Brush Selection
Free Brush Charts
Download our free brush charts in pdf format:
- Hair Types and Measuring Chart (1.8MB)
- Brush Sizing Chart (1.5MB)
- Brush Shapes and Bristle Types Chart (1MB)
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents. You can download the software for free by clicking on the link below:
Brush Shapes
Angular
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Description and UsageFlat ferrule, short-length hairs, set with longer hairs at one end. Useful for precise strokes, and for lines and curves, with thick or heavy color. |
Mediawatercolor |
Fiberbristle |
Bright |
Description and UsageFlat ferrule, short-length hairs, usually set in a long handle. Width and length of brush head is about equal. Useful for short, controlled strokes, and with thick or heavy color. |
Mediaoil |
Fibersable |
Fan |
Description and UsageFlat ferrule, spread hairs. Natural hair is more suitable for soft blending, and synthetic works well for textural effects. Useful for smoothing and blending, special effects and textures. |
Mediaoil |
Fiberbristle |
Filbert |
Description and UsageThick, flat ferrule and oval-shaped medium to long hairs. Long handles. Natural hair is more suitable for blending because the hairs hold together when wet. With its soft rounded edges, the filbert is suitable for blending and figurative work. |
Mediaoil |
Fibersable |
Flat |
Description and UsageFlat ferrule, square-ended, with medium to long hairs. Provides lots of color capacity and easy maneuverability. Use for bold, sweeping strokes, or on edge for fine lines. Use heavier filling for heavier paint. |
Mediaall |
Fibersable |
Hake |
Description and UsageA hake brush is an oriental-style wash brush on a long flat handle. It is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media. |
Mediawatercolor |
Fibersquirrel |
Highliner |
Description and UsageAlso known as an outliner. Round ferrule, square-ended brush, with extra-long hairs and a short handle. Large color carrying capacity. Useful for delicate lettering, outlining, and long continuous strokes. |
Mediaink |
Fibersable |
Mop |
Description and UsageA mop is a round, full version of the wash brush, made of soft, absorbent natural hair. It is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media. |
Mediawatercolor |
Fibersquirrel |
Mottler and Spalter |
Description and UsageMottlers and Spalters are large flat brushes with long or short handles and can have long or short bristles – available in natural hair or synthetic fibers. Often used for faux finishing techniques, murals, washes, varnishing or priming, these brushes hold a large amount of paint and cover large surface areas. |
Mediawatercolor |
Fiberbristle |
One Stroke |
Description and UsageFlat ferrule, square-ended medium to long length hairs. Short handles. Large color carrying capacity. Useful for painting block letters in a single stroke. |
Mediaoil |
Fibersable |
Oval Wash |
Description and UsageWash brushes come in varied shapes. The oval wash has rounded hairs, flat ferrules, and produces a soft edge, with no point. A wash brush is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media. |
Mediawatercolor |
Fibersquirrel |
Quill |
Description and UsagePlastic or natural quill ferrule, with a permanent or detachable handle. Long hairs, and a natural-shaped tip. The writer has a round ferrule and a short handle. Useful for lettering and poster work. Good on smooth surfaces such as glass. |
Mediaink |
Fibersable |
Round |
Description and UsageRound ferrule, round or pointed tip. Useful for detail, wash, fills, and thin to thick lines. A pointed round is used for fine detail. A detailer is a pointed round with very short hair. |
Mediaall media |
Fiberall hair |
Sash |
Description and UsageThe long handles and tapered bristles are perfect for detailed work on large paintings. Also good for delicate decorative painting. |
Mediaoil |
Fiberbristle |
Script/Liner |
Description and UsagePointed, narrow brush with very long hair. Liners are shorter and narrower. Short handles, round ferrules. Large color carrying capacity. Useful for delicate lettering, highlighting, outlining, and long continuous strokes. |
Mediawatercolor |
Fibersable |
Square Wash |
Description and UsageWash brushes come in varied shapes. The square wash can produce varying shapes and widths, and often has a short, "flat-footed" handle for scraping, burnishing, and separating watercolor paper from blocks. A wash brush is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media. |
Mediawatercolor |
Fibersquirrel |
Brush Hair Types
Badger
|
Description and UsageFor blending oil paint on canvas, Badger Hair is an age-old tradtion. It comes from various parts of the world and is more readily available than most animal hair, although the quality varies greatly. Badger hair is thickest at the point, and relatively thin at the root, so it has a distinctive "bushy" appearance. |
Mediaoil |
Camel Hair
|
Description and UsageCamel Hair does not come from camels at all. It is found in watercolor and lettering brushes and usually is made of squirrel, goat, ox, pony or a blend of several hairs, depending on the desired softness and intended cost of the brush. |
Medialettering |
Hog Bristle
|
Description and UsageHog Bristle is obtained from hogs in several parts of the world, the most sought after coming from China. Bristle is unlike any other natural filler in that it forms a V-shaped split or "flag" at the tip and tends to have a natural curve. A brush with "interlocked" bristles, with the curves formed inward to the ferrule, has a natural resistance to fraying and spreads medium to thick paints smoothly and evenly. A selection of pure hog bristle brushes is recommended for oil and acrylic painting, and is a far less expensive alternative to good-quality softer hairs. |
Mediaacrylic |
Kevrin/Mongoose Hair
|
Description and UsageKevrin/Mongoose Hair is strong, resilient, and makes a good long-wearing, medium to professional quality brush for oil and acrylic painting. |
Mediaacrylic |
Kolinsky Sable
|
Description and UsageKolinsky Sable is not really from a sable at all, but comes from the tail of a species of mink that is a member of the weasel family found in Siberia and northeastern China. It is generally conceded to be the best material for oil and watercolor brushes due to its strength, spring and ability to retain its shape ("snap"). It holds a very fine point or edge. This is considered a professional grade of hair, and if properly cared for, Kolinsky will last for many years. |
Mediaoil |
Ox Hair
|
Description and UsageThe best quality comes from the ears of cattle or oxen. The Ox Hair has a very strong body with silken texture, is very resilient, has good "snap", but lacks a fine tip. Therefore, it is most useful in medium gradewash brushes, or flat shaped brushes. Frequently, ox hair is blended with other natural hair to increase the resiliency of a brush. |
Medialettering |
Pony Hair
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Description and UsagePony Hair is soft but strong, from mature animals at least 2 years of age. It is primarily used for scholastic grade brushes, but often blended with other hairs for inexpensive watercolor and touch-up brushes. |
Mediaacrylic |
Red Sable
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Description and UsageRed Sable is obtained from any member of the weasel family with "red" hair, not at all from the animal known as the sable. It is found in a variety of brush styles for many varied mediums, with quality and characteristics varying greatly. A good quality pure Red Sable is a good alternative to the more expensive Kolinsky, with similar performance and durability. Often, weasel hair is blended with ox hair to make a more economical brush, but the fine point is sacrificed. |
Mediaoil |
Sabeline
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Description and UsageSabeline is actually select, light-colored ox hair dyed to resembled red sable. Lettering and watercolor brushes often use Sabeline mixed with Sable to lower the cost of a brush. |
Medialettering |
Squirrel
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Description and UsageGray Squirrel (Talayoutky), most highly in demand for lettering brushes and quills, is native to Russia and nearly always fell in short supply. Brown squirrel (Kazan) is more readily available, and is used mainly for medium quality and scholastic watercolor brushes. A very fine, thin hair, taken from squirrel tails, it points as well as Kolinsky, but has very little "snap" because the hair is not very resilient. It works best with liquid paints and inks. |
Medialettering |
Synthetic
|
Description and UsageSynthetics are man-made of either nylon or polyester filaments. They can be tapered, tipped, flagged, abraded or etched to increase color carrying ability. Often, synthetic filaments are dyed and baked to make them softer and more absorbent. The common name for this filament is "Taklon". Advantages of synthetic brushes are: 1) They are less prone to damage from solvents, insects or paints. 2) They are easier to keep clean than animal hair brushes because the filaments don't have animal scale structures to trap paint. 3) They are less prone to breakage and are durable on many different surfaces. 4) They are better suited for painting with acrylics because a synthetic filament will withstand the caustic nature of acrylic paints with less damage. |
Mediaall |
Brush Measurement
To be most accurate, we measure all of our brushes according to the following:
Length — The distance from the edge of the ferrule out to the tip of the hair in the center of the brush.
Diameter — The distance across a round brush at the fullest part or belly of the hair.
Width — The distance across the fullest part of the hair. We measure brushes while they are dry. Width is not the width of paint stroke that the brush will make. The width of a brushstroke will vary according to the amount of pressure used, the angle at which the brush is held, the media used and the flexibility of the brush hair.
