As the primary tool of the artist, the brush has a major
influence on the success of a painting.
Certainly surface and paint quality are very important, but the best
paint, when applied with a less-than-adequate brush, will not live up to its
capabilities.
Finding the right brush to paint in acrylic is especially
difficult. In addition to dealing with a
wide range of paint viscosities and a great variety of surfaces, the acrylic
painter’s brush must always stay in water to prevent the paint from drying on
the brush. Sitting for hours in water can be very hard on the brush handle’s finish. Most handles, after a few sessions of soaking
in water for extended periods, begin to lose their finish; the enamel or
varnish cracks, peels and flakes off.
Trekell brush handles have a superior varnish which does not
peel off, even after many sessions of soaking in water.
TECHNIQUES
My brushes also take a beating because of the different
surfaces I paint on, the various thicknesses of paint I use, and the various
techniques I use.
I paint my larger and
medium-sized pieces on stretched canvas.
I start with a pencil drawing,
and then block in the major masses with paint, thinned with an acrylic medium,
usually a soft gel. When I am happy with
the color and composition, I rework all of the areas with thicker paint. I then use increasingly smaller brushes to
add additional detail where necessary.
When I need to change a color slightly, I will use an acrylic medium and
a small amount of color to glaze the surface.
For smaller paintings, I will use canvas mounted on panel, or
even work on gessoed hardboard if my subject matter has a lot of very fine
detail. On a really smooth surface my
painting technique consists of many thin layers, using gel or liquid mediums. I need a brush that works well under all of
these conditions. Trekell brushes are
able to handle all these very diverse techniques.
FREEDOM
Working with the best materials gives an artist the freedom
to create. Creating art is what the
artist does. Nothing can be more
frustrating to this goal than the distraction of having to contend with
inferior materials and tools. Good tools
are definitely worth the extra cost. But
good tools at a very reasonable price are a bonus not to be passed up.
rushes also take a beating because of the different
surfaces I paint on, the various thicknesses of paint I use, and the various
techniques I use. 
