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There are many types of artist paint brush bristles you can use depending on what you want to accomplish for your art piece. Here are some tips on different types of brushes:
Synthetic bristles are a great option if you are looking for an inexpensive paint brush. They often serve well mimicking the qualities of a fine-hair paint brush (springiness, durability). It is also a good choice for artist who view animal-hair brushes as unethical.
Sable hair bristles are known as being the finest out of all natural bristles (and most expensive). They are made from the tail of a sable marten. The bristles are extremely soft, flexible, and taper naturally to a fine point. Kolinsky sable-hair brushes are considered the best bristles for watercolors (actually made from weasel tail).
Squirrel-hair bristles are soft like sable brushes and must less expensive, although they don’t have as much “spring”. These brushes are most effective when they are larger in size because the large the amount of hair makes the brush more durable.
Goat hair bristles are excellent for “pointed” paint brushes, although they don’t have as good of spring as soft-hair bristles. These bristles are often used for Chinese Brush Painting and calligraphy.
Hog bristles are best to use if you need a hard bristle brush. These are made from the hair of a pig’s back. Hog bristles also serve to soak up a large amount of paint in your brush. Ox-hair bristles are another good option if you need hard bristles for your art piece. They are also durable and springy.
Camel hair bristles are often made up of soft hair from several different animals other than a camel. These are often unsatisfactory because the hair is too wooly to make a good paint stroke. Pony hair bristles are usually used for very cheap brushes and don’t taper well. Artists looking for inexpensive brushes are better off using synthetic bristles rather than camel/pony hair bristles.
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