Artist Paint Brush: Different Parts of the Painting Tool

Although it is unlikely that people are going to test you by asking the names of the different parts of an artist paint brush, they actually exist. Here we have discussed about the different parts of an artist paint brush. In case, you are in any art trivia quiz contest, you will know what is what and may even win a prize by telling the right answer.

The long wooden part of the brush is called the handle. It is generally made up of wood. But there are also painting tools whose handles are made up of bamboo or plastic. So, if you don’t see a wooden handle, don’t ever conclude that isn’t any handle in the tool. You will make the biggest mistake ever and make a fool of yourself around. Every brush has a handle. The only thing is that the handles of different brush may be made up of different materials. The length may even vary from really long to really short. The handle must be comfortable to hold.

The hairs that are present in the painting tool are called bristles. The bristles may vary depending on the use or function of the brush. They can be synthetic or natural. The natural hair usually comes from the badgers or Chinese hogs whereas synthetic hair is made from nylon or polyester. They are rougher than natural hair painting tools. They should be held firmly and must not fall out constantly while painting.

There is another part known as ferrule. This is the part, which holds the handle as well as the bristles together. This part is generally made from metal. However, there are brushes whose ferrule is not always made from metal. For instance, the mop brushes have a ferrule that is made from wire and plastic. Choosing a decent quality ferrule is very important when selecting the painting tool because if it is not of good quality, it will become loose or rust.

The tool has a toe as well. It is the very end of bristles. Heel is the part where hairs go into ferrule at the handle’s end. There is also the belly. This is the fattest part and is more obvious on a round brush. It is hardly seen in flat ones. A large belly on a round artist paint brush allows one to pick up a huge quantity of paint at a time.