PAINT BRUSHES

Brushes, Brushes, and More Brushes! Do's and Don'ts for Beginners

Usually when you walk into the Michael's art and craft store you see the long isle of brushes that are labeled "BEGINNERS" and are leveled all the way up to "PROFESSIONAL". Beginner brushes in that isle may not be cheap, but then you look at the professional brushes and go "Wow, okay, those are cheap!" But why are they so expensive for Beginners? It's because they're intended to be used the wrong way. Beginners don't always know how to care for their brushes, and so they are expensive enough to be labeled as "quality brushes", but cheap enough to where as they can easily be replaced. So for the beginners out there, how do you know what Beginner brushes to use?

The Brushes NOT to Get

Two words: Artist's Loft. It doesn't matter how cheap you think they are, or how well you think they look, please do not waste a single dime on Artist's Loft brushes. Their paint palettes, canvases, pencils, and easels are okay, but do not, and I beg you, do NOT get Artist Loft paints or brushes. You will waste money. And I stress again, yes they are cheap, but they are not worth it. They're paints aren't thick and they don't last long. These paints are paints you can buy for children, not for beginners who are looking to sell and make exhibits in the future. Their brushes are by far the worst I have come across. After the first few uses the bristles begin to fall out, and when you wash the larger All Purpose Brown Synthetics Brushes they take forever to dry (I tried it by towel first, then left it over night, went shopping with friends, and was home by four, and they were still damp), and they had a musty and moldy smell to them when they finally dried (after two days in front of a fan). 

Brushes that are packaged with a cardboard back and plastic cover such as these (packaging example) should be added to the list of don'ts! I don't know why, but whenever brushes are packaged this way, I have had no luck with them. I see that they are more expensive, so i assume they're okay quality, but I have now realized that they are that expensive because of the way they are packaged.

So what brushes should you buy?

The Brushes TO Get

If you're looking for multiple brushes packaged together, go for a brand that isn't Artist's Loft (seriously, anything but Artist's Loft) that is packaged in a plastic package like so (packaging example). I have no clue why I find these better than the cardboard-back packages, but it's just my opinion. A great Beginner's brand is the Liquitex BASICS brand. Seriously, bother their brushes and paints are great for beginners. I highly recommend them. Now, if it's just after Christmas or your birthday and you have cash to spend, go to that long isle of brushes sold individually in Michael's. They are expensive, but that's because they are some of the best quality brands that you will ever find. 

Brush Tips

1. If you order brush sets online that are from high-quality brands (Winsor & Newton, Loew Cornell, Grumbacher, etc.), buy specific brushes (watercolor, acrylic, oil, etc.) 
2. High quality brushes are well paid for. Try your best to not damage them. I've had my Winsor & Newton watercolor brushes for over two years now, and they cost me over $50 for a set of five, and I take care of those brushes as if they were newborn children. 
3. Use the correct paint on the correct brush. You can damage watercolor brushes if they are used with acrylics or oils, etc. They are labeled as a specific media use for a reason. Listen to the package. 

Hope this saved many of you Beginners from loss of money, and money well spent! Happy painting!

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ART IN SOCIETY

How Important Is Art in Society & Has it Always Been Important?

Is art important to our society? To cultures world wide? Yes, of course it is! Almost everything around you to some extent is because of art. The house you live in is architecture, it's designed (drawn) by an architect. The television you watch, every thing that is broadcast to you like commercials, shows, movies, are all films, which is actually a type of art. The clothes on your body are sewn. Yep, fabrics is art. Life without art would be... well... I don't suppose everyone knows. For years, decades, and centuries humans have been driven to art is some shape or form.

So Has it Always Been Important?

Ever since prehistoric times humans have been creating art. Making small statues of themselves out of the dirt and clay in the earth, drawing with a stick in clay. Then before the common era (BCE or BC) humans began creating cuneiform, pictorial writing with a stylus in clay. Going into more complex into the Egyptian hieroglyphs, and evolving into the Greek alphabet, our inspiration for our own alphabet now. Without art we would not have a functional language, or languages that could be converted to other languages for things like trade or exchanges. 

Without art, history wouldn't have been documented. When events happened, instead of writing the events down, they drew or weaved or sculpted them. As beliefs turned into religions, they began to draw pictures or carve them onto stone walls. Because it was engraved in material that didn't decay, or didn't decay much, centuries later they still stood. Its where we get our stories, how we keep our religions, inspiration for books and movies, etc. 

So yes, art has always remained important. Your life revolves around the art that still stands, the art that will be, and the art that has yet to be discovered.

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