Brushes start from 000, then go to 00, 0, 1, 2, and up. The higher the number, the bigger or wider the brush. Unfortunately, there is little consistency between brush manufacturers as to what these sizes actually are, so the size of a No. 10 in one brand can be different from a No. 10 in another brand. Types of paint brushes and their uses# complete guidelink for puchasing brushespaints of paint br. Are there different paint brushes for oil-based paint versus latex paint? For latex products, a 100 percent nylon paint brush, or a combination of nylon and polyester, is the best choice. For oil-based products, a Chinex bristle or ox-hair bristle paint brush will give you great results. Grumbacher Goldenedge Acrylic Paint Brush. Grumbacher is one of the most famous brands when.

• Different Paint Brushes For Different Folds
• Different Paint Brushes Meaning
• Different Paint Brushes Make Different Marks

All types of paint brushes are featured here as well as a brief description of their main purpose.

Thanks to Heinz Jordan & Company™ as well as Loew Cornell™ for supplying images of their fine line of art paint brushes.

We've also created a section for proper care and maintenanceof your brushes. We hope you'll find the information useful.

Flats are the types of paint brushes you’ll use the most often in your painting projects. You’ll use them for basecoating, floating, strokework, blending, washes and varnishing.

As you can see, they’re very versatile.

A filbert is a flat brush but it has a chiseled rounded edge instead of a straight one. Sort of like a cat’s tongue. When you look at the brush from the chiseled edge, the hairs should form an even oval edge.

As a tool for basecoating, these types of paint brushes can't be beat! The shape of the hairs eliminates ridges. It can be used for side-loading similarly to a flat brush to create shades and highlights.

It's also used for blending. And because it can hold a fair amount of water, it’s also great for applying washes of color. And lastly, because of its shape it’s perfectly suited for doing leaves, flower petals and bird feathers.

Take a look at my video tutorial on how to use a Filbert.

Also a part of the Flat family of brushes, the hairs here are much shorter. These types of paint brushes won’t hold enough paint for doing flowing strokes. They are very good though for blending paint, cleaning up messy edges and for other special techniques.

A brush by any other name..... This one is also a Flat but it has an angular chisel or brush tip. This means it will hold less paint and water, so you can’t get good continuous flow.

On the very positive side, this is THE brush for doing tight shading and highlighting. And it is especially coveted by artists who love to paint roses and flowers because they can get into all those little nooks and crannies. So, if you’re painting a realistic rose, consider trying this brush. But for long floats or strokework... not the right choice... best to use a flat.

These types of paint brushes come in many sizes; The smallest being a 20/0 and climbing all the way up to size #10. Mostly they are used for strokework and watercolor. This one is invaluable as a teaching tool for perfecting brush control.

Learning to use this brush for traditional strokework will provide a very strong foundation for all your painting efforts. Strokework is beautiful so mastering it is worth the time and practice.

These are part of the Round family of brushes. They range in size from 18/0 to #8. Another feature of liners is that they come in different lengths and thickness. This means that selecting the right liner can be challenging. The longer the hairs, the more paint and water the brush can carry.

The best advice is to try a variety of these types of paint brushes and stick to the ones that feel right for you and the task at hand.

A script liner has longer hairs than a regular liner, which makes it appropriate for doing fine lettering. By the way, using a script liner means you have to have a lot of brush control. It can be a little difficult to manage in tight curves because it tends to flick out. Practice, practice, practice!

Obviously a short liner will do great for small details like eyelashes. And a scroller will be ideally shaped for doing, you guessed it, scroll work.

The best memory is nothing

compared to a good brush.

- Old Chinese Proverb

As you can see there are so many types of paint brushes. For the beginner you only need a few of the most commonly used brushes to start.

But as you develop your craft, you’ll want to start dabbling in all sorts of different ways to paint. That’s when you’re ready to try all types of paint brushes.

The filbert rake is fun for creating hair, beards, feathers, fur, grass and woodgrain. It's a flat texturing brush with an oval, naturally fingered shape. Because of it's shape it offers softer edges than a flat rake.

When you're using either of the rakes you can choose to thin your paint depending on the effect you're trying to achieve. To get light texture just apply very little pressure. Don't overload the hairs with paint... the idea is to make sure that the bristles stay apart. Rakes are available in many sizes.

A mop brush is designed for gentle blending and softening. Used with a light touch, these types of paint brushes can quickly blur and soften a hard edge.

Mops come in a variety of shapes. Some resemble a make-up (blush) brush. Others are flatter and stiffer. These are the ones we prefer to use.

Mops are available in 1/4', 3/8', 1/2', 3/4', and 1'.

Stipplers are the types of paint brushes used for creating fur and foliage and to give an open or soft general appearance to a painting. The stippler can be oval with flat, tidy bristles. Or it can be domed and round, as in this brush from Heinz Jordan.

It should be used dry. The amount of pressure you apply during the pouncing or stippling will determine the overall look and color value of your painting. They come in many sizes.

The deerfoot stippler is also a texturing brush used for creating fur and foliage. It's round and the bristles are long on the toe and short on the heel, bringing to mind the shape of Bambi's foot.

You should pick a deerfoot that has a lot of texture in its bristles over one that's stiff and neatly formed. You can use these brushes either wet or dry.

The amount of pressure you apply during the pouncing or stippling will determine the overall look and color value of your painting.They're available in 1/8', 1/4', 3/8', and 1/2'.

The fan brush is flat with its bristles widely fanned out. It can be used dry to drag paint lightly across the surface of your painting. It can be used wet to create textures. And dragged through wet glazes it gives a fine wood-grain effect. Comes in a range of sizes.

Different Paint Brushes For Different Folds

These brushes require a little practice to use at first... it's like they're a filbert brush with half their bristles missing! They are terrific once you get the hang of them.

Truly a multi-purpose gem. You can load the brush with multiple colors, create great ribbons and petals and do stripes all in one fell swoop!

This artist paint brush is fairly new and funky looking! The needle pointed brush is a round with a long liner that extends through the end.

You can create some very interesting effects, especially great vines and twigs. Loaded with inky consistency paint, the round part acts as a reservoire and the liner is, well...a liner. By holding it almost perpendicular to the surface and using varying amounts of pressure, you'll have loads of fun with this one! It comes in Sizes #4, #6 and #8.

The Fandango brush...we just LOVE saying it... looks a bit like a fanned mop brush. This brush has long hairs with shorter ones in between. All hairs have very fine points on the ends. Not only does this brush hold lots of paint, but stroke it once on the surface and you've just made lots of fine lines. Great for creating grasses, fur, feathers and Santa's beards. Ready to Fandango?!

The Whale's Tail...a flat brush with the bristles cut in a 'V' shape which can be used for lots of one stroke effects. Loaded with two colors and fully pressed, results in a tulip shape. Change to green and three presses of the brush will give you an ivy leaf. It can also be used to create plaid, ribbon, layered petals and palm trees. Available in sizes, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1'.

The Wave Brush, with scalloped bristle tips, comes in multiple sizes cut in Angular, Filbert and Flat shapes. There's a ton of stuff you can do with these brushes. Quick and easy strokes result in flower petals, leaves, simple birds, butterflies, woodgraining, eyelet lace and more. They can also be used to stipple light, airy foliage, and for some dry brushing techniques. Set your imagination in motion and have fun!!!

Another interesting brush shape, the Fountain Brush has a ring of bristles with a center opening. Loaded and spun in a circle gives you a quick rosette. Press down firmly for other interesting petal shapes. Also, try your hand at stippled foliage or fur and pulled strokes that create waterfalls and feathering.

Stay tuned as we will continue to bring you more information on all types of paint brushes such as stencil brushes, scruffies and scumblers.

If you'd like more information on allall types of paint brushes, drop us a line here.

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There are paint brushes made for oil based products and brushes for water-based products. Brushes come in a variety sizes, shapes, handle types and of course, different qualities. Choosing the right brush will make your work easier, faster and better.

Bristle Type

Different Paint Brushes Meaning

Natural bristles typically are made with animal hair. Chinese bristle is usually made with hog's hair or ox hair. They are best for oil based paints, varnishes, shellacs, and other finishes. Natural bristles should never be used with water based (latex) paints. The water is absorbed by the natural bristle and causes the brush to swell up. Natural bristles develop splits in the tip (flagging) which results in smoother application of the paint and thus fewer brush strokes.

Different Paint Brushes Make Different Marks

Synthetic bristles include nylon, polyester and nylon/polyester blend. A synthetic bristle is the proper choice for water based (latex) paints. Nylon and nylon/poly blend brushes can be used for oil or water based paints, but a polyester brush is best suited only for latex paints.

Foam brushes can be used for oil or water based paints. They work best with thin products, like stain and polyurethane finishes. They wear out quickly and are best used as throw away task brushes. Extended use of a foam brush can result in bits of the foam breaking off and sticking to the finish.

Brush Size

Choose a brush that matches the size of what you are painting. Wide brushes hold a lot of paint and cover more area and so are the best choice for painting walls. A small brush (1 to 2 inches) should always be used for painting narrow trim and small surfaces. Don't turn a wide brush sideways to use the narrow edge, that will damage the brush.

Brush Task

Brush size is a factor in the selection of the right brush, but the cut and tips of the bristles are also a factor. A sash brush is sized for fine work on window sashes and trim. An angled sash brush cuts the bristles across the width at an angle, allowing more control in delicate, close-in work.

The tips of some brushes are beveled across the thickness of the brush. The bevel allows more control for 'cutting-in' paint; for example, cutting-in the line between a wall and the ceiling.

Brush Quality

The quality of a brush is reflected in the price. A quality brush has more bristles, properly sized-sized spacers between the bristles, a rust-resistant ferrule to secure the bristles and uses top-quality bristles. A quality brush will hold more paint, will provide smoother, brush mark free results and, with care, will last a lifetime.

Cheap brushes will rust, lose bristles and typically have a large spacer that reduces the number of bristles. Fewer and low quality bristles means more dipping into the paint can and more work in trying to get a smooth, brush-mark free finish.

Handle Type

Handles come in bare wood, plastic or lacquered wood. Most professional painters choose an unfinished wood handle because they are easy to hold and are more comfortable.

Handle shapes also vary. Beaver-tail handles bulge in the middle, helping you grip it in your palm. Rat-tail handles are long and straight making them easier to hold for fine detail work. Many other shapes are available and your selection should be made based upon comfort.