Recently I shared my literal dirty secret, I use cheap brushes. I say literally because these cheap, yet resilient brushes, are currently soaking in oil and Gamsol*. (See above pic). Even though I use this non-time-consuming method of drop and go, my color is clean and the surface of my paintings are exactly how I want them. Some people were horrified to hear this news, sorry guys, but most people were curious about what brushes I use and if they actually work so I thought I would take a second to share the BEST cheap brush I've found.
Not all cheap brushes are made alike. I have used some cheap brushes that are the pits. The last thing you want is random bristles getting stuck in your painting or having them dissolve after a week. My other major issue, when you have a random bristle that sticks out to the side and it catches paint! Totally drives me nuts and you might as well toss it.
Of course, the type of brush you need depends on how you paint. I thin my oil paint out and have areas where I want minimal brushstroke to show through and other areas where I want the brush mark to take the stage. I typically paint edge to edge so I need a crisp brush that will hold a nice edge line. If this sounds like something that will work for you then let's go!
Here it is, the warrior brush that has I keep going back to:
I've used this type of brush for years and haven't been disappointed. Number one reason I buy them: They last and are cheap! Other reasons, they hold a decent amount of paint. If you like to make really long lines across a canvas, you may need to grab a more expensive brush. Also, they only go up to a certain size. After that size, I buy the expensive ones that I begrudgingly wash after each studio session.
Oh one more thing, if you do let your brushes soak in gamsol or oil you can buy the jars with the coil in it * or place a cheap plastic scrubbing pad at the bottom of it.
*I love sharing what I use and running this podcast. If you want to easily support the podcast and check out tried and true products, just click on the link and buy if you feel so inclined! This supports the podcast at no extra cost to you! It's a win-win! Thanks for your support! #artistssupportingartists