A
good brush in an extension of an artist's hands in the way that no other
"tool" becomes. The mop brush is a round brush with a large,
full bristle resembling a wash brush and are usually made of soft,
natural hair. Mop brushes have large tufts that are composed of a lot of
long, soft hairs which are very absorbent and can carry large amounts of
color. These are usually made of squirrel, pony or goat hair. Good mops
come to a precise point and can be used for very controlled applications
of water from thin lines to sky wide washes. The soft hairs severely
limit the range of brush marks in comparison to a round, but this makes
them ideal for softening edges or lifting vague lights in backgrounds
and large color masses.
Because they take long to dry and take more effort to rinse completely,
mops are not the best brush for paint application, but they are
exceptionally good for wetting large areas of paper or for blotting or
blending paint that is already applied. It is used to soften and blend
wet colors, generally floated areas or for softening the blending of the
wet-in-wet technique and for absorbing excess media. It is used dry, and
is not "dragged" through the paint, but lightly "pounced"
on the surface with a very light "tickling" pressure.
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.
