Buying your first brushes and sponges

Brushes

There are many different types, sizes and brands of brushes, and in this post I will talk about the 3 basic brushes that are essentials for your kit. The only rule that applies to all of them is that they should be synthetic brushes. Synthetic brushes hold their shape well, you don't lose any strands whilst your painting and they give you a very smooth stroke with your face paints.

Good quality brushes can last you years, so expect to pay £5 - £10 per brush. When I first started I decided to buy a £1.99 bag of assorted synthetic paint brushes. Although this did save me money in the short term I really didn't realise the quality I was missing out on, and within a couple of months I replaced my entire kit with Loew-Cornell brushes and have been reaping the rewards!

Types of Brushes

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Round brushes

Round brushes are the "classic" paint brush shape, and are used for applying outlines, teardrops, dots and more.

The size of the brush is represented as a number from 1 to 6 (although the size can be larger than 6, 6 is the largest number that you will need for face painting). For your kit you will need at least 2 of these; this could be two size 3's or a size 2 and a size 4. Don't be afraid to buy a few different sizes and brands, as every face painter has their own preference and you need to be comfortable with these brushes.

Flat brushes

Flat brushes have a blunt or squared end to them, and are used for quickly painting large areas, creating sharp edges and painting with split cakes (something I will talk about in a separate post).

The size of a flat brush is usually measured in inches, with a 1" brush being the largest a face painter will need. Adding a 3/4" brush to your kit will help you with painting pirate bandanas, batman masks, animal eyes and many more.

Chisel/Filbert Brushes

These brushes are flat but have a nice rounded tip to them. They can be used to create teardrops, tiny butterflies, hearts and, most often, create flower petals.

Some chisel brush sizes are represented by number and some by size. A small size will help you with teardrops and small flowers, whilst the larger brushes will help you paint hearts and fast butterflies. My personal recommendation would be to practice using the round brush for teardrops and flowers, as this will keep your kit small and lower the budget; one you start to earn money then this is a good next step to try.

Sponges

Before you even reach for your brushes you will nearly always need to lay down the base colour of your design first. Having splashed out on expensive paintbrushes, you will be glad to know that good quality sponges are not expensive at all! Snazaroo high density face painting sponges will set you back a fiver for 10 on Amazon, and will last a long time. Because you have taken the time to buy good quality paint, even with these cheap sponges you will get professional looking results.

Once you have bought sponges, take a pair of scissors and cut them in half to make semi-circular brushes (so really, you actually got 20 sponges not 10!). In a later post I will explain more about why you cut the sponges and the best techniques, but for now you will just have to trust me and go dig out those kitchen scissors...

To dedicate or not to dedicate...?

The number of brushes or sponges you buy will depend on whether you decide to dedicate your brushes and sponges to each colour or face that you paint. Some painters will take 200 sponges to a gig and use one sponge per face. Others (me included) prefer to dedicate one sponge to each colour of paint for the day. I find that this later option does not only save time washing my kit at the end of the day, but it also saves paint. Once I have used a sponge I can re-wet it to keep using the paint, rather than loading it with a colour, using a few dabs of it and then getting a fresh sponge out to get more paint. This means my paints last longer, and saves me an awful lot of money in the long run!

With brushes, it is usually a decision as to how many colours you want to dedicate. Personally, and if you are a beginner then I recommend this to you, I have three of each brush. One is dedicated to white, one to black, and the third brush does all the colours. This way you avoid getting other colours in your lovely clean white or black paint in you colours.

Sponges are nice and easy, so take your time finding high quality brushes that you are comfortable with!