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Brush Gallery


Most brushes used in the ceramic field have their origins in some other art industry. We have borrowed and adapted brush styles from the oil, watercolor, sign, lettering and sumi worlds as well as others. Brushes are the ceramic teacher’s and decorator's most important tools. It is very important to select the right brush for the right job as the quality of the brush influences the quality of the designs and brush work they execute. Ceramic color, speaking of fired color, requires thickness in application plus temperature (firing) for products to perform properly. The selection of your brush for design work, as well as glazing and solid coverage, has a great deal to do with the success of the finished artwork. Too stiff a bristle brush for the job will result in too thin an application causing streaked finishes when solid coverage is desired. As well as too small a brush, for the area being coated, can easily cause streaking of the colors.

Many ceramic teachers have preferences to what kinds of brushes they like to use and end up using the same brushes for everything they do, but do not get stuck in this syndrome, there is a specific brush shape and size for specific jobs. It is wise to become proficient in the use of each style of brush. 

Knowing how and when to use the right brush in this trade makes an apprentice into a master! 

MHC-8175 # 6 W.G. Fan Brush (blender)

This brush is made of white goat hair and is extremely soft. The softness of this brush makes it ideal for application of transparent glaze over fired or unfired colors. It allows the glaze to gently flow over unfired design work with less chance of smudging, depositing a proper coating of glaze.

MHC-8184 #4 Pro Fan (blender) brush

The Pro Fan brush is made of Fitch hair, this hair is sturdy and resilient. The Fitch is a weasel like animal closely related to the ferret found throughout Europe and Asia. The strength and durability of this hair make it wonderful to apply glazes to embossed items. The strength of the hair helps move the glaze in and out of the crevices of the embossed item, so that the pieces is not over glazed in the crevices. This brush is also ideal for producing dry brushing type background designs and for blending color. 

MHC-8176 ¾” Flat (glaze) 

This brush is squared-off for large long sweeping strokes. It offers the freedom of movement for smooth application with fewer brush marks than shorter haired brushes. The style of this brush makes it suitable for the application of colors that do not flow in the firing process, such as Engobes, opaque underglazes, and totally matte glazes. This brush is used when accuracy and smoothness in application is a must. 

MHC-8177 #0 Sable Liner (script)

MHC-8178 #6 Sable Liner (script)

These two brushes are long narrow pointed sable hairbrushes. They are primarily used for outlining, detailing, script work, and brushstrokes. The # 6 Sable Liner is also the perfect brush for banding lines and boarders onto items. Ceramic color is generally thinned so that it will work easily with these brushes. The color in these brushes flows along the hair and down onto the item, much like ink in a fountain pen works.

MHC-8179 #8 Sable Shader

MHC-8180 #12 Sable Shader

Shader can also be referred to as Brights. These brushes usually are available in short and long hair and are squared off with a very sharp chiseled edge. These two brushes are of the longer hair variety, so they will carry more color and moisture to the work being done. Shaders are not designed for solid coverage of areas; they are best used for shading and brush strokes, which they are specifically designed for.

MHC-8181 #6 Round Sable

The Round Sable is the most universally used brush shape in all mediums. This is a medium size round, great for washing and blocking in colors. This brush is also used for many brushstroke designs as it is capable of delivering strokes that vary from thick to thin and thin to thick according on how the brush is handled. The round brush actually applies a heavier application of color than flat style brushes. Ceramic color is generally thinned slightly so that a point can easily be achieved after loading the brush.

MHC-8182 #8 Lustre Filbert

MHC-8183#12 Lustre Filbert

These brushes are called filberts because of the shape but have been adjusted to fit the application needed of lustres. The extremely soft hairs in these brushes make them ideal for the delicate application of lustres. Color lustres require a very soft bristle brush for even application and the design of a brush, which has no sharp corners, makes it perfect for this application. 

MHC-8185 #1Detail (spotter)

MHC-8186 #2 Detail (spotter)

These fine quality, extra small round pointed sable brushes are used for fine delicate detailing work.



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