Natural vs. Synthetic Brushes

Using synthetic brushes or natural hair brushes is a topic that comes up occasionally in my classes. From my experience, I still think the natural hair brushes, especially hog bristle brushes, tend to work best. They really absorb paint and paint thinner well. I can easily control the flow of the paint. Not to say that I haven’t worked with synthetic brushes before. I have in the past, and to tell you the truth, synthetics have become a lot better than they used to be. Theres some good synthetic brushes on the market. I had bought a Rosemary and Co brush a few years back that was synthetic but it had characteristics of the hog bristle brush and ended up being a good brush.

image from @NicThurman

For the most part, I still like using natural hair brushes. If you are painting watercolors, the natural brush is still the best water absorbency out there. I usually base it off of how it works with oil paint, but watercolor is again best with the natural bristle. My philosophy is that whatever works best for you is best. Try things out, both synthetic and natural, and see what makes your painting thrive. I prefer natural brushes and it tends to make my paintings look better. Historically, artists have been using natural brushes since there were no synthetics in the past. Synthetics are still lagging behind for painters, but are definitely improving as time goes on. 

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