Basics of working with acrylic paints

Brief technical information: Acrylic is a paint consisting of three main components. Pigment, synthetic binder (acrylic polymer emulsion) and water. The latter is especially important for us. Acrylic paint dries as soon as the water evaporates from it. That is why it is difficult to adapt to them at first - they dry very quickly both in work and on the palette. It is worth remembering that acrylic paint becomes darker as it dries.

Tools and materials
Acrylic paints can be found in jars and tubes.
One of the advantages of acrylic is that in combination with it you can use a huge number of additional artistic media. It’s worth stopping here and talking about one more thing. important point- fresh acrylic is easily removed with water. Dried paint requires solvents (! After working with acrylic, rinse your brushes thoroughly with water! Acrylic that has dried in a brush can ruin the brush forever!).

Keep your paint in working condition.
Since acrylic paint dries very quickly, squeeze it out of the tube a little at a time. If you use a regular plastic palette, buy a spray bottle to spray water onto the paint, dampening it.

Brushes.
If possible, buy special brushes for acrylic paints. They come in different shapes, sizes and textures. Typically, these are synthetic or nylon brushes. When working with acrylic paints, frequent immersion in water can damage the brush. With natural brushes there is no need to press on the canvas. You need to draw with the tip, as if suspended. At first it will not be familiar, but when you get used to natural brushes, you will become a true connoisseur of them.

Wipe the brush.
Keep a paper towel or rag nearby and dry the brush every time you wash. Then drops of water will not go down the rim and fall on the drawing, leaving blots.

Important properties. Generalization and something new.

And so, we have already said that acrylic paint dries very quickly. And this is its big advantage.
In addition to this, uncured acrylic can be easily removed with water, while dried acrylic is resistant to water. This can be very useful because it allows you to apply a second coat of paint without the risk of destroying the first.
Acrylic paints allow you to work in layers - unlike oil and watercolors, the top layer is usually not transparent, and the bottom layer is not visible - this can be convenient when you need to correct some minor imperfections. Or when you need to apply a bright design on some background.
Acrylic paints are unpretentious to neighbors. They can be combined with both oil and watercolor. And use on almost any surface.
Acrylic does not smell. And during operation it does not emit any fumes that interfere with breathing, as when working with oil. And this is also an important plus))
Acrylic can be applied either very thinly (like watercolor) or in a thick layer - like oil. Moreover, it will still adhere well to the surface and not spread - this is due to its high elasticity.
Acrylic does not crack or fade.

Beginning of work

Choose a good location. As with most things, drawing is best done in natural light. Sit near an open window or in a room with plenty of natural light. You'll be able to see little nuances in your brush strokes and colors that you wouldn't be able to see in other lighting.

Lay out all your materials. Every artist has a different approach to organizing their materials, but it's best to arrange them as you see fit before you begin. Fill the jars with water, take out the brushes and paints you want to use, and place your palette in the perfect spot. You may also want to wear a robe or an old shirt.

Find a light source. Color changes depending on how the light hits it, so before you start painting, determine the position of the main light source. Pay attention to this throughout the drawing process. You should use lighter colors near the light source and darker colors away from it. This may seem basic, but identifying your light source before you start will help your flowers sit as they should.

Shutdown

Cover the picture with a layer of varnish. Although it is not necessary, many artists choose to coat the painting with a layer of varnish to seal the acrylic paints. This helps the paint chemically bond with the canvas and better protects the paint from damage.

Clean your brushes and workplace. Be sure to wash your brushes immediately after finishing using them. Acrylic paint can seriously damage and ruin brushes if left to dry on the bristles. Wash the bristles of your brushes with soap and cold water until the water runs clear (warm/hot water will set the paint on the brushes). Wipe off any paint from your workbench and wash out your water cans.

Save any unused paint. Acrylic paint can last for several months in a tightly sealed container, so if you have any left over, save it for later.

Leave the painting to dry. Place the painting somewhere where it can dry in 1-2 days. Acrylic paints have a very short drying time, but they need to be placed where they will not be disturbed so they can dry properly.

Purpose of brushes:

FLAT BRUSH WITH STANDARD EXHIBITION

Combines hairs of different lengths for the best maneuverability: make bold strokes with the wide part of the brush and thin strokes with the edge of the brush.

Any professional artist will tell you that to create a real masterpiece, it is very important to carefully select not only paints, but also the canvas, and even a workspace with the right lighting, and the main tool for work - brushes - must be chosen especially carefully.

The numerous variety of brushes that can be seen on modern market, is caused not only by the difference in the availability of raw materials for manufacturers and the consumer capabilities of the population, but also by the variety of techniques and colors that each artist chooses according to his own taste. Everyone decides for themselves which brushes are best for acrylic paints, however, there are also brushes that are not at all suitable for painting with acrylics.

Material

When choosing a brush for any type of paint, it is important that the tool fits well in the artist’s hand, being, as it were, an extension of it, and at the same time has a certain strength, which will save it during prolonged or careless use. For greater durability It is advised to choose those brushes that are equipped with a solid metal clip– there is no chance that it will accelerate over time.

If the material of the handle depends only on the convenience of the artist himself, then the material of the hair bundle is critical to obtain the expected result. In particular, most artists generally prefer brushes made of natural hair, however, when working with acrylic-based paints, they are not used. The fact is that the polymer part of the dye, very quickly hardening at the base of the hair bundle, as soon as possible renders the product unusable, making it impossible to draw with it.

A possible solution to the problem would be to constantly keep the hair bundle in water, however, such conditions are destructive to natural hair.

Most experts agree that beginning artists working with acrylic need, first of all, synthetic brushes, in particular nylon ones. They are much less susceptible harmful influence acrylic, which, when hardened, causes individual hairs to lose their elasticity, but you also need to work with them carefully, in particular, be sure to wash them thoroughly after each drawing session.

With proper care, such a tool can serve its owner for quite a long time, but by professionals it is still not considered a universal drawing tool. To expand the number of artistic techniques used for painting, brushes based on natural bristles are most often used.

Why nylon?

Although an artist who has been painting with acrylic for a long time and fruitfully will probably have brushes made of other materials in his arsenal, beginners are almost always advised to use nylon first. It makes sense to understand why this particular material and not any other:

• High elasticity and resilience. It should be noted that nylon brushes are generally considered a middle ground between hard and soft brushes, and therefore are regarded as universal and well suited for any beginning artist, not just those who paint with acrylic paints.

• Thanks to these properties, the hair bundle leaves clear and smooth strokes on canvas, while the material withstands repeated bending quite well and does not break, which is very appropriate in the case when its owner has still not decided on the optimal pressing force.

It is noted that brushes of this type are, in principle, much easier to paint, although they do not leave much room for artistic maneuver.

• High resistance to water. The specificity of protecting the hair part of the brush from the harmful effects of quickly hardening acrylic lies in the active use of water, and synthetic materials, unlike natural hair, withstand constant exposure to water much better. Because hair will quickly deteriorate without regular rinsing, the ability to soak in water for long periods of time is key for acrylic tools.

• Ease of maintenance. No matter how optimized nylon is for the use of acrylic, the polymer part of the paint still sticks to it, however, here too the synthetic brush has a clear advantage, namely: the smoothness of its bristles. Natural hair has bristles with a certain roughness, which makes it quite difficult to clean them from pieces of hardened acrylic. In the case of nylon, acrylic may harden, but this happens on the surface of the bristles without reliable adhesion to them, so you just need to rinse the tool well to make it suitable for use again.

Choice of shape and rigidity

Choosing nylon as a hair bun material does not mean that the final verdict has been made - after all, you need to choose at least several tools in order to achieve various artistic effects. To do this, preference is given to brushes of different shapes and elasticity:

• The most universal choice in terms of shape is a round brush, but due to its versatility, it does not allow any effect to be performed with the highest quality.
• Brushes with flat hair tufts are designed for more convenient painting of large, monochromatic areas.

• Contour brushes are somewhat similar to them, but their beam width is much smaller, so artists often use them to draw color transitions.
• A tricky tool is a brush shaped like a cat's tongue - wide but with a very pointed end, which makes it both round and flat, but for a beginner, working with it fully is usually too difficult.

• Finally, linear brushes have extra-long bristles and are usually used for writing calligraphic texts.
• As for elasticity, here too the tools differ, depending on the needs. Soft bristles are better suited for neat, fine drawing of contours and other small details. Hard products are chosen more often for a relief design, as well as for applying large, bold strokes.

It should be noted that differences are also observed in the size of the pile. Each manufacturer indicates the size as a number from 1 to 14-16, however, practice shows that for different manufacturers the same brush number may correspond to a different actual size of the hair bundle.

For this reason, choosing a tool by size should be done not so much by number, but by eye.

Care

Even constantly keeping brushes in water when working with acrylic does not guarantee one hundred percent cleanliness of the hair bundle after the end of the session, and if the paint dries completely, you can safely throw away the tool. Therefore, every time after use it is necessary to clean the product, even if it is made of nylon:

• First of all, the pile must be carefully wiped with a special cloth or at least a piece of thick paper.
• After this, the hair bundle is soaked in clean water - the tool needs to be turned several times to make sure that the water has penetrated everywhere.
• Wet hairs are wiped again with a dry cloth, and then washed with ordinary soap so that it even gets under the clip and carefully washed again, this time under running water.

• The brush is considered washed only when the water flowing from it looks completely transparent.
• After this, the pile must be dried naturally, but before that it must be wiped dry. In this case, it is necessary to give the hair bun the correct shape for it, because if it dries out in a disheveled form, it will be quite difficult to correct the situation.

To learn how to clean your brushes if they are dry after painting, see the following video.

Repair is a long and very troublesome task, and also costly. Today, the choice of materials in construction stores is huge, which means that the scope for imagination has no limits. Despite this, the paint never loses its relevance. Radiator batteries and pipes, wall panels - all this requires annual updating. Therefore, you will have to spend a little time as a painter as well. To get the job done quickly and efficiently, you need good brushes for paint. And, of course, you need to decide on the material. It can be varnish or enamel.

Products for painters

It may be difficult for the average person to imagine how many there actually are. Paint brushes differ not only in size. And if until now you have used just one to perform all types of work, then after reading the material everything will change. So:

• Flight feathers (CM) are huge and fluffy, made of natural fiber with the addition of synthetics. I have a round shape and are widely used on large surfaces and for whitewashing. The diameter is approximately 60 cm, and the length of the hairs reaches 180 mm. They tolerate contact with any solvents, withstand temperature changes well and are not afraid of hot water.
• Paint brushes (KMA) - they are often used to make These are wide, rectangular paint brushes based on natural horsehair and nylon. This allows the coating layer to be applied evenly. The length of the hairs is 100 mm, used for applying adhesive or casein material.
• Handbrake (KR). Small and round, they are great for covering windows or pipes. Consist of pure bristles and horsehair. The middle is empty to allow paint to accumulate.
• Filet brushes are very reminiscent of the paint brushes we used as children in art lessons. Diameter 6-8 mm, they are used to outline contours.
• Radiator.
• The painter's flute (CF) is wide and flat, made of nylon and badger hair, and is used to remove smudges.
• Synthetic flat (KP) - artificial. Inexpensive and functional, it is perfect as a repair assistant. They are ideal for applying compounds diluted with water. A universal option for painting any surface, and the sizes can be adjusted.

Using different piles

Synthetics, at first glance, are an ideal option. It is cheap, works great on any surface, and is wear-resistant. In fact, painters know that quite a lot depends on the material chosen. Bristles made from natural materials absorb the composition well and distribute it evenly over the surface. It feels a little rough to the touch. But on some surfaces it will leave lint, and the brush will wear out quickly.

Synthetic painting tools are made of polymers and have a small thickness. They are great for applying water-resistant paints because the hairs do not absorb the material. This is also justified from an economic point of view.

What do you need to know?

High-quality brushes have a number of properties, but the main functional element is the bristles. The longer its length, the more composition the instrument will absorb. Therefore, the less often you will need to dip it into the jar. The hairs are not always straight, which allows for even better absorption and even treatment of the surface.

Not only the length, but also the elasticity of the hairs is important. If they are not flexible enough, then a large number of the material will remain on the pile. Another rule is that the larger the surface area, the larger the brush. For ceilings and walls you need wide, rectangular specimens, and for tables and windows - small ones, with a variety of handles.

So same and different

At first glance, it is very difficult to choose the best paint brushes. We have listed what they are, but that doesn’t make it any easier. But a professional consultant will definitely help. Today there is a special tool for each type of work. There are kits for working with varnish based on synthetic resins, for painting with liquid wax or working with water-based compositions.

The main recommendations regarding the choice of brush are as follows. You need to be attached to the material with which you will work. Only then, among the varieties with the desired pile, you will select those that are suitable in size. If you plan to do varnishing, it is better to purchase a tool with natural rather than synthetic hairs. It will be ideal for formulations that include a solvent. The secret is that these hairs have a porous structure and can absorb much more composition.

If you have to work with water-based compounds, then natural bristles, on the contrary, are not recommended. It will lose its shape after the first use. Synthetics absorb less paint, but manufacturers are doing everything to bring its functionality closer to natural.

How to clean a brush from paint?

Once you have finished the job, you need to take care of the tools you used. Some people think that all that remains is to throw them away. But this is too wasteful. It is much better to wash and store them. To do this, thoroughly dry the brush on a paper or cloth towel. The more composition you can remove, the better the laundering process will be.

The second step is to use a solvent. Do not forget that the choice should be made in accordance with the characteristics of the composition used.

• Brushes for watercolors and latex, that is, all that are water-based, can be easily washed with plain water. The only rule is that they must not be allowed to dry out.
• White spirit allows you to cope with oil compositions.
• suitable for shellac.

The third step is to rinse again in water and pat dry with a towel.

For interior decoration and as a hobby

They are not always used only to cover the panel with an even layer. If you want to decorate your room with a vibrant image, then you need to choose the right paint brushes. The nylon tool is the best solution for artists who prefer acrylic. It is synthetic and comes in a huge number of different shapes and sizes. The main advantages are:

• Elasticity - the material from which the bristles are made does not break and is very flexible. This allows you to apply smooth and precise strokes. It is very convenient and perfect even for a beginner.
• Durability - if you take a natural bristle brush, you will quickly understand what the problem is. Painting and covering surfaces with acrylic requires immersing the tool in water. Therefore, the pile deteriorates and falls out. But the artificial one continues to serve.
• Easy to clean - nylon tools are very easy to clean from acrylic, which dries out and crumbles. But a brush with natural bristles has a porous structure and is much more difficult to clean.

Wide choice

But which brushes for acrylic paints to choose for a specific job will have to be decided on the spot. Flat, synthetic tools allow for wide strokes thanks to the thick, long bristles. Round - used for drawing and painting. Oval synthetic ones are more often used in painting. They are close to flat in functionality, but it is easier to change the thickness of the line. Contour brushes are flat, with short bristles. They are needed for applying small details and drawing.

Oil paint brushes

The main requirement for them is increased rigidity, which is due to the specifics of working with oil. A tool with kolinsky bristles is considered best choice. The cost of kolinsky brushes is the highest of all, but the costs are compensated by their high performance properties. It is made from natural materials and pile. As a result, the brushes work well; with their help you can not only apply an even layer, but also create a pattern or design. Unfortunately, the kolinka product is very delicate. Even portrait painters note that it cannot be used on all canvases. Linen, for example, will very quickly erase its delicate fibers. Therefore, when carrying out repairs, most often combined brushes made of natural and synthetic bristles are used for oil paint.

Instead of a conclusion

As you can see, the choice is not as simple as it might seem. You will have to take into account the nature of the work that needs to be done, its scale, as well as the coverage that needs updating. The material chosen as a coating will also play an important role. Therefore, think through all the details first, and then go to the store. Then you will definitely be guaranteed success in this difficult task.

Brushes for painting with acrylic come in different types. A nylon brush has proven itself best, but it is not suitable for all types of work, so it cannot be the only one in an artist’s arsenal. Before buying this or that brush, you should figure out whether it is suitable for acrylic and for specific features specific artist.

Before buying a brush, you should figure out whether it is suitable for acrylic.

Shapes of brushes

You can work with acrylic with a tool of any shape, but each of the brushes is capable of performing a certain amount of work while painting. It is very easy to ruin a painting if you choose the wrong brush shape for certain strokes.

1. Round. This tool is considered universal, suitable for any paints and techniques. They can be used for drawing details or filling, depending on the number of the brush. The round shape is achieved by enclosing the pile in a round-shaped cage.
2. Flat. To create this brush shape, a flat clip is used. Brushes can be wide and narrow, long and short. They are convenient to use for painting large areas of a painting with plain paint, including acrylic.
3. Contour. The shape of these brushes is similar to flat brushes, but the bristles are shorter and wider, making strokes easier to control. Contour brushes are also convenient for creating color brushes.
4. Brush in the shape of a cat's tongue. The shape of such an instrument resembles a dome or oval. It is considered a compromise solution between round and flat brushes, since it leaves different strokes depending on the position. The tool is not suitable for beginners, as its use requires some skill.
5. Linear. To create such a brush, long bristles are used, and the thickness of the tool is very small. Brush in to a greater extent Suitable for inscriptions or very thin, small details.

There are several other types of brushes, such as stencil or type brushes, but they are much less suitable for painting acrylics than the ones described above.

Types of brushes

Both hard and soft brushes are suitable for painting with acrylic paints. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages and is used in certain techniques.

To work with acrylic paints, you can use both hard and soft brushes.

Soft brushes

Such tools, which are mostly made from natural materials, hold paint well and are suitable not only for acrylic, but also for watercolors and gouache. Artists use them to create fine, precise lines or to depict translucent tones. Using a soft brush is convenient for drawing small details.

The best natural, soft brush is considered to be sable. However, acrylic paints easily spoil this type of pile, so its use is not recommended. An alternative option is a tassel made half of sable and half of synthetic material. Well, a cheaper and more common alternative is a synthetic brush.

Hard brushes

In addition to weightless layers, acrylic paint is used to apply thick strokes. Using acrylic, you can use various relief and rough techniques, which require hard brushes that hold a lot of paint, and the strokes are clearer.

A brush for painting with acrylic should not only be hard, but also elastic and flexible enough so that the strokes are even and do not spoil the painting.

Modern painting tools meet the required specifications and are made from synthetic materials. Depending on the techniques used by the artist, a hard brush can be large or small, have different widths and handle lengths.

Brush sizes

To determine what size brushes are needed for a particular style of acrylic painting, you need to gain some experience. When choosing a brush number, you should take into account the fact that the numbering may differ from different manufacturers, so having found the best option for painting, you should buy tools from only one company.

The numbering of brushes starts from one and goes up to 16 (sometimes 14). The thickness of the stroke increases accordingly. However, the difference between the brushes is not only in width, but also in the length of the handle. Soft tools are shorter, hard ones are longer, which allows you to draw at some distance from the canvas and better evaluate the picture.

Soft brushes are shorter, unlike hard ones, since they paint last at some distance from the canvas

Nylon brush

A nylon brush is considered the best option for beginner artists who prefer acrylic. It is synthetic and comes in many different shapes and sizes.

The main advantages of a nylon bristle brush:

1. Elasticity. The material from which the tool is made has high elastic properties, does not break when bent and is quite elastic and elastic. The strokes of paint that such a brush leaves are smooth and clear. The nylon brush is easy to paint even for beginners, as it is a middle option between hard and soft.
2. Strength. The main problem with natural brushes in acrylic painting is the need to keep them in water. Because of this attitude, the bristles fall out and deteriorate, which, however, does not apply to this synthetic brush. The tool will not last any less if it stays in water for a long time, so it is suitable for acrylic.
3. Easy to care for. Due to the fact that the brush is made of synthetics, it is easy to clean acrylic, which is famous for its quick drying and sticking to the bristles. Natural brushes are very difficult to tidy up, since their structure is not smooth, like nylon. To care for this brush, simply rinse it with running water after use.

It is worth noting that a nylon brush, although very good, cannot be an alternative to all other types of tools. Experienced artists will, in any case, have several other types of brushes in stock, for some specific techniques.

Nylon brush - best option for beginning artists

Caring for your brushes

Acrylic paint is different in that no matter what techniques the artist uses and no matter how keen he is on the process, he must ensure that the brushes do not dry out. Acrylic dries very quickly and then the instruments can be considered damaged. To prevent this, you need to keep your brushes in water while painting, which gradually spoils them, but at least does not disable them.

The process of cleaning the brush after painting:

• After finishing work, excess paint must be removed with a rag or thick paper, carefully wiping the brush on it;
• then the brush is lowered into the water, and rotational movements are made, with the help of which the acrylic is removed from the pile;
• the instrument is wiped with a rag and soaped with soap;
• then the soap must be washed off, making sure that it gets between the bristles and under the holder (in order for the brush to last longer, even the slightest remnants of paint must be removed);
• The brush should be rinsed until the water runs clear, after which it is wiped dry and the bristles are left to dry (the tuft should be directed upward, and the brush should first be given the correct shape).

If the acrylic has dried on the brush, you can try to remove it by soaking it in a special cleaning agent, and then carefully remove the remaining paint with a wooden toothpick, after pressing the brush to a hard surface.

In general, for this you should use synthetic brushes. The shape and size are selected individually, but for beginners it is best to purchase several standard brush options. When working with acrylic, great attention should be paid to the care of tools, since the paint dries quickly and spoils the pile.

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