What Every Painter Should Know About Oil Brushes

John Paints with a Special Long-Handled Bristle Flat to Get Some Distance

We are often asked for recommendations about which oil brushes to buy. Anyone who walks into a well-stocked art supply store is immediately impressed, if not overwhelmed, with the huge selection of brushes available for painting in oil. There appears to be a brush type made for every possible application in a wide variety of tip sizes, shapes and lengths. It can be confusing in the extreme. On top of that, every major art materials manufacturer sells not only their own professional line, but also a student line or two and perhaps a signature line by a well-known artist. Which ones to buy?

Unfortunately for the artist, there is no easy formula to determine which is the best brush for you, how you like to paint and what surface you like to paint on. Most artists we know have arrived at their favorite oil brushes through trial and error. This means buying many brushes over time, some which you will wind up liking…