Brushes

Art supplies
Princeton Art and Brush Brush Shapes To assist you in your brush selection, Princeton Art and Brush has included a brief description of how each brush can be used and a sample brush stroke made easy with a Princeton Brush! We carry Princeton Brushes at Reddi-Arts and thank them for allowing us to use their descriptions for our website.
Angle Shader - A versatile brush used to paintboth sharply defined edges and contrasting softly shaded areas like foliage.
Bright - Provides better control then flats fordetails; produces short, crisp paint strokes.
Fan - For blending and softening the edges of other strokes; dry brushing to create hair, trees, shrubbery and grass.
Filbert - For edges and tight areas. Gives a rounded look to a flat stroke.
Flat - Broad sweeping strokes for laying in large areas of color like sky or foreground.
Flat Shader - For blending and large, even strokes. Holds a lot of color. Clean crisp edges.
Grainer - For creating multiple lines- grass, hair and fur.
Liner - Very long hairs create consistent thick to thin lines for tree branches, vines and foliage.
Mop - For covering large areas, softening and blending.
Round - An all purpose brush; for fine detail and outlining; thin to thick lines, calligraphy.
Stroke - Used for lettering, blending and glazing. Long hair length, holds a lot of color, hairs are longer than a shader.
Wash/Glaze - For broad strokes and blending. Apply washes of color or finishes.

What Makes a Great Brush? QUALITY AND CARE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE There are a myriad of artist brushes available on the market today. Relatively few perform at the level of quality expected. Predictability, responsiveness, and precision are what you should require from your brush. A good tool is as important for the beginner as it is for the professional. A quality brush will give you reliable performance, and with proper use and care, it will last a long time. Yes, there is some correlation between price and quality. However, do not assume that just because you spent more, you have purchased a better brush. Sometimes, scarcity of hair and the lack of competition inflate prices. The following will help you understand what makes a good quality brush: HAIR Just as they were in the past, artists' brushes are still crafted by hand. Brush makers hand “cup” the hair to shape, so that each strand falls into place, giving the brush a fine tapered point or a clean, straight edge.Hair is the most important and expensive part of the brush. We use the highest grade of hair to give you the best quality for your money.Most hair types vary in quality. For example, all bristle hair is not the same; there are many different grades. The better grades offer unique properties which enable them to hold more color and retain their shapes. Remember that a better quality hair makes a far better brush, and a better quality tool makes painting easier and more enjoyable. FERRULE This is the metal band which holds the hair to the handle. Nearly all of our brushes have nickel-plated, seamless ferrules, so they will not rust or split. HANDLE Different hard woods are used, depending on where the brushes are manufactured: domestic or overseas. Handles are proportioned to balance in your hand and to give you more control. Three layers of lacquer and varnish are used to protect the wood fromswelling and to shield the finish from cracking. CONSTRUCTION Hair is positioned within the ferrule to give maximum snap or responsiveness without going limp. This often means that as much as twenty five percent of the hair falls inside the ferrule or is trimmed at the back end, to allow secure fastening of the handle. The hair is thoroughly glued to the ferrule. The glue “seals” the ferrule, preventing any seepage of water or medium into the brush. Gluing the hair to the ferrule also prevents shedding of the hair. In addition, we crimp the ferrule to secure its hold on the handle. HANDLE LENGTH Generally the long handle, about 9” in length, is for easel work/traditional oil and acrylic painting. A short handle, 5” to 6” in length, is for watercolor and other painting done at a table. SIZE Using an appropriately sized brush head will save painting time and premature wear. Use of smaller size brushes, below size 4, are usually for detail work, medium sizes, 4 to 6, are for small areas, and large size brushes, above size 6, are for broad spaces.

Brush Care There is nothing better than a brand new brush, especially a Princeton Art Brush. Below we offer the following information to keep your brush looking and functioning like new
*Care and Maintenance* Brushes are an investment. If used and cared for properly, your brush will last a long time and perform better. A few basic suggestions: * Do not immerse the brush in paint up to the ferrule. Wet paint is hard to remove from this area and, if it dries, even more difficult. * Remove all excess paint with a rag or paper towel. * Never leave a brush soaking in water or mineral spirits for an extended period of time. * Never let your brush rest on its head. There are many accessories available that will suspend your brush. * Watercolor and acrylic paint should be cleaned with mild soap and water. Oil paint should be first cleaned with mineral spirits or turpentine and then with soap and water. * After cleaning, remove excess water, reshape the hairs into place with you fingers, and stand the brush upright on the handle to dry. A little effort will protect your brush and save you money .