A
"camel" brush is not made of camel hair. It is a generic term
for soft-haired brushes that are made of various inexpensive hairs such
as pony, bear, sheep, and lesser grades of squirrel mixed together and
supposedly named after the man who originated it. Camel hair brushes
received their name from "Mr. Camel", who invented them.
Actual camel hair is too woolly for brushes and they range greatly in
softness, quality and cost. These soft-haired brushes are made of pony,
ox, goat or other inexpensive hair, or a mixture. Horse of pony hair is
taken from the mane, tail, hock or belly. Natural tips are used in
better brushes. Camel hair brush is most commonly used in inexpensive
school grade brushes or as cosmetic brush. Ox hair is taken from the
ears or hock. It has medium stiffness and resiliency, carries much fluid
but will not point well s it has a blunt tip. Goat hair has a naturally
blunt tip but retains a large volume of fluid.
Camel hair brushes are used in mottler, mops, cosmetic brushes and
Oriental brushes. Lesser grades are used in school brushes and, like
pony, it can be used in blends or filler. These brushes work well for
dusting parts and also in touch-up work for applying paint and
adhesives.
Brushes
used for acrylics have long handles that allow the artist to work at a
distance from the canvas. Acrylic paints are more caustic than oils, so
acrylic brushes are designed with synthetics and bristle. Acrylic
brushes are usable in other mediums, particularly oils, while brushes
designed specifically for oil painting and watercolors are unsuitable
for acrylics. Artists can very effectively use glazing and layering
techniques when using acrylic brushes.
Both natural and synthetic bristles can be used with acrylics,
depending on the artist's preference. But, acrylics, being alkaline in
nature, can be hard on natural hair brushes. Those made with high
quality synthetics have excellent durability and offers excellent
stiffness, snap and hair shape retention for maximum control. The
brushes must be kept clean. If acrylic paint dries in a brush it is very
hard to get out without using strong solvents that might damage the
brush. Brushes are cleaned promptly by washing them with warm water and
mild soap when finished painting.
