A
variety of hair styling brushes, ranging from natural bristle to wooden
quills are available to accommodate different hair types. A good quality
styling brush are extremely durable and comes with maximum control,
snag-free styling. Styling brushes are all-purpose brushes that usually
have six to nine rows of straight tufts of bristles. Hair styling brush
have excellent blow drying performance and are used by hair dressers to
smooth, shape and polish small, medium and long hair. The various
styling brushes are:
Paddle Brush: These are distinguished by their size and cushion
type base from which the bristles protrude and are larger and flatter
than the cushion brush and are used when you have lots or long hair to
deal with. They are great to smooth naturally straight hair or to finish
off after using a round brush to straighten wavy or curly hair.
Vented Brush: This brush has widely spaced, flexible bristles.
Openings in the head, where the bristles are attached, allow for good
airflow. Today, vented brushes are primarily used for drying hair
because they offer superior airflow, making short work of moisture.
Cushioned brush: This category of brushes includes the
oval-shaped cushioned brush with padded head, used for simply brushing
out the hair and the flat paddle brush with an air cushion that's used
exclusively for long hair. The latter is an invaluable tool, by the way,
because the cushion and bristles are designed to collapse anytime they
meet resistance; hence, they prevent long hair from being stretched,
split, or broken.
Round brush: Many round brushes have wooden or plastic handles
with a variety of grips that ensure good traction and fit the hand.
Round brush are used to have some bend or curl in the 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.
