Reasons Why Large Old Frayed Paint Brushes Rule

The brush used to paint the living room walls is now severely frayed, it's had a rough life, been neglected and become distorted, has been cleaned less thoroughly than it should of and yet still it holds pride of place in my brush pot next to the sleek sables, hefty hog hairs and streamlined synthetics! Why? Because this beaten up, paint-splattered, divergent-bristled old friend is one of the most expressive painting implements I have. Covering a large area of canvas with a single colour is now far more interesting due to the undulating tones created by this brush, check out the background of 'Ready, Steady...' below


This brush is the perfect implement for expressive and care-free brush work. This cow painting 'The Luminary' was mostly painted with this very frayed, 1 inch brush. The tattered state of the bristles means that mark-making takes on a quality that can be both precise and uncontrolled at the same time i.e. although the area covered or the line drawn may be clearly defined there is a delightful randomness of marks within and / or at the edges, and this is something that can bring a new level of interest to a painting.


So remember, respect the elder statesmen of your brush pot, they have fought many a battle, picked up a few scars, but what they have lost in youthful beauty they have more than made up for in strength of character and unpredictable behaviour! :-) Here are a couple of other pics that have benefited from the frayed brush treatment.

'Fox!' (below)


'Time For A Nap' (below)