So, an art brush set is just a bunch of brushes for painting or drawing. Each brush is a little different and good for different things – like covering a lot of space or getting tiny details.
A good set will let you try out all sorts of painting stuff because the brushes are shaped differently, are sized differently, and use different hair or materials, so you have a good mix of options.
🖌️ Brush Types & What They Do
* **Round:** Pointy tip and full body. Great for lines, details, and light washes of color.
* **Flat:** Straight and blocky. Use it for big strokes, filling areas, and edges.
* **Bright:** Like a flat brush, but shorter bristles. Good for strong, controlled strokes and thick paint.
* **Filbert:** Oval-shaped. Use these for blending, soft edges, and making things look natural.
* **Fan:** Bristles are spread out. Great for blending, making textures, painting leaves or clouds.
* **Angle:** The edge is slanted. Good for sharp corners and calligraphy.
* **Liner/Rigger:** Super long and thin. Use for fine lines, details, and signatures.
* **Mop:** Big, round, and fluffy. Good for soft blending and covering large areas with color, especially with watercolor.
* **Detail/Spotter:** Tiny bristles. Use for small details, tiny highlights, and miniature stuff.
🧵 Brush Stuff (Bristles)
**A. What Bristles are Made Of**
* **Animal Hair (Natural):**
* Usually sable, hog, or goat hair.
* Holds paint well.
* Nice for oil and watercolor because they're springy and soak up water.
* Need to be cleaned carefully.
* **Fake Hair (Synthetic):**
* Made of nylon or polyester (or both).
* Good for acrylics and painting in general.
* Last a long time, bounce back into shape, and are easy to clean.
* Can be made to work like real hair.
* **Mixes:**
* Some brushes use both fake and real hair.
* Tries to balance how much water they hold with how long they last.
* Good if you use different kinds of paints.
🪵 Handles
* **Short:** Good for watercolor, small details -- easier to control up close.
* **Long:** Good for acrylic, oil, when you're standing back from your work -- let you make bigger strokes.
* **Fat/Comfy:** Good for long painting times -- won't hurt your hand.
Handles are usually wood, plastic, or acrylic. Wood ones might have a coating to keep water out.
🧲 The Metal Part (Ferrule)
* Made of steel, aluminum, or something like that.
* Holds the bristles onto the handle.
* If it's all one piece (no seam), water won't get in and loosen the glue.
🧴 Brush Sets for Different Paints
* **Watercolor:** Soft, soak up water, springy; short handles; usually round or mop-shaped.
* **Acrylic:** Fake hair (kind of stiff), long handles; flat or oval-shaped.
* **Oil:** Stiff hair (real or fake); long handles; made for pushing thick paint.
* **Gouache:** Like watercolor, but a little stiffer for putting on thick layers.
* **Mixed Media:** Has all sorts of shapes and materials.
🧼 Taking Care of Brushes
* **Cleaning:**
* Watercolor/Gouache: Water and soap.
* Acrylic: Rinse before the paint dries! (It'll ruin the brush if it dries on there).
* Oil: Use a cleaner, then soap and water.
* **Putting Away:**
* Let them dry flat or with the bristles up.
* Don't let the metal part soak in water.
* Keep different brush sets for different paints so they last longer.
🔢 Brush Sizes
* Sizes are different depending on the brand, but usually:
* Small (000 to 2): For tiny details
* Medium (4 to 8): Good for most things
* Large (10+): For covering big areas
* Round brushes use numbers. Flat ones are measured by how wide they are.
💡 Picking a Set
* Get one that's good for the kind of paint you use (watercolor, acrylic, etc.).
* Make sure it has at least one of each shape.
* Get different sizes so you can do different things.
* Check to see if the bristles bounce back into shape after you bend them.
* If you're new to this, start with fake-hair brushes – they're easier to clean and cheaper.
🧰 Extra Stuff
* Brush holder – keeps them safe and not all over the place.
* Palette knife – for mixing paint or making textures.
* Brush Rinser – for cleaning them while you paint.
* Brush soap – keeps the bristles soft.
A good set will let you try out all sorts of painting stuff because the brushes are shaped differently, are sized differently, and use different hair or materials, so you have a good mix of options.
🖌️ Brush Types & What They Do
* **Round:** Pointy tip and full body. Great for lines, details, and light washes of color.
* **Flat:** Straight and blocky. Use it for big strokes, filling areas, and edges.
* **Bright:** Like a flat brush, but shorter bristles. Good for strong, controlled strokes and thick paint.
* **Filbert:** Oval-shaped. Use these for blending, soft edges, and making things look natural.
* **Fan:** Bristles are spread out. Great for blending, making textures, painting leaves or clouds.
* **Angle:** The edge is slanted. Good for sharp corners and calligraphy.
* **Liner/Rigger:** Super long and thin. Use for fine lines, details, and signatures.
* **Mop:** Big, round, and fluffy. Good for soft blending and covering large areas with color, especially with watercolor.
* **Detail/Spotter:** Tiny bristles. Use for small details, tiny highlights, and miniature stuff.
🧵 Brush Stuff (Bristles)
**A. What Bristles are Made Of**
* **Animal Hair (Natural):**
* Usually sable, hog, or goat hair.
* Holds paint well.
* Nice for oil and watercolor because they're springy and soak up water.
* Need to be cleaned carefully.
* **Fake Hair (Synthetic):**
* Made of nylon or polyester (or both).
* Good for acrylics and painting in general.
* Last a long time, bounce back into shape, and are easy to clean.
* Can be made to work like real hair.
* **Mixes:**
* Some brushes use both fake and real hair.
* Tries to balance how much water they hold with how long they last.
* Good if you use different kinds of paints.
🪵 Handles
* **Short:** Good for watercolor, small details -- easier to control up close.
* **Long:** Good for acrylic, oil, when you're standing back from your work -- let you make bigger strokes.
* **Fat/Comfy:** Good for long painting times -- won't hurt your hand.
Handles are usually wood, plastic, or acrylic. Wood ones might have a coating to keep water out.
🧲 The Metal Part (Ferrule)
* Made of steel, aluminum, or something like that.
* Holds the bristles onto the handle.
* If it's all one piece (no seam), water won't get in and loosen the glue.
🧴 Brush Sets for Different Paints
* **Watercolor:** Soft, soak up water, springy; short handles; usually round or mop-shaped.
* **Acrylic:** Fake hair (kind of stiff), long handles; flat or oval-shaped.
* **Oil:** Stiff hair (real or fake); long handles; made for pushing thick paint.
* **Gouache:** Like watercolor, but a little stiffer for putting on thick layers.
* **Mixed Media:** Has all sorts of shapes and materials.
🧼 Taking Care of Brushes
* **Cleaning:**
* Watercolor/Gouache: Water and soap.
* Acrylic: Rinse before the paint dries! (It'll ruin the brush if it dries on there).
* Oil: Use a cleaner, then soap and water.
* **Putting Away:**
* Let them dry flat or with the bristles up.
* Don't let the metal part soak in water.
* Keep different brush sets for different paints so they last longer.
🔢 Brush Sizes
* Sizes are different depending on the brand, but usually:
* Small (000 to 2): For tiny details
* Medium (4 to 8): Good for most things
* Large (10+): For covering big areas
* Round brushes use numbers. Flat ones are measured by how wide they are.
💡 Picking a Set
* Get one that's good for the kind of paint you use (watercolor, acrylic, etc.).
* Make sure it has at least one of each shape.
* Get different sizes so you can do different things.
* Check to see if the bristles bounce back into shape after you bend them.
* If you're new to this, start with fake-hair brushes – they're easier to clean and cheaper.
🧰 Extra Stuff
* Brush holder – keeps them safe and not all over the place.
* Palette knife – for mixing paint or making textures.
* Brush Rinser – for cleaning them while you paint.
* Brush soap – keeps the bristles soft.
**1. Brush Shapes**
* **Round:** Pointy tip, fat in the middle. Use it for thin lines, small stuff, washes, and outlines. Great with watercolor, gouache, and acrylics.
* **Flat:** Straight and square. Good for filling in big areas and making sharp edges. Use with acrylic, oil, and gouache.
* **Bright:** Like a flat brush but with shorter bristles. Gives you more control for thick paint and textures. Works with acrylic and oil.
* **Filbert:** Flat with a soft, rounded tip. Nice for blending and painting people or anything that needs to look natural. Use with acrylic and oil.
* **Fan:** Looks like a fan. Good for blending and making textures like grass, hair, or clouds. Works with any kind of paint.
* **Angular (Angle):** Has a slanted edge. Great for sharp edges, corners, and lettering. Works with acrylic and watercolor.
* **Rigger/Liner:** Super long and thin. Use it for long, unbroken lines like trees, hair, or fancy writing. Best with watercolor and ink.
* **Mop:** Big, fluffy, and round. Use it for soft washes and blending backgrounds, especially with watercolor.
* **Detail/Spotter:** Tiny and short. Great for very small details and highlights. You can use it with any paint.
* **Stencil:** Short, stiff, and round. Use it to dab paint through stencils, perfect for acrylic and mixed media.
* **Fan Blender:** A fan brush with soft bristles. Good for smooth color changes and glazing with acrylic or oil.
* **Deerfoot Stippler:** Round with an angled tip, like a deer's hoof. Use it to make textures like leaves or fur with acrylic or craft paint.
**2. Brushes for Different Paints**
* **Watercolor:** Soft, soaks up water, bendy bristles, and short handles. Usually round, mop-shaped, flat, or liner brushes.
* **Acrylic:** Medium-stiff, strong, and made of synthetic stuff. Usually flat, bright, filbert, angle, or fan brushes with long handles.
* **Oil:** Stiff bristles (natural or synthetic) and long handles. Often flat, filbert, bright, or fan brushes.
* **Gouache:** Soft but a little firm, with short handles. Look for round, filbert, and flat brushes.
* **Ink:** Pointy, lets the ink flow smoothly, and often made of fine synthetic hair. Usually liner, round, or calligraphy brushes.
* **Mixed Media:** Made from a mix of synthetic and natural bristles and can be any shape.
**3. What the Bristles are Made Of**
* **Natural Hair:** Soaks up a lot of water, soft, and bendy. Best for watercolor, oil, and gouache.
* **Synthetic (Nylon/Polyester):** Stiff, strong, and easy to clean. Good for acrylic and mixed media.
* **Blended (Mixed Hair):** A mix of soft and strong. Works for anything.
* **Hog Bristle (Natural):** Rough, springy, and strong. Use with oil paints and thick acrylics.
* **Sable/Kolinsky (Natural):** Smooth, precise, and holds a lot of paint. Great for small details in watercolor.
* **Goat/Pony/Camel:** Soft, soaks up water, and cheap. Good for washes and blending backgrounds.
**4. Special Brushes**
* **Fan Blender/Texture Brush:** Makes natural textures like grass or fur.
* **Stencil Brush:** For dabbing paint through stencils.
* **Rake/Comb Brush:** Makes strokes that look like hair, grass, or fur.
* **Sword/Dagger Brush:** Long and angled for cool lines and strokes.
* **Flat Wash Brush:** Big and flat for covering areas with even color.
* **Hake Brush:** Wide, soft, and flat (often made of goat hair) for big watercolor washes.
* **Foam Brush:** For smooth paint jobs, craft projects, and varnishing.
* **Chisel Blender:** For making sharp edges and smooth transitions.
* **Script/Scroll Brush:** For drawing curved lines and calligraphy.
**5. Brush Sizes**
* **Tiny (000, 00, 0):** For super fine details.
* **Medium (2, 4, 6, 8):** For most things.
* **Big (10, 12, 16, 20+):** For washes and covering large areas.
Flat brushes are usually measured by how wide they are (like ½, 1, or 2).
**6. Brush Handles**
* **Short Handle:** For working at a table or doing small details. Usually for watercolor and gouache.
* **Long Handle:** For painting on an easel. Usually for acrylic and oil.
* **Ergonomic Handle:** Comfy to hold, good for long painting sessions.
* **Round:** Pointy tip, fat in the middle. Use it for thin lines, small stuff, washes, and outlines. Great with watercolor, gouache, and acrylics.
* **Flat:** Straight and square. Good for filling in big areas and making sharp edges. Use with acrylic, oil, and gouache.
* **Bright:** Like a flat brush but with shorter bristles. Gives you more control for thick paint and textures. Works with acrylic and oil.
* **Filbert:** Flat with a soft, rounded tip. Nice for blending and painting people or anything that needs to look natural. Use with acrylic and oil.
* **Fan:** Looks like a fan. Good for blending and making textures like grass, hair, or clouds. Works with any kind of paint.
* **Angular (Angle):** Has a slanted edge. Great for sharp edges, corners, and lettering. Works with acrylic and watercolor.
* **Rigger/Liner:** Super long and thin. Use it for long, unbroken lines like trees, hair, or fancy writing. Best with watercolor and ink.
* **Mop:** Big, fluffy, and round. Use it for soft washes and blending backgrounds, especially with watercolor.
* **Detail/Spotter:** Tiny and short. Great for very small details and highlights. You can use it with any paint.
* **Stencil:** Short, stiff, and round. Use it to dab paint through stencils, perfect for acrylic and mixed media.
* **Fan Blender:** A fan brush with soft bristles. Good for smooth color changes and glazing with acrylic or oil.
* **Deerfoot Stippler:** Round with an angled tip, like a deer's hoof. Use it to make textures like leaves or fur with acrylic or craft paint.
**2. Brushes for Different Paints**
* **Watercolor:** Soft, soaks up water, bendy bristles, and short handles. Usually round, mop-shaped, flat, or liner brushes.
* **Acrylic:** Medium-stiff, strong, and made of synthetic stuff. Usually flat, bright, filbert, angle, or fan brushes with long handles.
* **Oil:** Stiff bristles (natural or synthetic) and long handles. Often flat, filbert, bright, or fan brushes.
* **Gouache:** Soft but a little firm, with short handles. Look for round, filbert, and flat brushes.
* **Ink:** Pointy, lets the ink flow smoothly, and often made of fine synthetic hair. Usually liner, round, or calligraphy brushes.
* **Mixed Media:** Made from a mix of synthetic and natural bristles and can be any shape.
**3. What the Bristles are Made Of**
* **Natural Hair:** Soaks up a lot of water, soft, and bendy. Best for watercolor, oil, and gouache.
* **Synthetic (Nylon/Polyester):** Stiff, strong, and easy to clean. Good for acrylic and mixed media.
* **Blended (Mixed Hair):** A mix of soft and strong. Works for anything.
* **Hog Bristle (Natural):** Rough, springy, and strong. Use with oil paints and thick acrylics.
* **Sable/Kolinsky (Natural):** Smooth, precise, and holds a lot of paint. Great for small details in watercolor.
* **Goat/Pony/Camel:** Soft, soaks up water, and cheap. Good for washes and blending backgrounds.
**4. Special Brushes**
* **Fan Blender/Texture Brush:** Makes natural textures like grass or fur.
* **Stencil Brush:** For dabbing paint through stencils.
* **Rake/Comb Brush:** Makes strokes that look like hair, grass, or fur.
* **Sword/Dagger Brush:** Long and angled for cool lines and strokes.
* **Flat Wash Brush:** Big and flat for covering areas with even color.
* **Hake Brush:** Wide, soft, and flat (often made of goat hair) for big watercolor washes.
* **Foam Brush:** For smooth paint jobs, craft projects, and varnishing.
* **Chisel Blender:** For making sharp edges and smooth transitions.
* **Script/Scroll Brush:** For drawing curved lines and calligraphy.
**5. Brush Sizes**
* **Tiny (000, 00, 0):** For super fine details.
* **Medium (2, 4, 6, 8):** For most things.
* **Big (10, 12, 16, 20+):** For washes and covering large areas.
Flat brushes are usually measured by how wide they are (like ½, 1, or 2).
**6. Brush Handles**
* **Short Handle:** For working at a table or doing small details. Usually for watercolor and gouache.
* **Long Handle:** For painting on an easel. Usually for acrylic and oil.
* **Ergonomic Handle:** Comfy to hold, good for long painting sessions.