Brushes and Painting Tools
Browse Brushes and Painting Tools by Category
Acrylic Brushes
Watercolor Brushes
Oil Paint Brushes
Brush Sets and Packs
Brushes by Shape
Synthetic Brushes
Natural Hair Brushes
Painting Tools and Accessories
Paint Brush Cleaners and Washers
Craft and Specialty Brushes
Paint Brushes and Painting Tools Classroom Packs
Kids' Brushes
Paint Brush Holders and Organizers
Browse Related Categories
Art Paint Brushes and Painting Tools
There are a variety of paint brushes to choose from, but they all have the same anatomy - a handle, ferrule, and bristles. The handle is the part you hold and is usually made from wood or plastic. Long handle paint brushes are best for large scale paintings and easel work, while shorter handles are great for close-up detail work. The bristles are the hair-like brush tips that hold the paint. Bristles can be made from natural or synthetic fibers. The ferrule is the metal clamp that connects the handle to the bristles and holds the bristles in place. All paint brushes have the same basic parts, but are unique to different paint mediums and techniques depending on the bristle fibers and shapes.
Brushes By Paint Medium
- Acrylic Paint Brushes: Acrylic brushes are designed to handle the consistency of acrylics, which are thicker than watercolors, but not as thick as oil paint. Synthetic acrylic brushes are the most popular fiber type, consisting of nylon or polyester, and provide a more flexible springy brush fiber. Natural acrylic brushes can also be used, but have a stiffer bristle than synthetic. Bristle brushes will leave visible strokes and add texture to your painting. Lastly, acrylic brushes usually have a long handle that is helpful when painting on an easel.
- Watercolor Paint Brushes: Watercolor brushes have soft absorbent bristles that are designed to hold a large amount of water. They can be made from natural hair fibers that consist of sable hair, squirrel hair, or goat hair. It can also be made from synthetic fibers that perform just as well as their natural counterparts. Lastly, watercolor brushes traditionally have short handles due to artist painting closely to the paper and work surface.
- Oil Paint Brushes: These brushes have thicker bristles and are specifically designed to handle dense and heavy oil paints. The fibers can be made from natural bristles – such as hog hair or sable blends – or synthetic fibers that perform just as well. Oil brushes typically have long handles, since they are used with easel work. We don’t recommend using natural oil brushes with acrylic paint because the natural bristles can be ruined with the consistent moisture from the water used with acrylics.
Read more about Brush Fiber Differences in our guide.
Brush Shapes
Paint brushes come in various bristle shapes and widths. The shape of a brush can influence the texture, precision, and fluidity of the brush strokes it creates. Paint brush sets offer a variety of shapes to choose from. Understanding each shape’s individual characteristics is key to achieving your desired effect.
- Round: Round or pointed bristle tip, available in a variety of sizes. Ideal for fine lines, details, and controlled washes. Used for a variety of mediums including acrylics, oils, and watercolors.
- Flat: Flat ferrule, square ends, medium to long bristles. Perfect for bold, sweeping strokes. Great for all medium types.
- Bright: Square bristles, shorter and denser than flat brushes. Useful for short, controlled strokes. Best for thick paint and impasto techniques.
- Angular or Slanted: Angled tip ideal for easel painting. Good for making thin lines, precise edges, and curves. Used with acrylics and oils.
- Filbert: Flat oval bristles, fuller than flat brushes. Ideal for creating soft, rounded edges and blending. Used with acrylics and oils.
- Fan: Fan shaped bristles. Excellent for blending and creating natural textures in landscape paintings. Used with acrylics and oils.
- Wash Brushes: Come in a variety of shapes including, flat wash, mop, and oval wash. Used for wetting large areas of paper with water or color. Some shapes can also be used to paint interesting shapes.
Read our guide on Brush Shape Differences for more information on the different brush shapes and their use cases.
Care and Maintenance
In order to make your brushes last, be sure to wash them immediately after use with the proper solvents. There are different types of brush cleaners to choose from depending on the medium you’re working with. Water is ideal for cleaning water-based paints, while specialized cleaners are more effective for removing oil paints or acrylics. You can also use brush washers and tubs to clean your brushes with ease. Reshape the bristles while wet and let them dry upright or horizontally. Once your brushes are cleaned, you can store and protect them with paint brush holders and organizers.
Our guide on Making Your Brushes Last goes into more detail on how to care for your brushes.
Other Popular Painting Tools
Brushes are the most commonly known painting tool, but there are other tools painters use to help elevate their painting process:
- Painting Knives: Blunt flexible blade, usually made from metal or plastic. Blade can be rectangular, triangular, or diamond shaped. Used to apply paint directly onto the canvas for textured effects.
- Palette Knives: Similar to a painting knife, but stiffer. Used for mixing colors on a palette.
- Palettes: Surface designed for holding or mixing paint, commonly made from wood, glass, or plastic. While most palettes are flat, watercolor palettes have wells to contain the mixed colors.
- Tube Wringers: Handy tools consisting of two rollers and a handle that lets you squeeze every last bit of paint from tubes.
Featured Brands
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences between brush shapes?
What are the differences between brush fibers?
How do I choose between Long Handle and Short Handle brushes?
Long handled brushes are recommended for easel style painting giving the artist additional length to stand back from the canvas. Short handled brushes are often used for table-top painting where the artwork is closer to the artist, and lies flat, such as with watercolor painting. Either type of handle that is most comfortable to the artist can be used.
How do I care for watercolor brushes?
To clean watercolor brushes, rinse them thoroughly in water, then wash them with a mild soap in warm water. Rinse under running water and lay them flat to dry. Once dry, store brushes bristle-end up. Always reshape your brushes before storing to prevent damage to the bristles.
How do I clean oil paint from my brushes?
Cleaning your brushes is a very important step in ensuring a longer life for your brush. In the case of oil paints, the brush should be cleaned off thoroughly starting with solvent and rags or tissue. Once the brush is fairly clean from the solvent, rub the bristles in a glass or plastic jar with either a brush conditioner or a human hair shampoo. Give the brush a good final rinse and squeeze out any water. Dry the brush with its hair end lower than the handle end to prevent water from loosening the handle and the ferrule. Dry brushes can be stored bristle up in a jar, or laid flat. Protective storage containers are available too.
What brushes should I use for watercolor painting?
Three characteristics are used to evaluate the performance of a watercolor brush: how much water/color does the brush hold; does the brush have and maintain a sharp point or edge; and does the brush snap back to its original shape.
Traditionally, the best watercolor brushes are made with Kolinsky Sable. Kolinsky is regarded as the best grade of sable hair. Another option is squirrel, which holds more color than sable but has less snap. Camel hair (which is really pony or goat) is a more economical choice.
Today, better quality synthetic-hair brushes and synthetic-sable combinations can be as good, if not better, than many natural-hair brushes. Synthetics are a more durable, and sometimes a more affordable, alternative to natural hair and still provide a high-quality performance.
What brushes should I use with oil paints?
A wide range of brushes may be used. From natural to synthetic bristles, the brush can be left largely up to the artist. By experimenting with different brushes, each individual artist can find ones that suit their needs.
Traditional oil painting brushes have long handles, so that the artist can work at some distance from the canvas. The hair is generally firmer and stiffer than for a watercolor brush.
Palette knives can also be a very useful tool for mixing and/or applying oil paints to paintings.
What kind of brushes work best when using acrylic paints?
Both natural and synthetic bristles can be used with acrylics, depending on the artist's preference. But, acrylics, being alkaline in nature, can be hard on natural hair brushes.
The brushes must be kept clean. If acrylic paint dries in a brush it is very hard to get out without using strong solvents that might damage the brush. Clean brushes promptly by washing them with warm water and mild soap when finished painting.
What is the difference between artist and student grade acrylics?
Fine artists acrylics use high quality, finely ground and milled pigments, chosen for lightfastness and clarity of color as well as mixing qualities. They also have more resin solids.
Student acrylics use pre-milled pigment dispersions, where most colors are mixed or blended rather than used pure in an acrylic binder. Pigment concentrations are lower, and fillers are used.