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Art SuppliesSUPPLIES
- Horsehair
- Small wooden dowel
- Handsaw or carving knife
- String
- Scissors
- Hot glue
Overview
Good oil paint brushes can be expensive. Making your own oil paint brushes is a way to save money and make your own artistic statement, both at the same time. Depending on your skill level, it may also be an effective way of adding a personal creative touch to your oil paintings. Making a paint brush is as much an artistic endeavor as painting itself, and how you make the brush will affect any work you do with it. So make sure you have plenty of time and space to work without distractions.
Step 1
Select a material to hold the oil paint. Horsehair--from the horse's mane or tail--is suitable. You might experiment with other animal hair or even your own hair. Whatever material you choose should be straight and relatively uniform in texture and appearance.
Step 2
Choose a handle for your brush. The handle should easily fit your hand. A small, light wooden dowel works well, as does the handle from a discarded kitchen utensil. You might also experiment with bamboo, which comes in varying thicknesses.
Step 3
Use the handsaw or a carving knife to cut a slot into the brush end of your handle. The slot should be about 1/2-inch deep, and its width will depend on what material you're using for the brush head. You need to be able to fit a gathered bundle of the brush head material into the slot, so err on the side of making it too large rather than too small.
Step 4
Gather your horsehair or other brush head material into one tight bundle to make the brush head--the larger the brush, the bigger the bundle--and trim both ends so that they're even. Wrap the upper end, which will be inserted into the brush handle, tightly with string about 1/2-inch away from the end and tie or glue the string in place.
Step 5
Fill the slot in your brush handle with a line of glue and, working quickly before the glue dries, insert the bundle of brush head material into the slot. Make sure the hair sits completely in the glue, and add more glue if necessary to hold the hair firmly in place. Let the glue dry.
Step 6
Wrap string around the slot in the handle and the horsehair brush head. This will help to secure the brush head, keep it from fraying apart and also make your brush more attractive. Keep wrapping all the way down to the string you'd originally used to secure the brush head bundle, then thread this new wrap through the old string to keep it secure.
Step 7
Trim the brush head so that it's the desired shape and length. Brushes come in many shapes--such as fan, square and pointed--and sizes, so feel free to use your creativity.
