Oil Painting Lesson 3: Drawing Materials & Brushes
Before you begin painting, it is useful to have a small collection of basic drawing materials and a selection of brushes suited to different painting techniques.
In this lesson, we’ll look at the essential tools you need for sketching and underdrawing, the main types of oil-painting brushes, palette knives, and the best way to clean and care for your brushes after each painting session.
Basic Drawing Materials
A selection of drawing materials, such as pencils, a ruler, and eraser, are essential, whether for sketching ideas or plotting an underdrawing.
For general purposes, #1 (HB) and #2 (B) graphite pencils are ideal.
I use a sanguine pastel pencil for my underdrawings, but graphite works just as well.
I also recommend keeping a sketchbook. It is great practice to sketch regularly—even just one quick sketch daily will help to train your eye and improve your observational skills.
A viewfinder can be useful, too, to help check the composition of your setup. You can either make your own from cardstock or buy one online.
Paintbrushes & More
There are many types, shapes, and sizes of brushes to choose from.
For beginners, I recommend synthetic brushes, as they are a less expensive option than natural-fiber brushes.
I use the following selection in the projects:
- 1. Flat brushes are useful for applying broad strokes of color to cover large areas, such as blocking in backgrounds, while also giving clean edges.
- 2. Filbert brushes are a really useful “all-rounder” brush. It is worth having more than one in different sizes.
- 3. Round brushes have a more traditional shape that comes to a point and can produce a wide range of marks. Smaller round brushes are particularly useful for finer details.
- 4. Old brushes are useful for dry-brushing techniques. Instead of throwing worn brushes away, keep some of them for effects that require rougher bristles.
- 5. Utility brushes do not need to be expensive, as you only need them to apply gesso to your canvas or painting surface.
- 6. Palette knives can be used to mix paints on your palette, apply paint thickly, or scrape unwanted paint from the canvas.
Understanding Brush Sizes
Brushes are graded by size, and in general the higher the number, the larger the brush.
However, brush sizing can vary slightly between manufacturers, so it is often better to look at the actual width and shape of the bristles rather than relying only on the printed number.
You do not need dozens of brushes to begin. A small flat brush, one or two filberts, and a few round brushes in different sizes will give you enough variety for most beginner painting exercises.
Cleaning Your Brushes
Brushes need to be cleaned after every painting session.
Start by squeezing the excess paint off the brush by pinching the bristles carefully through a rag or paper towel.
Do not scrub your brush aggressively against the cloth, as this can damage and distort the bristles.
Next, clean your brush in diluent by gently swirling it around.
Wipe your brush again to check that there is no more paint left inside the bristles.
To make sure the brush is thoroughly clean, rinse it in warm water and use soap, such as an artist’s brush soap.
Gently squeeze out any remaining water. At the same time, reshape the bristles with your fingers so that the brush dries in its original form.
Cleaning Brushes Used for Gesso
Brushes that have been used to apply gesso do not need to be cleaned using diluent.
First remove as much gesso as possible using a rag or paper towel, then rinse the brush thoroughly in warm water.
It is important to clean a gesso brush straight after use, before the gesso has time to dry and harden in the bristles.
Good-quality brushes can last for many painting sessions when they are cleaned and stored correctly. You do not need a huge collection when you are starting out—a few carefully chosen shapes and sizes are enough to learn most of the fundamental oil-painting techniques.
