in the form of a roller.

Not expensive.

Well suited when working in decoupage technique for applying glue, for covering large surfaces, for decorative painting and of course widely used for painting work.

In conclusion, I want to say that not all types of brushes are listed here; I told you about the most common and available in our stores.

There are brushes made from fox hair, hare hair, raccoon hair, rat fur (these brushes are made from a special subspecies of wild hare), wild horse mane, plant fibers, chicken fluff, etc.

Such brushes are original and rare; they are used mainly for working in the style of oriental techniques.
There are many variations of mixed types of brushes made from different bristles. They mix both natural piles and combine synthetic and natural ones.

I hope you were interested in learning about art brushes.

In order to paint a picture, the artist needs a canvas on a stretcher, as well as paints and brushes. The success of his work largely depends on the quality of the latter, so the choice of such instruments must be approached responsibly. To choose the right brushes for painting, you need to consider what paints you will have to work with, as well as your budget.

In an effort to choose the right brushes for painting, you need to know what they are, what the brushes are made of and what paints they are intended for. So, for example, to paint with gouache or watercolor, they use squirrel, kolinsky and synthetics. They all have their own quality characteristics:

The column is suitable for all styles of painting, but its price is quite high.
Squirrel is ideal for watercolors, and synthetics are ideal for acrylic painting.
The pony brush is a good alternative to the kolinsky and squirrel brushes.
A brush made from pig wool is more suitable for oil paints.
A badger brush is used for soft paints.
Sable in its quality has the properties of kolinsky and squirrels, but such bristles can be used to paint large works and miniatures.
Synthetic brushes are not suitable for watercolors; they are more often used for acrylics.

Any brush is made of a handle, a hair tuft and a base. The quality of this drawing tool determines whether it will be convenient for the artist to work.

In turn, its durability in use depends on the quality of all components of the brush.

To choose the right brush sizes and the tool itself, you need to focus on the following points:
the material from which the brush is made – a good quality brush is convenient to use;
the brush handle should be smooth;

its length should be convenient for the user. There should be no seam on it so that the instrument is comfortable to hold in your hand. The most important part of the product is the hair bun, which differs in material. A synthetic paint brush is of worse quality than natural brushes. Such drawing tools are classified by numbers.

Artists know how to choose brushes and what types of brushes are available. The correct choice is also influenced by the size of the brush, as well as what paints the specialist plans to paint with. artistic creativity. One person needs thin brushes, the other needs a round one.

A brush with good hair has the following qualities:

her hairs are elastic;
when wet they do not lose their shape;
do not fall out during operation;
the glue with which they are fastened does not extend beyond the holder.

For all these characteristic features You need to pay attention to choose a good brush.

In the video: how to choose the right brushes for painting.

Types of brushes and their purpose

To choose the right brush, focus on the bristles from which the bun is assembled. You also need to know which brushes are best to use for watercolors, gouache or oil paints:

Squirrel wool brushes. Ideal for painting with watercolors. Thin and soft brushes allow you to control the flow of paint, so they are convenient for painting small details of a picture. To ensure a high-quality brush made from squirrel hairs, the bristles are first degreased, sorted by length, unusable hairs are removed and straightened.

Intended for watercolor paint, the artist can not only use them comfortably, but also save on price. To choose a brush for painting for children, pay attention to their painting skills.

Sable wool brush. It is the most expensive tool used by professional artists. The choice of such brushes makes it possible to draw thin lines; they can be used to paint with gouache and watercolor.

Pony hair tassels. Quite elastic and soft, suitable for drawing with ink. However, for those who are going to paint with gouache, this is also a worthy option. With the help of such bristles it is easy to apply strokes of paint.

Nylon tassels. Recommended for acrylic paint, there are different shapes, it all depends on the specifics of the artist’s work. A sales assistant at an art supply store will help a beginner make the right choice.

Natural brushes are characterized by the fact that the tuft in them is made of animal hair. Made from natural material, which is much higher quality than synthetics, these brushes will last much longer.

Suitable brushes for oil work

For artists who paint with oil paints, it is recommended to purchase the following brushes:

bristles, which are particularly elastic and quickly absorb paint;
medium soft mongoose brushes;
badger hair brushes that are suitable for mixing oil and acrylic;
a synthetic nylon brush, which is almost as good in quality as natural ones.

Synthetics are inexpensive, so they use these brushes to paint on landscape paper at school. Thanks to the light nylon hairs, children can clearly see the shade of paint on the bristles. A thin brush is convenient for marking contours and boundaries between colors, while a thick brush is useful for painting large areas of the design.

Paint by number tools

Brushes by numbers are included in the kit, which is sold along with paints by numbers. Painting by numbers is a modern art form where a non-professional artist has the chance to create a painting of a famous celebrity.

Brushes by numbers, made of elastic nylon fiber, are perfect for such creativity.

To choose good brushes for painting by numbers, you need to take into account that they are divided according to their purpose, the quality of the hair and their shape. This choice also depends on the paint the artist uses. A nylon (synthetic) brush is perfect for painting with oil paints. Flat brushes are often used in shape, and everyone chooses the sizes individually. The artist needs those brushes that seem to be an extension of his hand.

What types of brushes are there?

All brushes for gouache, watercolor and oil paints may also differ in the shape of the bristles:

Round brushes.

These products are suitable for painting with gouache paint, allowing you to paint over small details of the picture.

Flat brushes.

These brushes are round and very long in shape, needed to apply thin lines. They have found their application in graphics.

In all respects they resemble font ones, differing only in short hair.

Fan tassels. They are one of the varieties of flat brushes. They received this name due to their fan-shaped shape. Their use allows you to soften the color stretch and contrast of contours.

The final result of the artist’s work depends on the correctly chosen tool. But for an experienced painter such a choice is not a problem. And purchasing all these goods in a specialized art supply store is not difficult.

Tips from professional artists (2 videos)

Variety of brushes (25 photos)

In our age of high technology, the production of such a simple thing as a brush seems to be a simple matter. However, creating a high-quality artistic brush is quite a serious job. Just three centuries ago, artists had to make their own brushes, and only then did artisans appear who began producing these tools for artists.

Today, the brush production process combines both traditional methods and advanced modern technologies, offering all professionals and art enthusiasts wonderful painting tools.

Art brushes are produced in a wide range of sizes, types and materials. How to understand this diversity?

Let's first consider what main parts an art brush consists of:

hair bun/head (working part of the brush) consists of natural or synthetic hair collected in a bun of a certain shape and size,
metal clip/ferrule (capsule, sleeve) provides structural support for the hair bundle, serves to give shape and connect it to the handle. The holder is usually made of corrosion-resistant metal: brass, copper, aluminum. A high-quality clip should be all-metal (seamless).
handle/handle (shaft) It is made mainly from hardwood (birch, aspen, beech, alder). There are exceptions, such as watercolor brushes with acrylic handles. Wooden handles are usually varnished to protect them from paints and liquids.

Let us now dwell on the basic forms of artistic brushes.

From all the variety of shapes and sizes, we will highlight 2 main types of brushes - round and flat. Round brushes have a cylindrical shape, while flat brushes have a flattened (flat) shape. Both round and flat brushes are also divided into subtypes depending on the length and shape of the beam.

Perhaps the most universal. The hair bundle is crimped into a clip cylindrical and forms a rounded tip when wet.

A high-quality round brush allows you to create a wide range of shapes and effects, holds water well, absorbs excess paint and is easy to rinse. The extraordinary elasticity of such a brush allows you to display every gesture of an artist who wants to achieve a special expressiveness of the stroke. A good round brush has a sharp tip that allows you to do fine, detailed work.

By the way, in the old days round brushes were the most common, because... The consistency of traditional oil paints at that time was more "creamy". held more paint and produced crisp, rich lines.

There is a wide variety of round brushes, their thickness and size depend on the area of artistic creativity they are used in: for miniature works, filling, type, liners.

Brushes for miniature works- the thinnest and shortest of the round brushes, having fairly short or medium-length bristles. They are used for delicate, meticulous work. These brushes allow you to make the thinnest point or draw the thinnest line of short length.

Fill Brushes- thick round brushes made of soft bristles. Used in watercolor painting to fill large areas with color, as well as for basic dense strokes.

These are flat-rimmed, straight-edged brushes that initially became popular among impressionist painters. late XIX century. They are quite versatile, they can hold a lot of paint and are good for both filling large areas and creating clear, broad strokes. Almost all flat brush strokes produce an angled or straight edge, so they are often used wet-on-wet (masking or softening the characteristic hard edges). Flat brushes are in great demand in architectural painting.

The shapes of a flat brush stroke are varied and depend on the material from which the beam is made, its rigidity, as well as the technique of applying the stroke.

Contour brushes- a type of flat brush that has a shorter tuft. This gives them greater elasticity and improves control over the quality of flat strokes. In addition, shorter hair makes it easier to create a smooth transition from one color to another and highlights the contour well.

Angled brushes (retouching)- flat brushes with a beam beveled at an angle. Used to create outlines and sketches, they allow you to draw very clear lines, outlining sharp corners.

Cat tongue (oval, filbert)- a flat brush of a dome or oval shape, beloved by many artists. This brush is universal and is suitable for both large strokes and small details, combining the properties of both a flat and a round brush (if you hold it perpendicular to the surface). Using this brush, you can easily move from thick to thin lines without lifting your hand, as well as create transitions from one color to another.

For most works, as already mentioned, two or more basic brushes are required - round and flat brushes. In addition, there are a number of special brushes that are not needed so often and are designed to create any specific effects.

Retouching- the best brushes for very precise strokes. They resemble a flat brush cut at an acute angle. The tip of such a brush allows you to quickly and confidently change the volume of hair or bristles carrying paint, so this brush is an excellent tool for creating a transition from one color to another in hard-to-reach, narrow areas of the picture, as well as for drawing contours.

Stencil- voluminous, dense brushes of a round shape, with a blunt flat tip of the hair tuft. Brushes are used to apply paint through a stencil using vertical strokes. They are also great for glazes or loose layers of paint.

Fleitz- a wide flat brush designed for applying wide layers of paint with one stroke and for free painting with fills. Used mainly with watercolors as it can hold a lot of paint; With just a few movements it allows you to create large-area textures.

Fan- flat brushes with a thin fan-shaped bunch. They are designed to shade paint already applied to the base. With the help of such brushes you can create a sophisticated color stretch. They are also suitable for mixing, softening contrasts and textures. Used to create special effects in portrait, landscape and abstract painting.

(mop) - a round brush made of soft natural hair, capable of absorbing a large number of paints. Used to work on large areas, wetting the surface, removing excess moisture.

To finally decide which brush is needed to work with certain paints, knowledge about the nature of the bristles from which the hair tuft of the brush is made will help.

Font brushes (schleppers)- round thin brushes with long bristles for working with liquid paints. Used for applying thin straight lines, inscriptions, to create lighting. The extended hair tuft serves as a reservoir for paint, allowing you to draw a long line without refilling the brush.

Special brushes with long bristles (from 10 mm to 25 mm), often used in airbrushing to emphasize contours, for drawing very long lines of the same thickness. The base of the brush beam serves as a reservoir for paint, “feeding” the elongated core, which allows you to draw a thin continuous line for a long time without additional paint.

Tool Brush The Brush Tool is the most popular tool among digital artists, but it is also one of the most complex. When you first start working, you get that same feeling that you need a separate brush for each effect you want to create. The set of brushes that comes with Photoshop by default doesn't seem particularly suitable for such purposes, but professional artists often share their work, so you can always download something more powerful and suitable specifically for your work.

The problem is that the more complex the brush you choose, the more difficult it will be to use in the right way. And if you've ever watched a professional in the field work, most of the time they use either a simple round brush or a slightly textured brush. They could have used a simple default brush set and still created great work with it. But why is this not within your power?

In reality, using Photoshop is not just about pressing some buttons and expecting the program to do something for us. You can't just pick up a brush, try to paint something with it, and if it doesn't work, then start choosing another brush. And the point here is not at all in the brushes, but in the person who uses them!

IN this lesson I'll show you how to create a basic set of brushes. It will be a little smaller than what comes out of the box with the program, and it certainly won't confuse you. I'll also show you how to use these brushes to create a detailed image. This way, you will understand how to create freely without having to constantly search for new brushes.

1. Create a Texture Brush for Sketching

Before we begin, open the brushes menu (where you select your presets) and click Restore (reset) brushes(Reset Brushes). Oh, and don't forget to save your current set before resetting!

Step 1

Create a new document. Take the tool Polygon(Polygon Tool) and install number of sides(Sides) 3. Now draw a black triangle.

Step 2

Create a new layer. Draw a rectangle using the tool Rectangle(Rectangle Tool (U)) in mode Pixels(Pixel).

Step 3

Now go to Filter - Noise - Add Noise(Filter > Noise > Add Noise). Select distribution(distribution) by Gauss(gaussian) and turn the slider to maximum.

Step 4

Now cut our “noise” rectangle to a triangle shape. This is done by using Clipping Mask(Clipping mask) Ctrl-Alt-G.

Step 5

Change the size of the "noise" layer using the tool Free transformation(Free Transform Tool (Ctrl-T)), this will make the white areas more obvious.

Step 6

Now go to (Edit - Define Brush Preset). We're using this shape as part of a more complex brush, so don't worry about naming it.

Let's go to Brush Settings(Brush Settings (F5)). Choosing a brush Chalk(Chalk) from the list of default brushes. Set its size to 30.

Step 7

Selecting items Broadcast(Transfer), Noise(Noise) and Smoothing(Smoothing).

Step 8

Select Double brush(Dual Brush). Find our triangle in the list and select it. Next, set the settings according to the image below.

Save the brush by clicking on the white card icon at the bottom of the brush settings dialog box. Name the brush Texture Sketch.

This is my favorite brush, it's very versatile. It is both chaotic and quite precise. You can use it in the first sketching stage to get a rough idea of your idea before you even know what you want to draw. Starting a painting with a free sketch is The best way creating something out of nothing, without planning, allows you to make the end result more natural and organic.

2. Create a brush for detailed sketches

Select Hard round brush(Hard Round brush). Change her Size(Size) and Intervals(Spacing) and check the checkbox Broadcast(Transfer).

That's all! Save this brush as Sketch Detail and try to draw something with it.

This brush is perfect option when used as regular pencil. The less confident you are, the more transparent your lines will be, and this means that some shortcomings and mistakes will be easy to correct. This brush feels comfortable and natural and is great for creating detailed sketches.