There are many different types of paintbrushes available on the market today, and it's not surprising that many beginners can feel overwhelmed by the options. But fear not! In this guide, we'll explore the many different shapes, sizes, and characteristics of different brushes to help you understand how they can compliment your work.
Over the course of this article, we'll cover the kinds of brushes you should use for watercolours, gouache, oils, and acrylics, alongside exploring the mark-making potential of the wide range of brush shapes available. Not all brushes are created equal, and the same brush isn't always suitable for all types of paint.
There's lots of options to choose from, such as natural hair bristles and synthetic bristles, long handles and short handles, round and filbert and much, much more. The brush you will use depends entirely on your style, medium, and personal preference. We hope that after reading this guide, you'll come to understand just how exciting and vibrant the world of brushes is, and how to choose the right option for you. You may be surprised to find that a good set of brushes will provide you with all your technical needs and that many different marks can be made with the same brush!
The Anatomy of a Paintbrush
What do we mean when we talk about bristles, ferrules, and handles, you ask? We'll start by breaking down these most fundamental terms, which will serve you well when looking for the perfect brushes for your painting process.
Bristles
The bristles are the working end of the brush. They're the set of hairs which transfers paint onto your painting surface. There's many different types of bristles that may be used for painting, the most traditional being animal hair brushes. However, for vegan artists, synthetic hair bristles, usually made with nylon or polyester filaments, have been developed to adequately replicate the feel traditional brushes. The kind of bristle that your brush uses should be visible on the packaging, the handle, or on the product description.
For watercolour painting, these are usually sourced from Squirrel, Sable, Weasel, and Mink. Kolinsky Sable is generally regarded as the best possible bristle for watercolours, which leads them to be more expensive than their counterparts. Synthetic brushes are also available and are made to mimic the quality of animal hair, and have become a high-quality alternative used by both professionals and students.
For oil painting, animal hair brushes usually include bristles made from Hog, Goat, Badger, Pony, Sheep, and Ox. Once again, synthetic brushes have also been developed to mimic the qualities of these animal hairs and are generally accepted to be just as effective.
Brushes made for acrylic painting are mostly made from nylon or other synthetic polymers, and are generally the most animal-friendly brushes available. However, for heavier applications of acrylic paint, oil brushes will work quite well. Brushes designed specifically for acrylic painting are designed for medium to heavy viscosity paints.
The end of the bristles is referred to as the toe or the tip. The middle of the brush, which carries the water/oil and pigment, is called the belly. The belly of the brush is essentially a reservoir that holds the right amount of pigment to deposit through the tip of the brush, depending on how much pressure you use on application.
Ferrule
The ferrule is the (usually) metal band that holds the bristles in place. The flat section at the top of the ferrule nearest the bristles is sometimes referred to as the heel, which joins them to the handle. The end of the ferrule which holds the brush onto the handle is often crimped for extra strength. Ferrules can be made out of stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminium, nickel, and sometimes plastic.
Handle
The handle is the operating end of the brush, which the painter holds to apply paint onto the surface. Often made from wood or moulded plastic, the handle comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes, which usually indicates what medium and style you are using it for.
Oil painters generally prefer a long handle, which enables ease of movement whilst standing at an easel, especially when long arm movements are required when painting a live model or painting en plein air with a field easel.
For more detailed and intricate work, artists generally choose short handled brushes as it allows them to work closer to the canvas or painter. These are usually preferred by acrylic and watercolour artists, but there are always exceptions.
If the brush is being used for priming, varnishing, or if bold strokes are needed, artists would work with a wide handle.
Sizes
Each brand of brush has their own size ranges, which are not consistent with one another. For example, a brush that is size 1 for one brand may be classed as size 4 in another. We recommend owning a good range of brush sizes to cover a wide berth of mark-making opportunities, but you needn't be tempted to buy every single one! You don't need the whole range to get started with painting.
Round-style brushes generally use sizing from 0000 (sometimes listed as 4/0) up to size 30 – or even larger! The larger the number, the larger the brush head, the larger the mark you can make.
Flat-style brushes are often measured in inches, for example ½", ¾", 1", and so on. However, some brands will simply list them using numbered sizes, like their round counterparts. Others may even list the brushes as small, medium, or large!
What Type of Brush Do I Need for Watercolour and Gouache Paint?
Traditionally, watercolour painting requires a brush with soft bristles that holds plenty of pigment and water in its belly, alongside springing back into shape after use. Watercolour brushes should glide onto the paper and deposit a good amount of wet paint smoothly and consistently.
Watercolour brushes are designed with a soft hair bristle, which makes them ideal for both painting large areas of paper with washes of pigment and for applying very fine details. Fortunately, there's a large selection of synthetic, blended, and animal bristle brushes at your disposal to do just that. Most watercolour brushes are versatile enough to serve you well when painting with both watercolour and gouache, though it's generally better to keep dedicated brushes for each medium.
When starting out, you should aim to buy at least three round brushes – one small, one medium, and one large – to serve a multitude of purposes. Round brushes should hold their shape and come to a fine point. Next you should aim for a medium-size flat brush, a medium-size filbert, and possibly a mop brush (don't worry, we'll get to what these terms mean soon!). From the foundation you can then expand your tool box as and when you need more brush types.
What Type of Brush Do I Need for Acrylic Paints?
For acrylic painting, your brushes should be a little bit firmer and sturdier to compliment the thicker consistency of the paint. You should look for synthetic filaments which give the brush both spring and strength, such as Taklon, which mimics the characteristics of natural sable while remaining strong enough for acrylics, making a brush that is softer than nylon, but gives a sharper and more precise working edge and tip.
Like watercolour, we recommend a range of sizes in round, flat, and filberts to build a good base collection, and then expand as and when you need it. Remember to clean acrylic brushes immediately after use.
What Type of Brush do I Need for Oil Painting?
When looking for oil painting brushes, you ideally need a brush which will not shred, will hold their shape while carrying the paint, and won't disintegrate when cleaned with solvents. As stated above, most oil painting brushes have long handles to enable expressive mark making and for ease of use while standing.
Like with watercolour and acrylic brushes, most artists start with a selection of round, flat, and filberts. Hog hair bristles are a very popular option that are tough and will hold thick oil paints well, and synthetic options are available to mimic that aspect. A good, firm brush should hold its shape whilst painting.
What Kind of Paintbrush Shapes Are There?
So we've already mentioned a few kinds of brush shapes – round, flat, and filbert – but what do these terms actually mean? Here we'll take a look through the shapes of brushes you can find at ARTdiscount, and explore what you could potentially use them for.
Round Brushes - A large belly and a long, tapered end
Round brushes are often considered the platonic ideal of a paintbrush. They can be found in many different sizes and are extremely versatile. Larger round brushes can be used for long, bold strokes, for applying sweeping swathes of colour, and for wetting the paper. On the other hand, small round brushes are ideal for composing scenes and for adding fine, intricate details to your work. It's always worth owning at least three or four good round brushes in a variety of sizes.
Round brushes are great for all types of mediums, like watercolour, gouache, acrylic, and oils, and the handle lengths and bristles will vary depending on your medium.
Pointed Round Brush - Round with an elongated point and tip
Pointed brushes are very similar to rounds, but feature an extra-fine tapered point for increased accurate when working on extra-fine details. Also similar to rounds, the fatter belly allows these brushes to hold a good amount of colour. You often see these brushes made from sable or synthetic sable.
Flat Brushes - Square and flat in shape
A flat brush is exactly as its name implies; square and flat in shape. They're ideal for creating bold strokes, blocking out areas of colour, washes, and for creating neat lines and edges. Long-haired flat brushes are great for varnishing paintings. A good-quality flat will have a spring and a snap to them.
Brights - Similar to the flat brush, but with shorter bristles
Brights are similar to the flat brush in shape, but feature shorter bristles. This shorter variant is great for getting closer to the canvas or paper, for more controlled work, and for creating strong linear strokes and stripes.
Fan Brushes - Fan-shaped with a flat head
The fan is one of those brushes that just keeps giving. They're excellent for creating expressive textural effects, blending colours, and depicting a wide range of foliage, grasses, stippling, the leaves on distant trees, and more. Even after a lot of use, when bristles are bent or have fallen out, these brushes will provide you with unique textural effects you won't find anywhere else. These brushes can be used both horizontally and vertically.
Filbert Brush - Similar to a flat brush, but with a curved tip
The filbert brush is another great toolbox staple. These versatile brushes can have medium to long bristles and are most commonly used to acrylic and oil painting – though soft synthetic filbert brushes are great for creating watercolour petal shapes. They can be used flat to cover medium to large areas, on their side for detail, or can be used as a blender brush.
Angular Brushes - Sword or dagger-like shapes
Angular brushes come in a range of different shapes, usually resembling a dagger or sword. These brushes are great for creating precise details, using for one stroke, and for creating unique brush strokes, especially when they are loaded with multiple colours.
Mop Brushes - Large, broad, and round
Mop brushes are round, have a big belly, and come to a point. They serve the same kind of functions as wash brush for covering large areas in watercolour paintings and need to be soft but springy. They can be used for spreading washes of colour to create glazes, or for just spreading water when using the wet-on-wet (alla prima) technique over large areas. They're also used for absorbing water or paint when there is too much on the surface. These brushes are excellent to use with inks.
Wash Brushes - Large, broad, and flat
Mop and wash brushes are found to be made mostly out of animal hair but you can buy synthetic equivalents. Wash brushes are usually wider and flatter than a Mop brush. Used for spreading washes of colour to create glazes or for just spreading water for a wet on wet technique over large areas. Also used for absorbing too much water or paint on a surface. Excellent to use with inks.
Liner/Script and Rigger brushes - Long and thin
Liner/script brushes feature elongated, thin bristles that are used for creating long straight lines with one brush stroke. Excellent for depicting rigging, animal fur, whiskers, long hair, blades of grass, branches, trees, ropes, and fences.
Spotter Brush - Small and round with short bristles
Spotters are small and round brushes with shorter bristles for extra control. They're used for minute detailing, creating highlights, and when you want to apply the smallest of paint spots on your paper or canvas. They're also used for retouching.
Blender Brush - Soft bristle
Blender brushes usually feature a soft bristle, like goat's hair. They're used for softly blending oil paints and work especially well where your artwork requires a soft edge, such as depicting clouds, water, and foliage.
Varnish Brushes - Wide and flat
Dedicated brushes specifically for applying varnish to oil and acrylic paintings. They're usually wide and flat for maximum coverage with one stroke. They generally come in sizes 1", 1½", and 2".
Splatter Brushes - Splatter effects
This brush is great for creating unique splatter effects. The Liquitex Freestyle Splatter brush is available in Round and Flat shapes that each create different marks. These brushes are ideal for use with soft-body acrylic colours or acrylic inks.
Liquitex Short Handle Paddle Brush - Pocket size for portability
The paddle brush is useful for painting both broad marks and edges. Use it for covering large surfaces, spreading thick colour, and for smoothing or smudging. Its short length out of the ferrule allows for easy movement of thick colour and mediums. It can be used with acrylics and water-mixable oil paints.
How to Clean Your Brushes
Here are a few tips to keep your brushes in tip top condition!
- Never use your watercolour or gouache or acrylic painting brushes for oil painting – this will destroy their soft nature.
- Clean your brushes immediately after you finish painting. This will prevent any clogging and build up of paint, which has the potential of damaging your bristles – especially with acrylic paints. Acrylic paint, if left to dry, is waterproof and will destroy your brushes.
- Never leave your brushes in water for long periods. This will cause your bristles to bend out of shape and, if the water level is higher than the ferrule, it will soak and damage the handle – especially if it is wood.
There are certain products which will help you to clean your brushes depending on which medium you are using. See list with links below;
For Oil painting brushes - you can use Bob Ross Odourless Thinner.
For Watercolour brushes - Clean water and a little mild soap. Dry bristles up.
For Acrylic brushes - The Masters Brush Cleaner, also warm water and mild soap.
How to Store Your Brushes
Looking after your brushes will sustain their longevity, which is especially important if you have a favourite brush!After cleaning and drying your brushes, we recommend that you store them away from potential pollutants, little inquisitive hands, or our sharp-toothed furry pets! We have listed some products here that might help protect and store your brushes and make them easy to transport.
- Mapac Long Black Brush Case
- Mapac Canvas Brush Roll
- Plastic Brush Holder
- Isomars Canvas Brush Waist Apron
Now That You're All Brushed Up...
Hopefully this has helped demystify what brushes are available to you and what their functions are, but the best way to find out their potential and limitations is to create some brush charts. Aim to use a variety of pressures and sweeping gestures to find the right mark for your artwork. Alter the way you hold the brush, by the tip and vertically for long stroked sketches, or hold it near the ferrule for detailed and more controlled work. Frequently change the angle of the brush, use the tip, side or full belly this will provide you with a multitude of different strokes. Most of all enjoy the process!
