How to Buy Paintbrushes for Silk Painting

Different fabrics accept paint in different ways. Some need coarse brushes and thick paints and others, like silk, need soft brushes and dyes. Buying the right brushes for your silk painting project is as important as purchasing the dyes and preparing the silk. In order to successfully complete a silk painting, you must have the right brushes for your project.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Purchase a large or medium rounded brush. Soft bristled brushes, such as nylon, help blend colors on silk.

2. Buy a medium flat tipped brush. A soft synthetic brush is best for blending colors on lightweight fabrics like silk.

3. Choose a thin liner brush for painting details or small areas. Synthetic fibers work well, but goat or squirrel hair brushes will hold more dye.

4. Get a large or medium sized foam tipped brush. These work well when applying dyes to large areas.

Tips & Warnings

• Watercolor brushes work just fine for your first attempt at silk painting. Clean your brushes thoroughly before mixing mediums.
• If you have little experience in buying art supplies, you should consider a basic silk starter kit that contains just a few brushes. Once you get the hang of painting on silk, you will know what kind of brushes are missing from your collection. These can be found at your local art supply store or online.
• Do not buy expensive brushes when you first start silk painting. Cheaper brushes will work well until you figure out what size and shape brushes work best for your specific style.

Resources

• For Information about silk painting supplies and how to order them online, go to dharmatrading.com.