i would like to try acrylic as i cannot seem to get to grips with water colour i have alot of brushes which kind people bought me as presents but i donot know if any are suitable for this medium most of them are sets bought from bargain stores brown handles hard bristles and soft bristles i also have a set of frank clarke water colour brushes will these do?

thanks Marcis will try them as soon as

Hi billate,

You may find that watercolour brushes could be too soft for acrylics, but if you are using them like watercolours then they would be ok. Just make sure you dont let the acrylic dry on the brushes as it is very difficult to get off. The small watercolour brushes may be ok if you want fine detail.

You can use oil brushes if using acrylic thicker. The brushes from the bargain stores will be ok for you to start out with, but you may find that you want to change to better brushes as you go. Some synthetic brushes are also ideal for acrylics. I have some System 3 acrylic brushes, and also some Royal soft grip ones which are very inexpensive.

I do find that brushes are a matter of personal choice, so just have a go and see how you find it.
Hope this is of help to you.

Hello Billate! I agree with most of what marcia says. You'll find that Watercolour brushes (soft bristles) will soon wear down with Acrylics and, as Marcia says, if you use them wash them thoroughly, and constantly.
I demonstrate both Watercolour and Acrylics, and for Acrylics I'd agree entirely with Marcia that System 3 Acrylic brushes will be a very good first choice; they're inexpensive and the bristles are brilliant to use.

Very best wishes,

Steve Williams
RSC Wigan / Warrington area