From Joni Marie's studio, her favorite brushes
Let us find the right paint brush for your application! There aren’t any rules as to what brush you should use — choose from brushes in every category, for any type of painting.
There are many different variables for choosing a brush.
“It’s important to know how the customer wants their brush to perform,” store manager Joni Marie said. “Besides what medium they’ll be painting in, it’s also helpful to know how they will be using it; short strokes, long gestural marks, medium viscosity, and then of course budget comes into play.”
Brushes with a lot of body are great for moving around thicker paint. Soft and thinner brushes are great for working with low viscosity paint, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them with a thicker paint. For example a small sable brush could be great for doing fine detail in almost any medium.
Our huge assortment of synthetic and natural hair brushes can be used for a variety of painting mediums because every brush has a different quality. Every brand has multiple lines to choose from to better fit individual needs. We carry brushes from Winsor & Newton, Raphael, Princeton, Isabey, Grumbacher and Daler Rowney.
“Some people may not realize how extensive Flax’s brush selection is”, Joni said. “Besides the student grade and professional lines, we have an abundance of specialty brushes too; like sumi, faux finishing, crafts, and sign painting brushes, to name a few.”
We also have a huge selection of sale brushes to choose from. Check out the assortment and you may find what you need at a great bargain.
Besides helping you select a brush, Robert, Stan & Joni Marie in the fine arts department can provide the tools to help you take care of your brush — the better you care for them, the longer they last. We are more than happy to give advice on how to keep them in tip-top shape; whether it’s choosing the right cleaning solution, or how to store them properly when not in use.
Luc Tuyman's oil on canvas painting, "Within 2001"
“When customers tell me they have a favorite brush they let “go bad”, I like to suggest bringing the dead brush in and letting us try to revive it. However, we will also let the customer know when it’s time to say goodbye and buy another brush.” Joni said. “I love brushes and am happy to help with any questions or concerns.”
It’s fun to experiment with different brushes and different techniques. On the other hand, if you like the way your paintings look with one particular brush, keep with it.
“Look at Belgian painter Luc Tuymans; his paintings look like he uses the same number 8 flat bristle for his whole repertoire and they look great!” she said.
