There are numerous brushes to choose from depending on your painting medium—watercolor, oil, or acrylic. This comprehensive guide covers essential information about brushes you'll find in art stores or online. We'll focus particularly on acrylic painting brushes since these are included in our paint by numbers kits and are perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike.

You don't need a complete brush collection when starting out. Most painting workshops provide students with 3-4 brushes, which is more than enough to begin your artistic journey. You'll build your brush collection over time and occasionally need replacements. Depending on your painting surface—especially rough canvas—you might need to replace brushes more frequently, as textured surfaces can wear down bristles like sandpaper.

Pro Tip: Paint by numbers (also called painting by numbers) is perfect for adults and children to learn brush techniques!

Not sure how to start your painting project? You have countless ideas bursting to get onto canvas, but you're unsure whether to choose oil or acrylic—let alone understand artist brushes, brush types, or blending techniques? Visiting an art store without knowing exactly what you need can be overwhelming. The selection is enormous, and you might end up buying supplies you'll never use.

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That's why it's crucial to understand different brush sets—brush sizes, materials, and handle types. Let's dive into everything you need to know about choosing the perfect brushes for your artwork!

Test 2025: The Best Brushes for Acrylic Painting

Before diving into details about the best acrylic painting brushes, we'll reveal a secret. These are the absolute best acrylic paint brushes. Click the image to view the product.

First Question: "What Do I Want to Paint?"

Your first decision is choosing your medium: acrylic, oil, or watercolor painting.

Fast or Slow Drying?

Acrylic paint dries quickly while oil paint dries slowly. Ask yourself whether you prefer working with fast-drying paint or want hours to blend and work without worrying about paint drying. This is the primary consideration when choosing between acrylic and oil paint, especially for beginners.

Benefits of Acrylic Paint:

• Quick drying: An even layer can dry in minutes!
• Versatile medium: Works on paper, boards, wood panels, canvas, and countless other surfaces
• Layer building: Apply multiple layers quickly with flat brushes
• Easy cleanup: Water-based formula makes brush cleaning simple
• Beginner-friendly: Forgiving medium perfect for learning

Tip: You can extend drying time if needed. Add a color retarder or mist your palette with water to keep paint workable longer.

Cleanup Considerations:

Oil-based vs. water-based acrylic paint is a decisive factor for many artists regarding cleanup. Cleaning acrylic brushes is significantly easier than cleaning oil brushes. Are you willing to handle the time-consuming oil paint cleanup process in exchange for longer working time? Or do you prefer quick-drying, easy-to-clean acrylic paint?

Thick or Thin Layers?

If you love painting thick impasto layers that dry quickly, acrylic is excellent. But if you want to work thick layers over several days, oil paint with appropriate brushes is better.

Which Brushes for Acrylic vs. Oil Painting?

In an artist's world, a brush is like a magic wand—it can create great magic or terrible tragedy... An artist's brushes are incredibly important! The question is: how do I choose the right brush?

The Right Acrylic Brush Matters More Than You Think!

When buying acrylic paint brushes, you can choose both stiff bristle brushes used by oil painters and synthetic brushes designed for smooth watercolor techniques. It all depends on the effect you want to achieve. Stiffer brushes leave visible strokes or texture marks, creating more dimensional results.

Texture Effects:

• Stiff bristles: Create visible brushstrokes and texture
• Soft brushes: Produce smooth, blended surfaces
• Mixed techniques: Combine both for varied effects

What Shape Should Your Acrylic or Oil Brush Have?

Brush shape and type are crucial for every painting. Da Vinci, who used custom brushes for his assistants, understood this well and selected appropriate brushes accordingly.

Do you want natural hair or synthetic brushes like those in paint by numbers acrylic brush sets? Will you paint only with round brushes? Here's an overview of all brush shapes for painting:

1. Fan Brushes - With fan-shaped bristles in various sizes and thicknesses. Perfect for painting branches, grasses, bushes, blending cloudy skies, and highlights. Natural hair suits soft sweeps while synthetic excels at textural effects.
2. Angular Brushes - Bristles cut at an angle, excellent for easel work. Provides better control than flat brushes for thin lines and large areas.
3. Flat Brushes - Long bristles with square ends. Hold lots of paint for bold strokes or fine lines. Perfect for covering large areas or backgrounds. Standard in most DIY brush sets.
4. Round Brushes - Round ferrule with pointed tip, available in various sizes. Ideal for details, lines, edges. Small short-handled versions perfect for finishing touches. Round brushes blend smoothly, especially with soft bristles.
5. Rigger or Liner Brushes - Thin with long bristles, excellent for painting lines or text.
6. Bright Brushes - Create various shapes and widths, often with short handles.
7. Filbert Brushes - Rounded edges with flat ferrule, available in many sizes. Great for applying large paint areas, wetting surfaces, or removing excess media.
8. Stencil Brushes - Usually short-handled with thick, stiff bristles of equal length in round ferrule.
9. House Painting Brushes - Useful for quickly covering large areas and laying colored backgrounds. Inexpensive but only last a few paintings before shedding. Not suitable for paint by numbers or detailed work.

Pro Tip: You can also paint with palette knives! Load paint onto the knife and apply directly to canvas. This technique works especially well with oil paint for creating texture!

What Size Acrylic or Oil Brush Do You Need?

Size is determined entirely by you, your subject, and canvas size. A brush set provides various sizes immediately. Over time, you'll discover personal favorites—this is highly individual! Our DIY painting sets always include 3 different brush sizes to cover all needs.

Size Guidelines:

• Small (sizes 0-2): Fine details, eyes, highlights
• Medium (sizes 4-6): General painting, most work
• Large (sizes 8-12): Backgrounds, large areas, bold strokes

The Length of Your Acrylic Brush Handle

Handle length is also personal preference based on what fits your hand best. You'll likely use shorter handles for detail work and longer handles for painting large areas. Paint by numbers sets include a standard length ideal for all preferences.

Handle Length Benefits:

• Short handles (5-7 inches): Better control for details, table work
• Long handles (9-12 inches): Distance from canvas, easel painting
• Medium handles (7-9 inches): Versatile for most techniques

What Material Should Your Acrylic/Oil Brush Be Made From?

Nylon brushes are best for laying flat paint areas, while natural bristles create more uneven texture. The choice depends on your desired effect:

• Nylon/Synthetic: Smooth application, maintains shape, affordable
• Natural bristle: Textured strokes, holds more paint, traditional feel
• Blend: Combines benefits of both materials

Natural Hair or Synthetic - Which is Better for Your Artwork?

For oil paint, you need thicker bristles to move dense, heavy paint. Watercolor requires softer brushes for fluid medium. Acrylic paint falls between—softer than oil but thicker than watercolor—so brushes can be moderate. Remember that cleaning acrylic brushes is much less complicated than cleaning oil paint brushes.

Material Comparisons:

Synthetic Brushes (Best for Acrylics):

• Resistant and resilient
• Maintain shape longer
• Durable and affordable
• Perfect for beginners
• Easy to clean

Natural Hair Brushes:

• Traditional feel
• Hold more paint
• Create unique textures
• More expensive
• Require careful maintenance

Most manufacturers make synthetic brushes specifically for acrylic painting. These are more resistant and resilient than watercolor brushes, maintain their shape long-term, and are excellent for beginners.

First Use Tip: New brushes have a protective coating keeping them stiff. Use your thumb to break this stiffness and test hair flexibility. Move bristles left to right with your fingers to understand spring properties and painting behavior.

While natural bristle brushes designed for oil can work with acrylics, avoid expensive sable brushes. When painting with acrylics, you must keep brushes wet or submerged in water to prevent paint drying on bristles—this excess moisture quickly ruins natural fibers. Nylon brushes are ideal for acrylics!

The Ideal Brushes - Swynk Has What You Need!

Now you understand what matters for acrylic paint brushes and available models. But why make it difficult searching for each brush separately? We offer comprehensive solutions for painting enthusiasts.

Need an easy way to clean acrylic brushes? Looking for the perfect brush set at a fair price? You'll find what you need here. Remember that every paint by numbers set from Swynk includes quality brushes, so you can start this wonderful hobby immediately, even as a complete beginner.

What's Included in Our Sets:

• 3-5 premium brushes in various sizes
• Perfect for beginners and experienced painters
• Durable synthetic bristles ideal for acrylics
• Comfortable handles for extended painting sessions
• Everything needed to complete your masterpiece

Brush Care Tips for Long-Lasting Performance

During Painting:

• Keep brushes in water when not in use
• Don't let paint dry on bristles
• Change water frequently for clean colors
• Use separate brushes for light and dark colors

After Painting:

1. Rinse immediately in lukewarm water
2. Gently work paint out from ferrule to tip
3. Use mild soap if needed
4. Reshape bristles while damp
5. Lay flat or hang to dry

Common Brush Mistakes to Avoid

• Leaving brushes in water: Damages bristles and loosens ferrule
• Using hot water: Can damage synthetic bristles
• Scrubbing on canvas: Wears down bristles prematurely
• Storing wet: Causes mold and bristle damage
• Using wrong brush for medium: Watercolor brushes aren't suitable for thick acrylics

Ready to Start Your Painting Journey?

With the right brushes and knowledge, you're ready to create beautiful artwork. Whether you're painting landscapes, flowers, animals, or your own photos, quality brushes make all the difference.

Explore our collections:

• Super Deluxe Nylon Brushes - Premium quality for serious artists
• Premium Brush Sets - Complete collections for every technique
• Paint by Numbers Kits - Includes brushes and everything you need

Enjoy painting your masterpiece with the perfect brushes!

Share your artwork with #SwynkBrushTechniques - we love seeing your creative process!