Have you ever heard someone say, "Good paint brushes will make you a better painter"?  I never really believed this was true....however, once I got some "good" paint brushes I became a believer.  Paint brushes certainly don't increase your skill, but paint brushes are essentially a tool and better tools can help yield better results.  This article is not meant to be a guide on what brushes you must buy, or how you must use them....  it is simply an insight into what I use and how I use them.  I hope you'll find this article informative and helpful.

My "good" brushes, or the brushes I consider my best are Vallejo Kolinsky Sable brushes.  I picked these up online for about $30 for a 3 pack; I'm sure there are more expensive brushes out there but these work great for me.  I also own a few other brands of Sable brushes that are comparable...  the key is they are Kolinsky Sable.  I use 0000, 000, and 00 brushes almost exclusively for detailing work:  tools, hard to reach areas, mufflers, etc.  In the past I've used 0000 synthetic hair brushes for detailing, and switching to Kolinsky Sable for this task has shown the greatest single improvement in my results and quality; as they allow greater control over the paint than synthetic.

I always have a container of water close by when painting with these brushes and I rinse them often, every few brush strokes.

When dry, Kolinsky Sable hair is frayed and frizzy....

But when they are wet, they become needle sharp.  Kolinsky Sable hair is soft and flexible and easy to work with.

The second category of brushes that I use are also Sable....very cheap and inexpensive Sable.  I usually purchase these brushes in a pack of 6-10 for $3.99 at Michael's (I would guess other craft stores carry them too) - at $.50 per brush compared to $10 per Kolinsky Sable brush, these are much much cheaper.  Despite the cost, these are my workhorses.

I use these brushes for a wide variety of applications:  basecoats, dry-brushing, paint mixing, oil washes...  the list goes on.

These brushes also form into a fairly tight point when wet and painting.  I put these brushes through a lot and they hold up very well; typically I only rinse these every 5 minutes or so while painting.

The last type of brush that I use is synthetic hair brushes (these are usually the brushes with Orange, White, or Maroon colored hairs).  I use these  for the jobs I fear will destroy my Sable brushes:  applying pumice gel to my bases, dry-brushing very rough areas, mixing chemicals, etc.  All of these tasks are dirty and ruin brushes fairly quickly.  I never use synthetic brushes for detailing now that I've swtiched to Kolinsky Sable....  they are very stiff, unforgiving, and do not form a very precise point.  Synthetic brushes also tend to lose shape and "hook" after only a little use.

No matter whether you use cheap or expensive brushes, it's important that you clean and maintain them well.  There are essentially 4 types of cleaning I perform on my brushes:

1.  Rinse brushes frequently while painting.....especially with your fine detail brushes.  Have a container of water handy at your painting station.
2. After a painting session, rinse your brushes under the faucet with mild bar soap.  I use purpose made brush soap (from an arts/craft store).
3. After extended painting sessions, or every couple of weeks, wash your brushes with an acrylic brush cleaner, followed by brush soap.  Be sure to rinse well with water.
4. Rinse your brushes used for oil painting with an oil brush cleaner, followed by brush soap and water.

Be sure to wash your brushes gently, washing in the direction of the hairs...don't be rough on them and mash them around while cleaning.  Most of these techniques are common sense, but in reality each artist must find their own style and technique for using brushes and maintaining them; don't be afraid to experiment.