Paintbrush Buying Guide

Artists' paintbrushes are a fantastic resource for expression, but choosing the best one can be daunting considering the wide variety on the market. With the right brush, you're closer to getting professional results when using acrylic, oil, or watercolor paints. Have no fear! Zem Brushes has prepared this ultimate artist's paintbrush buying guide to help you select the ideal brush for your project. Read on!

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This guide is ideal for beginner painters seeking the fundamental brushes they need to get started and pros who wish to expand their brush collection. Should you use natural or synthetic bristles? A round or a flat shape for that effect? Is it better to go for the most expensive? We explore the choices to learn how to choose the right paintbrush for your artwork, including size, shapes, and bristles.

How to buy paintbrushes

Your paintbrush should feel like an extension of your arm. They are the tools that allow artists to create their vision and bring their work to life. With the right paintbrushes, an artist can create stunning pieces that amaze and inspire.

However, with the wrong paintbrushes, an artist's work can suffer. Poor-quality paintbrushes can make it difficult to achieve the desired results and could even damage the painting. This is why it is so important for artists to choose their paintbrushes carefully and to invest in high-quality brushes that will serve them well.

Important characteristics of a quality paintbrushes

Brush bristle/hair

Bristles used in paintbrushes can be either natural or synthetic and vary in absorbency, stiffness, and springiness (how quickly they return to their original shape). When painting with paints that spread easily, like watercolor, softer brushes are better because they make smoother brushstrokes. Tackier paints, like oils and acrylics, require stiffer brushes because of the textured effects they produce.

Natural hair or bristles

When it comes to oil paint brushes, natural bristle brushes are better. They are considerably softer and will react better to the oils in the paints. Bristles made from natural hair are of superior quality and have a longer lifespan.

Natural brushes employ the following animal hairs:

• Kolinsky Sable

• Ox Hair

• Raccoon Hair

• Russian Sable

• Soft Fluffy White Hair.

• Synthetic bristles




You can find synthetic brushes with bristles made of nylon or nylon/polyester mixes. A nylon/polyester blend strikes a nice balance between being soft enough to leave a smooth finish and being stiff enough to give you adequate control.

You can also use synthetic brushes for oil painting, but be aware that the paint thinners used for oil painting will be more damaging to brushes.

Pro's Hint:

It's crucial to evaluate the quality of either kind of brush before making a purchase. Holding the bristles between your thumb and index finger, you shouldn't feel any bristles come out when you gently tug. You should get a better-quality brush if you notice that it loses a lot of bristles. You should invest in long-lasting brushes to prevent hairs from breaking off and spoiling your artwork.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Bent Head Paint Brushes.

Brush shape

Different types of paintbrushes serve specific functions. Below is a list of artists' most popular brush types today.

Read also:

Artist Paintbrush sets

Paintbrush care and storage

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Paint Brush Buying Guide