Short Handled

Finding the right brush has to do with personal preferences, but there are some general guidelines that we recommend.

Short handle vs. Long handle

In general short handle brushes are for those who like to sit when they paint or for fine detail work. Longerhandled brushes tend to be for artists who like to step back from their artwork and may grip the brush further down the handle. Most watercolour and gouache brushes are shorthandled, acrylic and oil paint brushes will come both long and short handled brushes. Hog hair Bristle brushes most commonly used in oil painting are typically long handled.

Natural vs. Synthetic

There are a variety of synthetic and natural bristles which have their own unique handling characteristics. Most common distinction is made between softer synthetic brushes for Acrylic & Watercolor vs. stiffer, coarser Hog's Hair Bristles which tend to be used for Oil. Recently there has been a trend in stiff synthetic brushes which are popular with both Acrylic & Oil painters alike. Watercolorists also use soft synthetic or natural bristle brushes such as Kolinsky Sable, or Synthetic Squirrel for their water retention capabilities.

Shape & Size

Most brush lines will come in a variety of shapes. Angle, Bright, Fan, Filbert, Flat, Liner, Round, Riggers being the more common styles. Some brushes like Angle, Bright, Filbert, Flat brushes are more suited for filling in, painting larger areas or colour washes. Liner, Round, Rigger or Script brushes are more suited for drawing, line work, fine detail and lettering. Fan brushes are particularly helpful for blending or softening brush marks. Inglewood Art recommends starting out with a variety of brush shapes and having a variety of brush sizes until you figure out for yourself what style of brush you prefer. Most brush sizes will be indicated on the handle and follow the inch measurement (1/4", 5/8" etc.) or by a number (2,4,6 etc.) Most #4 brushes will be same size regardless of brand., although some European brands and brands in store are measured by half size where a #8=standard #4.