Brushes 101
As a makeup artist I’ve always been intrigued by brushes,
but there are so many out there. Every class I attended the artist had
different recommendations. Every distributor has different recommendation. Each
of my friends loves different brushes.
This leads to major confusion and spending a lot of money trying to
decide what is right for me. So, for this
issue, let’s explore some brush basics.
Brushes should be selected with the following
considerations:
- What are the properties of the product to be applied (liquid, cream, powder.)?
- What are the properties of the surface – rough, smooth, dry, moist, oily?
- What is your personal technique or style?
- What is the desired final effect?
Structure
There are three parts to every brush the hair, the ferrule
and the handle. The hair is the brush
part made from natural or synthetic fibers.
In larger brushes the fiber may be squirrel, pony, goat or blends. These brushes include powder, blush, contour
and large eye. In smaller brushes sable,
weasel, kolinsky, capra, badger and others are used.
The ferrule is the metal part of the brush. It is most often made from brass, copper or
aluminum. The handle is the third part
and it may be made from acrylic, metal or wood. Wood is often preferred for its
long term reliability. Short handles are
preferred for client use as it allows them to get closer to a mirror to
work. Long handles allow the makeup
artist to work farther away from the client and enhance their ability to see
the big picture.
It is best if the hairs are fused (glued) rather than
stapled for any cosmetic use to avoid the creation of a germ reservoir in the
ferrule. Fused bristles are easier to
clean.
Cost and material
Brushes can vary from very inexpensive to highly
expensive. The variance in price will
depend on if the brushes are machine made or hand made, the type of ferrule,
the fiber the bristles are made of and the handle choice. The same hair fibers are used in both hand
made and machine made brushes. The
difference will be how they are placed into the ferrule. Commonly brush kits will be machine made and
hand made brushes will only be sold individually. A kit can be a nice way to
start as it is less expensive, but professionals wanting to specialize in
makeup artistry will want to add quality hand made brushes as they do a
superior job in product application and last longer.
Synthetic verses
Natural
Brushes should be selected based on their purpose not on
their origin for the best application result.
However synthetics do come in a full range of brushes for the client who
wants non-animal sources for all brushes.
This comes at a cost however as these brushes are polymer filaments
commonly made of taklon or nylon. These
brushes have their place and definite use, but require more manufacturing.
Synthetic
Synthetic fibers vary in price, durability and performance.
Nylon is a common inexpensive utility brush.
The mix of fibers and whether they are hand or machine made will affect
the price and life of these brushes. The best of these brushes have a mix of at
least 3 diameter filaments of varying thicknesses. The fibers may be white or dyed to reflect
animal hair toning or a fun color. Common examples are fan brushes, lip brushes
and camouflage brushes. These brushes
are easy to clean although less soft than natural fibers. Sometimes they are dyed and then baked to
make the hair softer. They are less prone to damage from detergents and
solvents. They are excellent for
layering makeup or applying cream or camouflage products.
Synthetic bristle
brushes are stiff and do not have the flags or curve of the natural bristle
brushes preferred for hair-brushing.
Synthetic bristle brushes are most commonly used for stencil work and
fabric painting.
Nylon or taklon
These synthetic fibers are the preferred fiber for applying
cream type cosmetics. Nylon includes
nylon, plastic or rubber. They come in a
variety of textures, qualities and control. Nylon is less expensive than
taklon. Taklon is softer and more absorbent. They are excellent for applying
cream or camouflage bases lip color and eyeliner.
Natural
Natural fibers refer to those derived from animal hair
across the globe. It also refers to a
specific type of brush. Natural fibers
include sable, kolinsky, badger, goat, pony, squirrel, ox, camel, hog,
mongoose, sabelina, and natural bristle.
Badger
Badger is a rather stiff fiber. This stiffness makes it good for brow color
application. The stiff tips will help create
a soft feathered brow. The hairs are
thickest at the tip and thinnest at the root.
They will appear bushier and are used for paintbrushes or body mask
applicators.
Goat
Goat has numerous uses including luxurious powder
applicators. The finest goat is called Capra
and this is a great powder applier. It
creates a medium to full application, has good absorbency and a soft feel. They
can be configured in many cosmetic application styles. Natural goat is creamy in color but sometimes
blended with pony or other fibers it is referred to as Capra. Good for applying a variety of powders it is
found in many configurations.
Kolinsky
This is the king of all brushes. Kolinsky is known for its excellent porosity
and the most intensive color application.
It comes from the tail of a mink – part of the weasel family found in Siberia and northern parts of China where the weather is very
cold. Kolinsky is known for its
strength, ability to hold fine points and ability to snap back. The hairs are finally pointed and very
absorbent. The finest brushes are made
from all male animals but it is more common to find 60% female, 40% male blends
due to the abundance of females to males available. Preferred by makeup artists, kolinsky brushes
are also popular for those doing nail extensions and fine art. Avoid
reoccurring exposure to oils as this will degrade them.
Sable
The best sable is red.
This means it comes from any Marten (member of the weasel family) with
red hair. There are many qualities
available. Some consider it a less
expensive alternative to kolinsky as it runs between 40-50% of the cost of the
fine kolinsky brush. It has similar
properties and abilities and may be blended with ox to make it even less
expensive. This will be done at the
sacrifice of the fine point. Sable is often used for blush, powder and medium
brushes.
Sabelina
Not derived from sable it resembles red sable in appearance
only. It is made from ox hair dyed
reddish. The tip is blunt not
pointed. It is common in art brushes and
is sold under a variety of pseudonyms.
Pony
Pony hair is soft and strong. The animals should be young but at least 2
years old. The hair is harvested from the mane, tail, hock, and belly but is
predominantly from the mane in which grows profusely and continuously. Pony hair is preferred for blush and
eye-shadow brushes. It has good strength and strong snap but does not have good
ability to hold shape and no point. It
can be used with other fibers to bring down the cost of a brush but with some
sacrifices. If you wish more opacity,
dampen the hairs or use it dry for a soft effect. Often pony will be blended with goat.
Squirrel
Squirrel is sued to create a soft effect. It is good for
used on aged or scarred skin. The grey
or blue is more highly prized as it applies a soft wash of color. This hair
comes from Canada
or Russia
and is usually in short supply. The
brown colors are more available and are used in medium quality brushes.
Sometimes these will be passed of as Kolinsky but they do not have the snap
back ability although they are equivalent to kolinsky for the point. Their lack of snap back means they bend out
of shape easily. They are good for
contouring and shadows or detail work in the crease. Cut properly they give
more definition in their compact head and are superior for crease
enhancement. They are generally best for
powders.
Ox
Ox hair comes from the ears of cattle or oxen. It is strong and has good snap with a silky
feel. It lacks the fine tip found with
red sable or kolinsky. These brushes are
moderately priced and have a more rigid feel than sable but less than natural
bristle. The best ones are from South America or European oxen.
Camel
Camel is a general term for a variety of hair none of which
is from a camel. Instead it was named
for the inventor, Mr. Camel, or so the story goes. It may be a blend of pony, bear, sheep, ox,
goat, or squirrel. It has a soft feel,
is very common and inexpensive. Artists
like this blend for its ability to hold fluid.
Natural bristle aka
Hog or Boar
This is a coarse, strong fiber with a natural curve and a
flagged tip. Think treatment or fan
brush. White versions have many grades.
Black varieties are inexpensive and stiffer for economically priced
brushes. This is used for hairbrushes,
shaving and for oil painting.
Mongoose
Mongoose is used for a brush between sable and bristle in
stiffness. It has dark brown tips, light
middle and dark roots. Common uses are
as a shaving brush, hair brush or for art work.
Whatever the brush you are evaluating keep in mind what it
is needed for, what type of surface it is for, and is there a particular style
or finish effect desired. Construction
and quality, and performance life from your investment are also key to factor
in.
#makeup brushes #brushes #selecting makeup brushes
#makeup brushes #brushes #selecting makeup brushes
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