A
thin, long haired brush, stripers are used for making straight or curved
lines in enamel paint, lacquer, tempera, fabric paints, bronzes, or even
glue. It works well on paper, wood, glass, metal or any smooth surface.
Used with thinned paint, the brush is held like a pencil, so the chisel
edge makes maximum contact with the surface, and pull with steady, even
pressure. Blue squirrel and black sable, both natural filament are the
most widely used filaments in striping brushes. Blue squirrel is the
most readily available and comes in long lengths, as well as short
lengths.
Apart from painting, striping brush can also be used for spreading of
powdery materials, dusting - tire, tile paper, etc., splash guard on
grinders and machine tools and cleaning drag and cope. Striping brush is
also used for all creative nail art. The bristles of these brushes are
pre-curved and designed to fit the arch of the longest nails. The brush
can be cut thinner to achieve a finer line.
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.
