How to Choose the Perfect Brushes and Colors for Drawing?

Coloring and drawing are enjoyable hobbies that make a person happy because they bring out the creativity and wonderful feelings. As important as creativity and skill, are the instruments by which the artistic vein takes shape. You can translate your feelings on canvas using colors and brushes.  Good materials help with good results. For this reason, it is essential to know the artistic brushes and colors well.

How to choose the correct brush?

Brushes are the magic wand that brings life to your painting. A good quality brush should have soft and thick hair and does not lose hair during paint. Every type of color needs a specific kind and shape of brushes.

Brushes’ sizes

The brush size is classified by number; with 000 to 20 are  the most common. You should think about the size of the work and the method that you will use.

In general, smaller brushes work well for fine contours and details, as in watercolor, gouache and ink. Larger brushes are good for acrylic or oil paintings.

If you fill large, flat, unmarked color blocks, it is preferred to use the larger brushes. If they are small blocks of color, small brushes are more recommended.

The medians are suitable for 50 x 50 cm paintings. Tiny details need small brushes, while grandiose frescoes require large brushes.

The shapes of artistic brushes

The most classic is the round brush, used to work with precision and leaving traces of paint of the same thickness.

A flat brush can spread the paint thoroughly. Another interesting form is the cat tongue, capable of making brush strokes combining the effect of flat and round in a single brush.

There is also the fan brush, which drags the paint in a very subtle way, widely used to create foliage, commonly used in large works.

How to choose the perfect colors?

Watercolor

For a start, it is better to choose cheap and easy-to-use colors. Watercolor is the smart choice, you can find it anywhere. It is one of the most common and famous colors, ideal for landscape painting as it is vibrant, effective, beautiful and can be lightened.

It should be noted that watercolors differ in quality. Choosing high-quality watercolors will meet the desired result without discouragement. It is best to buy a palette to avoid having to purchase several shades separately and you will have all the colors in the same place.

Acrylic paints

If you like catching the smallest details on canvas and want to create masterpieces of abstract art, acrylic paints are a perfect choice.

Acrylic paints are suitable to be used by anyone; professional or amateur. They dry quickly so they are proper for layered paintings that create depth and detail on landscapes.

They are easy to use, broadly available in paint shops and stationery stores specialized in artistic material.

They are often sold in tubes and can be combined on a palette with water to lighten the tone or create new colors. They cost less than oil colors, but they are not less professional.

Oil colors

Oil colors are the greatest choice for professionals. They are expensive but you can buy primary colors and mix them to get various shades to cut costs.

Oil colors need a long time to dry. So, they are not advisable to beginners. They are vibrant and versatile that allows you to create unique color mixing and layering techniques. In addition, you will have to buy solvents to dilute the colors.

Before painting, you should apply a basic acrylic primer on the canvas to avoid being harmed by the color.

Other materials

Choose an appropriate canvas for the type of color you are going to use.

Keep several pieces of wet cloth handy to moisten and clean the brushes and to make watercolors.

Buy a palette to mix the colors. The best surfaces for diluting colors, mixing them and examining their consistency are those made of white plastic, such as trays covered with enamel paint. These surfaces provide a nice clean background to test for color precision and are very low-priced.