Fine Art Brush Tips: Brush Shapes

In the Fine Art Brush Tips series, we have already covered the basics of brush hair types, bristles and the fine qualities of Kolinsky.  Now, lets look at brush shapes, the advantages and the uses.

Companies differ in the brush shapes they offer, but many offer the top five basics:  flat, round, filbert, bright and fan.  These are the most frequently used and purchased, especially for beginners.  However, notice that specialty shapes might offer unique solutions to painting specific objects, like hair, water or foliage.  For further information or demonstration on some of the specialty brushes from Dynasty, click on the video demos.

Shape	Description	Use	Image	Videos or Details
Flat	square tuft in a flat ferrule, sharp corners and straight top;	good for underpainting large areas, creating hard lines, building color or laying on glazes
Round	round ferrule with tuft coming to a sharp single point;	works for large watercolor washes, small details and fine lines		Faux Kolinsky series or Black Gold Round demo
Filbert	flat ferrule with hairs coming to a round oval shape	softer stroke than flats, often used when visible brushstrokes should be avoided		Black Gold Filbert demo
Bright	shorter hairs in a flat shape; usually in a long handle	anywhere a flat would work, usually has a stiffer feel considering shorter bristles
Fan	hairs or bristles spread out thinly as a fan	works primarily as a blender, but can also lay in light washes of color		Faux Squirrel Series
Quill	long hairs and natural shaped tip; typically sable or squirrel hair; ferrules used to be quills	Quills were actually made from bird feathers years ago; today they are synthetic.  Conducive to watercolor, calligraphy		Quill Info
Dagger	sharp rounded angle with a flat ferrule	long edge for fine even lines
Cat's Tongue	pointed filbert	Can create soft lines like a round, or work in washes
Rigger	aka Script; longer tufts than liners in a round ferrule	detail work, able to hold a lot of fluid, used more in fine art, sometimes on long handles		Faux Squirrel series
Liner	long thin pointed tuft in a rounded ferrule; with a short watercolor length handle	thin lines, fur or hair, large color carrying capacity, used more in decorative painting
Wave	top of tuft is shaped into a tight wave formation	Brush is available in angle, flat and filber; excellent for feathers, leaves and hair		Wave details and demos
Fandango	very light oval shaped fan brush	Fandango means "go and dance"; can be used as a light blender		Fandango demo
Butterfly	Two sizes of hair in one ferrule, short next to long	excellent for leaf or flower painting, decorative detailing		Butterfly Demo
Fountain	Short hairs in a round formation, ending in an open circle	Versatile foliage brush, for stippling or creating individual hairs or blades		Fountain Demonstration
Whale's tail	tuft is cut into a V-shape	Painting leaves, flowers, trees and borders		Whale's Tail

Keep Painting,

Karyn

For more brush information, check out the Dynasty Brush website.