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  • #985326
    prettytulips
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        Does anyone know what shaped brushes were available during
        the 18th and 19th century? Were they mostly rounds or did they
        use flats and filberts too?

        Thank you. :wave:
        S

        #1060962
        Sir Paul
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            Helen Van Wyk stated in one of her videos (& I’ve heard it from other sources as well) that only ROUND-shaped brushes were available in those time periods for painting, and that the various ‘flats’ we have today didn’t come along til later. (Though exactly when I have not heard) ..or as she said… ‘They had so little.. & did so much… We have so much.. & do so little… (lol)

            Just as well, I like rounds best of all anyways… Hope this helps!

            PS

            [FONT=Arial]

            #1060960
            prettytulips
            Default

                Helen Van Wyk stated in one of her videos (& I’ve heard it from other sources as well) that only ROUND-shaped brushes were available in those time periods for painting, and that the various ‘flats’ we have today didn’t come along til later. (Though exactly when I have not heard) ..or as she said… ‘They had so little.. & did so much… We have so much.. & do so little… (lol)

                Just as well, I like rounds best of all anyways… Hope this helps!

                PS

                Thank you for the confirmation. I appreciate it.

                #1060959

                I think “flat” brushes have been around for centuries.

                In “Il Libro dell’ Arte” (The Craftsman’s Handbook) by Cennino d’Andrea Cennini, written in the 1400’s, he describes how to make two shapes of artist brushes, the round pointed shape and another shape he called “blunt” brushes, with the hairs all lined up, like what we now call “flat”. He used minever tails or white hog bristle.

                #1060963
                JEZ!!!
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                    I wonder why the question has been asked? Is it to replicate the strokes for personal use?

                    #1060961
                    prettytulips
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                        I wonder why the question has been asked? Is it to replicate the strokes for personal use?

                        Yes, it was and I failed miserably:crying:

                        #1060964
                        Quebster
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                            Short-bristled Brights brushes are made for scrubbing. Shadows are scrubbed and only occasionally are light colors scrubbed to make a scumble. Flats are for slathering on paint, They are like knives. Light colored paint usually needs to be applied heavily if you want to maintain opacity and brilliance. Filberts are drawing brushes. They work best with dark paints which can be diluted. Filberts with light paints leave a furrow on either side. Rounds are designed for thin dark paint. They leave furrows with light paints (which need to be applied thicker). Fan blenders can be swished back and forth but you have to wipe them after every stroke or you get mud. They are particularly good when used on end to stipple subtle transitions. Egberts require real skill to use properly. This is where a proper choice of painting medium comes in…the medium must be thixotropic in that it holds its shape but becomes liquid when moved with the brush, going right back to thick paint when the brush passes. Using an egbert requires real experience with mediums and mixing. They are time consuming because you get one stroke and have to wipe the brush off and recharge it.

                            #1060965
                            Quebster
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                                FLATS have longer hairs than do brights. That makes them much more flexible and capable of piling paint on in thicker more expressive strokes. Thicker paint is associated with mid-tones and highlights, but not shadows. Therefore, flats are one of the preferred brushes to use with any colors aside from shadow colors, which must stay thin and transparent in most pictorial painting. Well-made flats should have hairs that curve toward the middle and, in profile, come to a sharp chisel point. The ends should be the natural ends of the hairs, tapered and with flags (split ends). Under no circumstances should they appear to be chopped or cut. The brush in this picture has had more than twenty years of use, yet it still retains the inward curving of the bristles and comes to a sharp, chisel edge. With proper care, a well-made brush can last for decades.??Flats will be your mainstay brush, capable of everything from troweling on thick strokes of paint to laying in precise lines with the chisel tip. As with all brushes, the paint is applied at the tip of the brush and the action comes from the base, near the ferrule, so preserve that action and do not allow paint near the ferrule. Keep the paint at the tip.

                                #1060966
                                Quebster
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                                    BRIGHTS: They are scrubbing brushes and should be relatively short and stiff, like a little broom.The traditional manner of painting shadows has always been to scrub them in, making thin layers of dark paint which could be successively built up. This adds greater depth to the shadow tones than trying to lay them in all at once. With their short, stiff bristles, brights are ideal for scrubbing in shadows. In some cases, you could use a bright to scrub in lighter colors over a dark underpainting, making a semi-transparent tone called a scumble. By it’s nature, the stiff bristles would produce a somewhat streaky scumble and not like the soft fog-like scumbles most artists prefer. Another important use for the brights is in the Rub-Out Technique, where a thin veil of paint is applied to the surface and highlights are created by rubbing out that middle tone. The procedure is much like highlighting a drawing with chalk. A dry brights brush is perfect for removing and cutting into paint to reveal the surface underneath

                                    #1060967
                                    Quebster
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                                        From my notebook:

                                        Brights
                                        Scrubbing brushes
                                        Used for dark paint
                                        Laying in shadows
                                        When laying in a shadow, it’s scrubbed in
                                        Can also scrub out (within shadow)
                                        The shadow shouldn’t pop
                                        Scrub in shadow. Let dry. Scrub in another shadow color. Nuanced. Stays w/in the picture plane. Has interest.

                                        FLATS
                                        Midtones to hightones

                                        EGBERTS
                                        Used as the tone goes higher
                                        Lays in a nice controlled stroke
                                        Holds just a bit of paint
                                        Not transparent or scrubbed
                                        Thick specific stroke
                                        Should pop

                                        ROUNDS
                                        Only for dark paint
                                        Can get dark paint to be dark and thin
                                        A good round will return to a well formed point when dipped in turpentine
                                        Will lay in a furrow if you use it with light colors

                                        SABLE FLATS

                                        For laying in fine lines
                                        Look for good chiseled edge when buying

                                        MONGOOSE
                                        1/2 way between bristle and sable
                                        Slightly different effect than either bristle or sable

                                        FAN BLENDER
                                        Soften edges
                                        *Glazing and reducing glazes
                                        Stippling – change tones
                                        Create transitional tones
                                        Creates pointillism effect – eyes blend into brighter, cleaner colors

                                        #1060958
                                        rain24
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                                            Great info Quebster! I just added this thread to my favorites because of all your notes! :D

                                            I do have a question…what’s an egbert? I don’t think I’ve come across that one yet.

                                            Thanks!

                                            ~Rain

                                            [FONT="BookAntiqua"]~ Rain
                                            [FONT="BookAntiqua"]"If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." — Vincent Van Gogh

                                            #1060968
                                            Quebster
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                                                [FONT=Century Gothic]Dental Laboratories are great places for brushes. They might have something that Dick Blick doesn’t. I haven’t checked. The notes that follow are gathered from the net. I have a friend in the denture business and their technicians use these, too.

                                                ROUND
                                                Rounds are the CLASSIC BRUSHES of fine art painting. They are
                                                used in painting landscapes, florals, portraits, and just about any subject.
                                                Large rounds are great for laying in color while small rounds are
                                                indispensible for painting detail. Many artists choose to use rounds
                                                exclusively while others prefer flats, or a combination of different shapes.

                                                A good round brush, such as a sable or kolinsky, will consistantly spring
                                                back to a fine point and provide a controlled flow of color. With practice,
                                                it can be used to create varied and interesting strokes.
                                                [FONT=Century Gothic]
                                                SPOTTER
                                                Spotter brushes are similar to rounds, but have much shorter hair
                                                lengths. Upon leaving the ferrule, the hair immediatly comes to a fine
                                                point. The shorter hair doesn’t flex and so can be used to place a small
                                                dot of color accurately. The name originated in photography processing
                                                where it is used for eliminating dust spots. It is also used extensively
                                                in miniature painting.

                                                SHORT-HANDLE SPOTTER
                                                These spotter brushes are the same as our traditional spotters
                                                except for their shorter handles. They also are used by Miniature Painting
                                                artists who prefer not to be burdened by a long handle while painting.


                                                RIGGER

                                                The rigger or ‘script’ brush is similar to a round but with much longer
                                                hair. Its name is derived from its use in painting the rigging of sailing
                                                ships. It is ideally suited to this job, as well as electric lines, telephone
                                                wires, etc., because of it’s ability to make long fine strokes without
                                                running out of color. It is also indispensible for painting tree branches
                                                and general calligraphy. With practice, it can be flexed and lifted to
                                                create strokes that taper to fine lines.

                                                LINER
                                                The liner is a round brush with hair length between a round and a
                                                rigger. It is used in the same way as a rigger where the extra length
                                                is not essential or where less flexing is desired.

                                                LETTERING
                                                A lettering brush has a round ferrule like the liner, but the end of the
                                                hair is shaped flat instead of pointed. It is very similar to a one-stroke.
                                                DESIGNER
                                                The designer brush is exactly the same as a round but with longer
                                                and more pointed hair. This extra-length/finer-point feature appeals
                                                to many fine artists who value this brush highly.

                                                ONE-STROKE / FLAT
                                                The one-stroke is long flat brush is used for long sweeping strokes in
                                                watercolor. It is identical to the traditional flat brush used in oil
                                                painting. As its name implies, it holds a lot of color and can make a
                                                long stroke without reloading. Also, it flexes and is a favorite among
                                                many artists for that reason.

                                                BRIGHT
                                                The bright is a flat brush similar to the one-stroke or flat, but much
                                                shorter. The hair of a bright is approximately the same length as its
                                                width. It doesn’t flex as the one-stroke or flat does and consequently
                                                is better for shorter, more controlled strokes. In watercolor, it is
                                                sometimes referred to as an ‘aquarelle brush’. In oil, it is the traditional brush for
                                                impasto painting.

                                                OVAL-WASH / FILBERT
                                                The oval-wash brush is like a one-stroke except that the end of the
                                                hair is rounded instead of flat. It is similar to the filbert brush
                                                used in oil painting. The oval-wash can be used freely to make
                                                bold sweeping strokes without having to keep it in a vertical position.
                                                This shape is very popular with both watercolor and oil painters.

                                                EGBERT
                                                The egbert brush is a filbert, but with longer hair.
                                                It has the advantage of holding more color, and it flexes. Its relationship
                                                to a filbert is like that of a flat to a bright.

                                                SHORT FILBERT
                                                This brush has the traditional filbert shape, but its hair is quite short.
                                                It doesn’t flex as much as a filbert and may be used to place short
                                                strokes more accurately.

                                                CATS-TONGUE

                                                This is a flat brush similar to the one-stroke, except that the end of the
                                                hair is shaped to a point instead of straight across. It is an extremely
                                                versatile brush and can be used to make almost any type of stroke!

                                                SLANT-SHADER

                                                The slant-shader is a flat brush with a slanted end instead of a straight-
                                                across end like the bright or one-stroke. It provides a better view of
                                                the stroke in-process, and can be used creatively to make variable-
                                                width strokes. It is very popular with flower painters.

                                                FAN

                                                The fan brush uses a special ferrule that spreads the hairs into a thin
                                                layer to form a fan shape. It has two main uses. In watercolor, stiff hog
                                                bristle is used so that the individual hairs leave separate strokes on the
                                                paper. Consequently, clumps of grass or scrub can be made with one or
                                                two strokes. Soft-hair fans, such as a kolinsky fan, can be used to
                                                soften edges in both watercolor and oil painting.

                                                FLAT-HANDLE

                                                Flat-handle brushes provide an excellent alternative to round-handle
                                                brushes in wide sizes. They have flat stainless steel ferrules, resemble
                                                house painting brushes, and are quite comfortable to use.

                                                STIPPLER

                                                The stippler is a short-handle round with short ox hair that is slanted at
                                                the end like a slant-shader. It is used to used to produce special effects
                                                by ‘dabbing’ instead of ‘stroking’. The small random shapes in the shadows
                                                of a tree trunk or shadows in rough shubbery are examples of its use.

                                                HAKE

                                                The traditional Oriental hake is a short flat brush made with goat hair
                                                and a flat handle. It is used as a general wash brush and leaves
                                                minimal hair tracks.

                                                MOP/BLENDER

                                                A mop brush is typically round or oval, and domb-shaped. It is similar
                                                to a traditional cosmetic brush. Squirrel mops are very soft and hold lots
                                                of water or color. They are mainly used in watercolor to carry water or
                                                color to the paper. Mops are also used to soften or blend colors already
                                                laid down. Pony-hair mops, also used in cosmetics, make a superior
                                                blending brushes. Badger-hair blender mops are especially soft and
                                                is excellent for blending in oil painting. (One of Bouguereau’s alledged secrets!)

                                                BLUE-SQUIRREL QUILL

                                                This is a round pointed brush made of the finest blue-squirrel hair.
                                                The ferrule is made of a plastic quill instead of the the usual metal
                                                to avoid breaking the very fine hair. The hairs come to a fine natural
                                                point, leave no hair tracks, but do not spring back as kolinsky hairs do.
                                                This brush is used extensively in silk-dye painting.

                                                DAGGER-STRIPER

                                                The dagger-striper is flat in the shape of a knife or dagger. It uses the
                                                very finest squirrel hair – Kazan squirrel – to provide an extremely
                                                soft brush for painting lines or stripes in fine art or automotive striping.
                                                In watercolor, it can be used to achieve very creative effects by pulling
                                                the brush around, and also by pulling it sideways.

                                                SPECIAL SABLE ROUND
                                                These brushes are made with Sable hair that is firmer than watercolor
                                                and oil-painting Sables. Used by watercolorists where an exceptually long
                                                and/or firm point is desired.

                                                CERAMIC

                                                This brush is similar to a Red Sable Round but with an extremely
                                                long point that tapers to a few hairs.The fine Sable hair is a bit stiffer than Kolinsky
                                                giving the long point more support. It carries a large load and can be be
                                                used to place a fine point accurately. Watercolorists also might find this
                                                long-pointed brush very useful in some applications.

                                                LONG-HAIR LINER

                                                This Swiss Ox Liner is a very special brush!
                                                It has extremely long hair (2 1/4″ long) and a flattened end
                                                (not pointed). Fantastic strokes and designs can be created with this
                                                brush.[/FONT] [/SIZE][/FONT]

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