Brushing up on appearance

An artist's paintbrushes, are the tools of his trade. I once counted that I had used over 14 different types of brush on one statue.
If you are aware that a posi-drive screwdriver is not suitable for a flat slot screw head- then you will have some appreciation for the virtue of having the right paintbrush for the right job.

To the left is an image taken from a set of standard artists brushes - suggesting the marks the different heads make.
Creating these shapes takes practice; wielding a paintbrush without some training may not be as devastating as wielding a chain saw, but the results could be equally undesirable! (see below)

 A house painter and decorator will agree that choosing the correct brush for the job is important.  While house paint brushes are pretty standard in appearance, artists brushes come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and bristle types.
The liner below will produce long thin marks, This one has natural bristles of sable. The gilders tip - used for placing gold sheets onto a surface for gilded decoration, can be made of squirrel or badger hair. While it is not used for painting, it is an important tool in my emporium!

In years gone by, the addition of lead or tin to paints, gave artists the ability to create sinuous lines, and a satisfying opaque finish to works. These heavy metals gave the paints greater longevity. However, they decreased the longevity of the artist's life - (and that of their manufacturers) - so these metals have since been removed. 
The result is that the fluidity of the paint has been compromised, and creates more of a challenge for the artist/restorer.

The image above shows, the decorative detail of a Sacred Heart statue I'm currently restoring, I am using two differently shaped brushes with different hair types to replicate the quality of line used in the original.