Best Paint Brushes

best paint brushes


Looking for the perfect brush for your next masterpiece?

Check out my top 5 paint brushes on the market today.

The best weapon in your painting arsenal is without doubt the paint brush and the quality of your paint brush is what will ensure the satisfaction and the quality of the artwork you create.

Along with the paints, the paint brush is a very crucial part of a painting kit, so to help you, this guide will review a pick of all the best brushes you can get from the market today.

Brushes of all shapes and sizes will be reviewed here to ensure your complete satisfaction and to enable you to get the best out of your time whilst spent doing the hobby you love.


01) da Vinci Watercolor Series 5240 Deluxe Paint Brush Set

da Vinci Watercolor Series 5240 Deluxe Paint Brush Set main

Natural Hair and Synthetic with Wooden Storage Box and Brush Soap, Multiple Sizes, 5 Brushes (Series 36, 991, 5530, 5550)

Features:

  • Multiple storage box options
  • Natural hair
  • Premium quality build
  • Handmade

Description:

Da Vinci is a premium brand for sable brushes. Each set is packed professionally, giving it a premium feel.

Pros
  • Amazing quality
  • Faux finishes for the Kolinsky Red Sable Hair
  • Springy and elegant brush bristles
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Limited options within each set

Review:

The sets included here are exceptional if you’re experienced and want to take your hobby to the next level by purchasing your first ever premium quality brush collection.

Although you get only a few brushes, they will definitely last you a lifetime with proper care.


02) Bob Ross Landscape Oil Paint and Brushes

Bob Ross Landscape Oil Paint and Brushes 27-Piece Bundle main

27-Piece Bundle, 14x Paint Colors (37ml), 12x Brushes and Painting Knives, 1x Velono Roll-Up Case

Features:

  • 27 piece kit for oil based paints
  • 14 tubes of oil based paints
  • 12 selections of brushes and painting knives
  • High quality wooden handle
  • Fit for purpose brushes

Description:

The Bob Ross Landscape Oil Paint and Brush set features a wide range of painting equipment for your hobby needs. The set comes with a great selection of flat brush and sash brushes that will get you those fine details in your art projects.

The set not only comes with a set of brushes but painting knives and oil-based paints to get you started on your painting right off the bat.

Pros
  • Versatile bigger and smaller brushes
  • 14 quality artist-grade oil-based paints
  • Natural bristle brushes
  • Includes a collection of sash brush
Cons
  • Water can damage the natural bristle tips
  • Brushes require maintenance

Review:

The Bob Ross Landscape Oil Paint and Brushes set come with a very versatile selection of art supplies all catered to your artistic needs.

Finding the right brush for your oil paint needs should not be a hassle at all with this set, making it an optimal choice for your painting equipment collection.

The set features natural brushes with authentic bristles that are great for applying oil-based paints making it a great purchase if you are looking to work with different brush shapes.

You can even get into interior painting with some of the sash brushes included lol.

A great buy overall!


03) Creative Mark Paint Brush Set for Professional Artist Oil Paints

Creative Mark Paint Brush Set for Professional Artist Oil Paints main

16 Assorted Paint Brushes & Brush Easel Hamburg Premier, Imperial Bristle and Rhapsody Superb Kolinsky Paint Brushes

Features:

  • 16 assorted set of brushes for oil based paints
  • Wide selection of flat brushes, round brushes, filbert and fan brushes
  • Natural hog bristles
  • Soft bristles
  • Versatile brushes for ease of paint on flat surfaces

Description:

The Creative Mark Paint Brush set includes 16 assorted brushes that are great for painting on a flat surface with their wide range of short brushes to ensure you get the finest detail on all your art projects.

The brushes in the set feature premium hog’s hair brushes that give you the confidence to paint with bold strokes and versatility.

Pros
  • Wide range of brushes
  • Carry case that doubles as an easel
  • Natural and synthetic bristles
  • Find the right brush between the 16 assorted brush selection with ease
Cons
  • Water may cause damage as the brushes are for oil paints
  • Not the easiest to clean

Review:

The set includes all you might need for working with oil-based paints and you do not need to worry about getting the correct brush due to the wide selection of brush shapes.

The Creative Mark set is a great entry-level set featuring a high-quality hog bristle on a budget and will definitely give you a run for your money.


04) Sax Optimum Golden Synthetic Taklon Paint Brushes

Sax Optimum Golden Synthetic Taklon Paint Brushes

Assorted Sizes, Set of 72

Features:

  • 72 pieces of assorted size paint brush collection
  • Golden nylon synthetic brushes that work great with acrylic and oil-based products
  • Non-rusting ferrules
  • Long-lasting lacquered hardwood handles
  • Ergonomic handle on each brush

Description:

The Sax Optimum Golden Synthetic Taklon Paint Brushes set features possibly the most paint brushes in any given set on the market.

The set additionally includes all sorts of brushes you may need for your paint project in any given situation and each brush is appropriate for a wide range of painting especially water-based paints.

Pros
  • Easy to clean
  • Versatile size paint brushes
  • Bristles hold more paint
  • No stiff bristles
  • Angled bristles for painting trim
Cons
  • Slightly expensive
  • Among the less popular paintbrush sets
  • One dip may bring and retain excess paint for strokes

Review:

Finding a good brush in this set for any situation like getting proper thick lines, clean lines or detailed work should not be a problem due to the types of brush found in the collection of 72.

The sheer amount of paintbrushes in the pack may be overwhelming and you would generally not spend over a hundred dollars unless it is for a premium brand of paint brush, however, for a set that is perfect for both oil and acrylic paintbrushes this is well worth the money.


05) Sabahz Trading Long Handle Synthetic Round Pointed Tip Artist PaintBrushes

Sabahz Trading Long Handle Synthetic Round Pointed Tip Artist Paint Brushes main

Features:

  • 13 Piece Set
  • Easy to clean
  • For water-based paint, watercolor, acrylic and oil-based paint
  • Round pointed paintbrushes
  • Flexible and soft bristles for a smooth finish and precise coverage

Description:

The Sabahz Trading Long Handle Synthetic Round Pointed Tip Artist paint brushes are one of the few paint brush sets that have soft and flexible bristles for your painting needs and feature round brushes that are great for getting in tight spaces and large surfaces.

The soft bristles help the bristles to be more flexible so you can use your brush to cover a large surface area with great ease, something any professional-grade brush should be able to do.

Pros
  • Flexible handle paint brushes
  • High-quality bristles
  • Easy to clean
  • Easier to use than stiffer bristles
Cons
  • Lack of versatility
  • Bristles are for more intermediate users

Review:

The set requires a little more experience amongst painters to use, however, it is definitely worth the price.

Overall, a great purchase to enhance your painting experience and particularly for anything that includes a lot of large areas to cover with smooth strokes for both acrylic and oil-based products.


General Information About Best Paint Brushes

Finding the best paint brush for your daily use is generally a trial and error thing. What one may like others may not. So, it’s best to keep an open mind while trying to find the perfect fit for yourself.


Conclusion / Roundup

The uphill battle to find the best paint brush collection for your art career hopefully was made easier using this guide.

I’ve covered a lot of brands, shapes, sizes and price ranges; there are so many variables to look at when making your choice, but ultimately every artist has their own preferences and requirements and so will need to do their own research too over time (perhaps based on my findings above).

This guide has covered as many of the greatest picks that I’ve come across recently, which you’ll hopefully agree with, and if not, may inadvertently point you in a direction that is better suited to your way of painting.

Painting is an ongoing journey so it’s up to you to find out what suits you best from style to size to budget and this will ensure you ongoing enjoyment whilst pursuing your hobby / profession of painting.

So have fun, and get painting.


FAQs

What paint brushes do professionals use?

As you’d expect, professionals tend to use the higher quality and not so much the budget quality bristle brushes.

What paint brush gives the smoothest finish?

Nylon brushes give the smoothest finish and are apparently the best for latex paint. The next best brush would have to be polyester bristles as they are similar in texture and quality.

What are natural bristle brushes?

Bristle brushes are categorized into three types: Natural bristle, Synthetic bristle and Blended filament. The general rule is that the more expensive the brush gets, the more natural bristles it will have in its makeup.

This means that an inexpensive synthetic-bristle brush will not perform as well as a pricey 100% natural bristle.

Natural bristles are classified into four types: Hog, Sable (also known as Kolinsky), Pony and Camel. These are found in hairs that come from different animals, which is why it’s confusing for most people shopping around to understand the difference among them.

According to many artisans, kolinsky brushes are the best in terms of hair bristle quality.

How much is a natural bristle brush?

There can be a wide range of prices depending on the hair’s source. Typically, hog bristle is the cheapest type and camel hair is the most expensive.

Keep in mind that within each animal-sourced category there are great ranges of quality.

If you’re just starting out, go for pony or sable brushes as they are much more user-friendly in general, and you can always upgrade later.


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Written By Adam Rushton

Adam has made a name for himself in the illustration industry and is a passionate blogger and writer on the subject of art, illustration and graphic design.

His artwork has been featured in countless publications and used for very well-known media projects. As a professional illustrator for over 20 years, Adams media outlets, a wealth of knowledge, and experience enable him to consult and advise artists and illustrators in this country (from York and Manchester to Southampton and London) and all over the world.


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