Paint Brushes & Acrylic Paint

My students asked me to recommend some paint brushes. Like the ones I use in my studio for acrylic painting with the lathe running. Brushes that are not kids junk. Reasonably good quality, not to expensive.

I ONLY use round brushes. Square brushes have sharp edges that cause trouble.

In my studio I use Loew-Cornell band brushes that are no longer easily available in the US. They were made in Sri Lanka. I purchased a life time supply cheap when my local art store was closing them out.

For most things I use a ROUND Loew-Cornell #8 797R-8. It is a round 3/8" diameter by 1" long white nylon bristle brush. I also use a smaller Loew-Cornell #6 7040-6. It is round 1/8" diameter by 3/4" long golden taklon bristle brush.

BEWARE! There is NO standard for brush sizes. An ABC brand #8 brush is NOT the same size as XYZ brand #8 brush. Thus you should look at the brush diameter and length.

Note: The 10/8/2021 prices in this blog entry are probably higher than what you would like due to Covid-19 Pandemic supply chain issues.

Buy Local

I recommend purchasing things from your local arts store. Get brushes similar to the ones I recommend here.

When I can not find things locally I like "Blick Art Materials" on the web at www.dickblick.com . They stock a ton of stuff. Blick is always running a "Free Shipping On Orders of $45 or More" offer if and ONLY IF you enter the promo code when you check out!

Paint Tray

Any cheap paint tray will do. I like to use a round one. I NEVER wash it out. I just wipe out any excess paint with a paper towel. Click on the Blick shopping cart photo at the top for purchase info.

I don't like the flimsy plastic lids they sell for paint trays. They don't allow you to save the paint for more than a day. It dries out to fast. I just use a piece of 1/4" plywood with a whole in the middle. See photo. It will save the paint for a few hours.

Golden Fluid Acrylics

I use 1 oz bottles of "Golden" brand "Fluid Acrylics". The colors I use most are "Carbon Black" and "Iridescent Bright Gold".

I do NOT like the colors in the Fluid Acrylic sets put together by Golden. They are NOT my favorite vibrant shades. If you want to put together your own set I would recommend 1 oz bottles of the following colors: Diarylide Yellow, Pyrrole Red, Quinacridone Magenta, Cerulean Blue Chromium, Phthalo Green (Yellow Shade), Green Gold, Titanium White, Iridescent Pearl (Fine), Iridescent Bright Gold (Fine) and Carbon Black.

I always add Golden brand “GAC 100 Medium” to my Golden Fluid Acrylic paint. To "increase flexibility and film integrity". It makes the paint work better on wood that moves with the seasons. I add 20 to 30% by eye. You will need an 8oz bottle of GAC 100. Click on the Blick shopping cart photo at the top for purchase info.

When the diameter of what I am painting exceeds a couple of inches I add Golden brand “Airbrush Medium” to thin the paint. When you apply the paint with the lathe running, you want it to go all the way around in one shot. No streaks or bare spots. You often need to thin the paint a little to make this happen. You will need an 8oz bottle of Airbrush Medium. Click on the Blick shopping cart photo at the top for purchase info.

Note: I do NOT use the new "Golden High Flow Acrylic Paints". There is nothing wrong with them. I just like the good old "Golden Fluid Acrylics" that I known and love. The new "High Flow Acrylics" are thinner. They are like ink and can be used in a airbrush.

Black Magic Marker

I use a black magic marker to paint the edges of my plates and shallow bowls. I like to use a "Shock Black" color "Montana" brand "Acrylic Marker" with a 15mm wide tip.

Or, you can use a Sharpie brand marker from local store.

More Info

You should also check out my "Painting On The Lathe For Dummies" blog entry for more Golden brand acrylic paints info.