Choosing Your Opus Acrylic Brushes: How to pick your acrylic paint brushes.

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Choosing Your Opus Acrylic Brushes

Edited January 24, 2023: We've updated this article to include more details about Opus Mezzo Brushes which have launched since this article was written.

Our line of Opus Acrylic Brushes is the widest brush range we have. Each of our 5 different lines differ in their qualities and strengths. We've created this guide to help you choose your next Opus Acrylic Brushes.

Our Product Philosophy - Opus Acrylic Brushes

Here at Opus, we have sourced an array of products that we have produced under our name. Our goal is to provide artist-grade paints, tools, surfaces, frames, and more, with an excellent balance of performance and value.

Opus Acrylic Brushes are no exception to this! We want these brushes to be your go-to brushes, the brushes you feel comfortable experimenting and pushing your art with, but aren't too precious to keep pristine or unused.

Choosing from the Opus Acrylic Brushes

The main family of Opus Acrylic Brushes consists of three lines: Arietta, Legato and Mezzo. These lines are available in the same array of sizes in 5 shapes: Angle, Bright, Filbert, Flat, Round. All of our Opus Acrylic Brushes are made with durable synthetic bristles.

The main difference between these acrylic brushes is the level of bristle stiffness. As a general guide, softer brushes pair well with softer, less viscous paints. Stiffer brushes typically will be needed to handle heavier paints and painting mediums.

But remember, this is art - there are no rules! Take these guidelines as our friendly starting suggestions. Adapt your tool selection as you gain experience and expand your art practice.

Opus Mezzo Brushes

Our Stiffest Stroke Acrylic Brush!

By popular demand, we are re-introducing the Opus Mezzo – a previously discontinued brush line.

These sturdy brushes help you create strong marks where your brush strokes show and create character.

Artists who work with heavy body acrylic paints and mediums (such as molding pastes or heavy gel mediums) are sure to enjoy these brushes!

Mezzo Brushes would also be a great choice for oil painters looking for a synthetic brush option from Opus.

Painting blue heavy body acrylic paint with an Opus Legato brush.

Opus Legato Acrylic Brushes

Our Legato brushes are our medium-stiffness, workhorse brush.

The fan favourite of the Opus Acrylic Brushes. The Legato is superb for general acrylic painting uses. If you aren't sure which brushes to try first, Legato is a great starting point.

The medium stiffness of the Legato brushes means you can create flat, smooth effects like a softer brush, and still have the strength to create bold painterly strokes and marks. Heavy body, soft body, acrylic gouache – the Legato can do it all!

Looking for Legato? Look for the blue handles and deep auburn bristles.

Opus Arietta Acrylic Brushes

Our Arietta Brushes are our softest stroke brushes.

Arietta has soft, fine bristles which provide delicate strokes and leave flatter, softly blended marks.

Arietta brushes are a great choice for painting with soft body acrylics or fluid acrylic paints. The thin bristles are also useful for sharp linemanship.

Opus Arietta Brushes are recognizable by their long yellow handles and white taklon bristles.

Painting yellow fluid acrylic paint with an Opus Arietta Brush.

Opus Acrylic & Mixed Media Brushes

The Opus Denman and Opus Bravura are our two remaining lines of Opus Acrylic Brushes. They are both well-suited to mixed media and all-purpose use. They feature different brush shapes from our dedicated Opus Acrylic Brushes featured above. Denman brushes are available in long and short handles, while Bravura are short handled brushes.

Opus Denman Acrylic Brushes

Our Denman Brushes are now our second stiffest Opus Acrylic Brushes.

In terms of stiffness, Denman brushes sit between the Legato and the Mezzo. Plein air painters will enjoy the short handled Denman brushes launched earlier in 2022.

Opus Denman Brushes are fairly stiff, popular for creating bold marks with heavy body acrylics, mixed media, and even oil paints.

Denman brushes are red handled, with medium grey bristles.

Opus Denman Acrylic Brushes in different sizes and brush shapes.

Opus Bravura Acrylic Brushes

Bravura are our short handled soft acrylic brushes.

Bravura brushes are also great for mixed media involving more fluid paints and mediums. Achieve smooth flowing, easy blending strokes with these soft bristles. Try these brushes with fluid acrylics and acrylic inks.

Though Bravura lives in the family of Opus Acrylic Brushes, they are also popular amongst watercolour artists.

Find Bravura by the blue-green short handles and white bristles.

Opus Bravura Acrylic Brushes next to same very fluid paint swatches

Get painting with Opus Acrylic Brushes!

Those are the five families of Opus Acrylic Brushes! We hope our guide has helped you in choosing your next brushes. If you haven't already considered it, try mixing and matching! Pick a brush or two from different lines – you may find that you appreciate the performance of a size or shape from a line that you don't normally use.

Looking for brushes for other mediums?

We have more than just acrylic brushes at Opus! If you're looking for watercolour brushes try the Opus Galiano Brushes, or the Opus Allegro Brushes. For natural hair oil brushes, have a look at the Opus Fortissimo.

Please get in touch with us online or speak to the team at your local Opus Art Supplies if you have specific questions!

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