Most
squirrel hair for brushes comes from Canada and Russia. There are three
main types of Squirrel hair: Talahoutky is brown in color and used
mainly for sign brushes; Kazan is brown-black and mainly used in brushes
for watercolor, wash brushes, and watercolor mops; Sacamena is
blue-black, the softest of all the Squirrel hair, and is used for making
some of the best watercolor brushes. This soft, absorbent hair points
well when wet, but has little spring. Squirrel hair brush has good
elasticity and are ideal for washes, letting and smooth painted
finishes.
Squirrel hair brush are very similar to Kolinsky brushes; they point
very well and have thick "bodies" to hold paint, but they lack
the "snap" or springiness of a Kolinsky. This lack of "snap"
makes them almost totally useless when painting with thick paints. Often
squirrel hair is used in the production of "camel hair"
brushes and many other brushes made from mixtures of hair.
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.
