This article will feature a visual library of the NC Portrait Brush Set. There will be a description of the various marks and how they were made to serve as a guided resource. The brush description will also include how the brushes can be applied to various parts of a portrait.
The portrait brush set is great for any beginner or anyone wanting to refresh their current brush inventory with new high quality and soft synthetic bristles. These brushes are well weighted and rest nicely in the hand while offering good paint load capacity and excellent construction. The paint used is Nova Color’s 109 Carbon Black. This paint is of medium bodied viscosity.
Filbert 3/8th inch
Filbert brushes are best at creating a variety of marks with a touch of texture. Ideal for building up shades on the face and blending with the thinner bristles at the tip of the brush.
Below are a few examples of marks and strokes this type of brush can make.
The first here at the top left (also to the far right side) are short strokes that are pushed away from then pulled towards the artist. These are with the wide part of the brush.
These are made with the thinner part of the brush in a similar manner.
The next to the right shows the way the bush can curve as well as the amount of paint load the brush can hold on a continuous curved stroke.
Below are three continuous strokes, the one on top made with the broad side of the brush from left to right. The bottom two are made with the thinner parts of the brush at a moderate and very light pressure, also from left to right.
Here are a variety of marks. From left to right, the two strokes on top show a heavy load of paint that are pulled quickly as well as below stamped with the broad side of the brush. The large circle was made by applying full pressure on the brush but spinning it to make the final shape. The next two marks are the thinner side of the brush stamped with a heavy paint load. And finally the marks to the right are made with the very tip of the brush by stamping with various pressures and applications of paint.
Here are some examples of various textures you can achieve using different pressure on the brush with varying paint loads.
Angled ½ inch
Angled brushes are ideal for cutting in close with it’s thinner lined up bristles along the edge. Great for carving out shadows on a face with a heavy shadow cast across it or making a precise texture on a checkered headband.
Below are a few examples of marks and strokes this type of brush can make.
The first here at the top left are short strokes that are pushed away from then pulled towards and the artist using the broad side of the brush. Both directions create a clean even mark, which is ideal for creating patterns and even strokes quickly.
These are made with the thinner part of the brush in a similar manner.
Below are three continuous strokes, the one on top made with the broad side of the brush from left to right. The bottom two are made with the thinner parts of the brush at a moderate and very light pressure, also from left to right.
Here are a variety of marks. From left to right, the two strokes on top show a heavy load of paint that are pulled quickly as well as below stamped with the broad side of the brush. The large circle was made by applying full pressure on the brush but spinning it to make the final shape. The next two marks are the thinner side of the brush stamped with a heavy paint load. And finally the marks to the right are made with the very tip of the brush by stamping with various pressures and applications of paint.
Here are some examples of various textures you can achieve using different pressure on the brush with varying paint loads.
Fan 10/0
A quick explainer on the meaning of 10/0. Normally the size next to a brush is the size of the ferrule (the metal portion that holds the bristles) at it’s widest point. However, this size actually indicates that the brush is smaller than the other brushes in the set, with the bigger the fraction meaning the smaller the brush. So the 10/0 is going to be larger than the 18/0 liner brush (below).
Fan brushes are best at creating texture and blending together two wet colors on the painting surface. Can be used for textured hair as well as soft fabrics and blending subtle color transitions on the planes of the face.
Below are a few examples of marks and strokes this type of brush can make.
The first here at the top left are short strokes that are pushed away from then pulled towards and the artist using the broad side of the brush. Both directions are uneven and show the brush more vividly than the other brushes as the bristles are distributed less evenly for visual variation.
These are made with the thinner part of the brush in a similar manner.
Below are three continuous strokes, the one on top made with the broad side of the brush from left to right. The bottom two are made with the thinner parts of the brush at a moderate and very light pressure, also from left to right.
The next mark just below shows the way the bush can curve as well as the amount of paint load the brush can hold on a continuous curved stroke. Notice the way the brush creates this nice lose texture when less paint is on the brush.
Here are a variety of marks that show the variety of textures you can get from one fan brush. Adding other sizes of fan brushes as well as denser options will give you even more. This smaller option allows for more control and blending for the face.
Liner 18/0
The script liner brush seems as though it would be ideal for scripts, which it is, but can also be used for the finest details on the face. Such as individual hairs, eyelashes, or final highlights on the skin. Great also for getting the details on clothing or jewelry labels. You’ll notice in the image above the lines are incredibly fine in comparison to the description written with a marker to the left.
Below are a few examples of marks and strokes this type of brush can make.
The first here at the top left are short strokes that are pushed away from then pulled towards and the artist. Both directions are made with varying amounts of paint and pressure, showing the effect of the smoother lines with more paint and even pressure compared to the lines with less paint and quicker gestural movements.
The continuous lines to the right of the ones above are a further example of even pressure vs uneven pressure. Small gestural leaves were added to one line to show the brush’s ability to curve.
The next mark just below shows the way the bush can curve as well as the amount of paint load the brush can hold on a continuous curved stroke.
Here are a variety of marks that show the variety of textures you can get from the liner. Most notably, the marks are fine with little to moderate line variation.
Wash 1 inch
This wash brush is best at laying down large washes of paint to block in your figure and make the initial marks of your portrait. This larger brush’s ability to hold more paint than the other brushes helps when you mix the paint with water or an acrylic extender, such as 233 NovaPlex, and lay down an underpainting as well.
Below are a few examples of marks and strokes this type of brush can make.
The first here at the top left are short strokes that are pushed away from then pulled towards and the artist using the broad side of the brush. Both directions create heavy pulls of paint towards the start of the brush stroke. Which highlights the amount of paint this brush can hold.
These are made with the thinner part of the brush in a similar manner.
The next mark, directly below was made with less paint on the brush, but clearly holds up and delivers an flowing texture along the whole mark.
Below are three continuous strokes, the one on top made with the broad side of the brush from left to right. The bottom two are made with the thinner parts of the brush at a moderate and very light pressure, also from left to right.
Here are some examples of various textures you can achieve using different pressure on the brush with varying paint loads.
Painting Example
Below is a portrait painted with Nova Color’s portrait brush set and Nova Color Paints. There are a variety of textures and techniques used for this portrait, of which you can view the full process soon on our socials.
Here we’ve explored how these five brushes can create a wide variety of marks and strokes that lend themselves to portraiture, but rest assured these brush marks can be applied to other types of works. Framing the brushes in this way helps us narrow down what types of marks we need to utilize with thinking about portraiture and recreating the complex forms of the face. By understanding your tools and writing down descriptions as you create with them, you can help make better decisions for your work moving forward.
