Types of Brushes: What They're for and What I Prefer

If you've ever taken a look in the brush aisle in an art store, you’ve probably noticed there are tons of different brush types to choose from. Even with just the brushes made for oil paints, there’s a large variety. It really is just choosing what you prefer. But if you’re starting out, here are brush shapes, what they’re good for, and what I actually use them for.

Round: within round brushes there are some with more points and tips than others. Less pointy rounds actually cover a wider area, good for shading or blending, especially when you use the side of the brush. Rounds with more of a point are really good for smaller details. The smallest brush doesn’t necessarily leave the smallest mark. Some of my medium pointed rounds I can do finer detail work with than the smallest brushes. 

Flat: This wider brush is good for covering large areas. I actually find I use a flat on the smaller scale. I can leave a wider, square mark with the broad side, and then create really controlled, sharp lines and edges with the point. I’ll sometimes use a large soft flat for blending edges together as well.

Bright: These are basically flat brushes but with shorter bristles and slightly rounded edges. I think I may have one smaller bright brush? Personally, I find it interchangeable with the smaller flat for detail work. I think one of them is in better condition than the other, and I’ll go for it if my other brushes are dirty.

Filbert: This is my favorite shaped brush! It’s flat but with rounded bristles at the tip. I find I can create the largest range of marks with this shape. Long, wide strokes, blending and shading in an area, controlled lines and edges. If you can only afford to buy one brush, get a filbert. The only reason I use anything else is if all my filberts are dirty! Alright, maybe it’s an exaggeration, but when you’ve developed brush control and sensitivity, these really are the most versatile option. 

Fan: I guess these are supposed to be for texture or something. Maybe gently blending? Garbage, the worst shape possible, useless. Skip. (Reminder: this is my opinion. If it’s suitable to your work, use it I guess)

Angle: I actually only recently bought a nicer angled brush. Like filberts and flats, you can get both a wide area and a fine line with the edge. The one I have is a very extreme angle, and it’s great for making leaf and grass shapes in one go.

With oil painting, you also have to decide between natural and synthetic/soft bristles. Historically, oil paint brushes are made with coarser, natural boar bristles; other mediums like watercolor use softer hairs. Most natural and synthetic natural brushes hold more paint and so they are better to use at the start of a painting, when you’re painting on the rough canvas or wood surface, or need to cover a larger area quickly. Natural bristles will leave more marks than a synthetic brush.

Higher quality brushes also hold paint better. Synthetic and softer bristles are usually used later in the painting, when you are painting slower, want a more delicate application of paint, or need to gently blend edges. Of course, there’s exceptions to everything. I’ve found certain brands of synthetic bristles hold a lot of paint. I’ll use those in the beginning when I want a smoother, flatter application from the start. 

Speaking of brands, there are a ton to consider. I have my favorites, and cost is always a factor in deciding what brush to pick. I like to buy my brushes in person so I can see the different sizes, feel the bristles, and compare them to other options. I usually go to Rochester Art Supply to get my nicer brushes, however there are a few I get at Michaels as well.

For natural bristles, I’ve come to really enjoy Signet by Simmons. I’ve got like four filberts in different sizes. They hold a lot of paint. I always use them to block in the beginning layers and places that are looser, or more painterly. These brushes also keep their bristles in the correct shape after many uses, making them my go-to for crisp lines.

I also have a lot of synthetic brushes from Jack Richeson’s Grey Matter line. They also hold a lot of paint in them. Sometimes more than natural bristles do. And they’re super soft! I find myself often reverting to these for the majority of a painting. Only downside: because they're so great at holding paint, they take forever to clean.

For finer details I end up using a lot of the synthetic brushes from Princeton, the Aspen line. You can find these one’s at Michaels.

Speaking of Michaels, you know those $12, fifty packs of cheap brushes…I use those all the time. My professor from RIT used those for glazing cause they’re soft, cheap, and you can throw them away after. Super wasteful, I know. But sometimes you’re lazy and you don't want to spend 15-30 minutes cleaning brushes. They’re also great for blending! Like sure I have a sable brush for finessing layers of glaze (that I got on clearance sale), but why not use a cheap brush instead?!?!?

Actually, I'd recommend picking up a sable brush if given the chance. It blends so much nicer than any other brush I have.

End of the day, it really is 100% preference. And no one says you have to use a brush at all! As you paint, you’ll develop more sensitivity to pressure and more control so you can make any brush work for you. If you are struggling to get a certain line shape, thickness, or blending, maybe try switching up what brush you use until you develop that gentleness and ability to make the paint do what you want.

Originally published in the June 2024 edition of my newsletter, "From the Artist Studio."