Do you ever get so overwhelmed by how many paintbrushes there are to choose from? When working with acrylic paint, the most important thing is to ensure that you select a brush that works well with this medium. That's why today we're looking at the best brushes for acrylic painting.
The best acrylic paint brushes don't have fibers falling out. This ensures that your artwork doesn't look sloppy because your acrylic paintbrush delivers clean and crisp lines. Another thing that differentiates the best brushes for acrylic painting from other brushes is that they hold onto the acrylic paint exceptionally well.
It doesn't matter whether you're a professional or a student. You should get yourself the best acrylic paint brushes to ensure that you don't compromise your artwork in any way. Here are the best brushes for acrylic painting, whether you are painting with acrylics on a top-rated stretched canvas made for acrylics or a piece of paper.
Best Brushes for Acrylic Painting
1. Royal and Langnickel Paint Brush Set
- Includes one set of 11 detail and short liner brushes in sizes...
- Professional artist grade brush for acrylics and oils
- Finest quality soft synthetic bristles
- Kiln-dried long hardwood handle featuring silk touch coating
- One set of 11 brushes includes: liners and short liners in sizes...
This acrylic paint brush set is best for you if you are working on a smaller scale. These best acrylic paint brushes are a professional artist-grade set for acrylics and oils and have the finest quality soft synthetic bristles.
This acrylic brush set includes 11 detail and short liner brushes which come in the sizes of 5/0, 10/0, 0, 20/0, and 3/0. The synthetic bristles of these acrylic paint brushes have a stiff backbone which is excellent for ensuring that you get the most accurate results from your acrylic painting.
Like most trademark acrylic paintbrushes, the ferrule on these acrylic painting brushes is made from black-coated brass. The best part about this factor is that it keeps all the paintbrush bristles in place while remaining rust-free.
Because these acrylic paint brushes are made for small detail strokes, you'll find that their handles are short with a beefy body to ensure that your hand doesn't get fatigued as you paint.
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2. da Vinci Oil & Acrylic Series
- 5 diameter top acryl synthetics are stiff yet flexible and long...
- With a precise snap, they are excellent for heavy body acrylics,...
- Certified green manufacturing with sustainable wood handles
- Nickel plated brass ferrules are the best money can buy Brush...
- Handmade in germany at our family owned factory since 1890
As a seasoned painter or even student, you've likely heard of da Vinci. Known for their high-quality and specialty brushes, da Vinci has served artists worldwide with their fantastic brushes for three generations.
This family-owned business produces hand-crafted brushes, including this top acryl long handle 3-brush set that includes series 7785 size 4, series 7485 filbert size 8, and series 7185 bright size 12. These best acrylic paint brushes are specially designed for heavy body acrylics, water-mixable oils, oils, and impasto painting.
Another thing you'll love about this acrylic paintbrush as a painter is the springiness of the bristles. This feature gives you control over your strokes, giving you the confidence and accuracy you need. Although other painting brushes from this brand usually cost a fortune, this acrylic paint brush set will cost you no more than &40.
Unlike other oil brushes made from kolinsky sable fibers, acrylic brushes are made from synthetic material, making them significantly cheaper. Nonetheless, you are assured complete value for your money with this acrylic paint brush set as they are made from high-quality, sustainable wood and materials.
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3. LorDac Arts Paint Brush Set
- ✔︎ PREMIUM DESIGN FEATURES — Benefits of Taklon synthetic...
- ✔︎ EXCELLENT VARIETY FOR MULTIPLE EFFECTS — 7 professional...
- ✔︎ GET THE PROFESSIONAL RESULTS YOU WANT — If you enjoy...
- ✔︎ SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AND VERSATILITY — Durable glue and...
- ✔︎ The Manufacturer, LorDac Arts, Offers You A 100% No Hassle...
These painting brushes are less prone to damage from your paints and other solvents. They are also less prone to breakage, which means that you don't have to worry about replacing them every time you use acrylic paints.
You'll also have an easy time cleaning them once you're done. This acrylic paint brush set includes three different rounds, including 2 Flats, 1 Filbert, and 1 Angular Shader. We especially recommend these painting brushes if you love outdoor painting.
These acrylic brushes are great, even if you are a beginner. The design of these paintbrushes is centered around short handles with a suitable brush size. The quality of these painting brushes is high and includes quality aluminum ferrules that ensure that the bristles stay intact. Also, the use of durable glue ensures that your painting brush doesn't break down as you paint.
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4. Loew-Cornell 1024947 Studio Elements Bristle Long Handle Round
- Hair select outstanding quality and durability
- Long handle set
- Nickel-plated ferrule pronounced secure crimp
- Country of Origin: China
We highly recommend the Loew-Cornell 1024947 Studio Elements Bristle Long Handle Round Brushes for artists seeking high-quality tools for acrylic painting that deliver precision and control.
Loew-Cornell 1024947 Studio Elements Bristle Long Handle Round Brushes are one of the reliable and functional tools that an artist may use for acrylic painting. They provide the best performance, comfort, and durability and, therefore, should always be part of an artist’s accessories.
While they may not be the best choice for ultra-fine details and may shed bristles initially, their overall quality and ease of use make them a fantastic choice for anyone looking to elevate their acrylic painting experience.
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5. Mont Marte Gallery Series Acrylic Brush Set
- 6 synthetic hair paint brushes included: 1 x round 6, 1 x round...
- Professional quality: brushes are made with taklon bristles
- Sleek design: gunmetal grey wooden handles and black ferrules
- Suitable for all skill levels
- Shed resistant: fine taklon bristles are held in black ferrules...
Our budget option has a sleek design that showcases gunmetal grey wooden handles and black ferrules. The best part about these paint brushes is that they are well-rounded, making them an excellent option for beginners and entry-level artists.
Although they are suitable for entry-level artists, you can still use these professional quality paint brushes. Made of Taklon bristles, these paint brushes come in a set that includes 1 x round 6, 1 x round 16, 1 x flat 8, 1 x flat 10, 1 x Filbert 8, and 1 x filbert 10.
The wide array of paint brushes allow you to get as creative as you can because you have brushes that are great for the finer details and other paint brushes that you can use for the larger washes in your art piece. The natural resistance to shedding when the brushes are soaked in water is another advantage you'll enjoy with these paint brushes, thanks to their synthetic fiber.
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Factors to Consider When Buying Best Acrylic Paint Brushes
1. Shape of Acrylic Paint Brush
Each shape of an acrylic paint brush delivers various stroke styles, making it have a different effect on your surface. Knowing which brush types to use to get your desired outcome is crucial. It will allow you to use the right brush for your intended stroke. Let's look at the various shapes.
a) Round or Pointed Brush
We've seen some great options for round brushes above. These types are great for detailed work, filling in small areas, controlled washes, creating thick and thin lines, and becoming wider the more you press them down.
It's advisable to use this brush shape with thinned paint as opposed to thick paint.
b) Pointed Round Brush
This painters' brush is narrower than its round counterpart above and has a sharply-pointed tip. It's great for delicate areas, fine details, spotting, lines, and retouching.
c) Flat Brush
This set is square-ended and has medium to long bristles. It's perfect for washes, bold strokes, filling wide spaces, stripes, and straight edges. If you want to use these quality brushes for vanishing, go for the long-haired flat brushes.
d) Bright Brush
The bristles on this brush are flat, with the edged curved inward at the tip. The hairs are short and great for artists who like these brushes.
This shape is suitable for painting with thick heavy color. Also, you'll get better results if you use short controlled strokes with this brush. Another tip when using this brush is to work up close to the canvas instead of working at a distance.
e) Filbert
The Filbert brush is flat and oval-shaped. It has a mix of medium to long bristles. This painting brush is good for soft rounded edges, blending, and detail.
This brush is a combination of the round shape and the flat shape because it can be used for detail and can cover more ground than the round brush.
f) Fan Brush
The Fan brush is flat with its bristles spread out like a fan. The natural hairs on this brush make it great for blending, smoothing, and feathering. On the other hand, synthetic hairs are great for painting leaves on trees, clouds, and other textural effects.
However, when using acrylics specifically, you should choose fan brushes that are strong and sturdy to prevent the hairs from clamping when you add the paint.
g) Angular Flat (Shader)
This brush is flat with angled hairs at its end. It's great for filling corners and painting curved strokes. If you have small areas that you are trying to reach, you can use the tip. You can also use it as the flat brushes when you want to cover lots of space.
h) Detail Round
Our last option on our shapes list is round and has short hairs and a short handle. You can use it for short strokes and details. However, be careful as it holds more color than you may anticipate.
2. Size
When it comes to size, the general rule of thumb is that:
- Small sizes are used for detail work - size six and below
- Mid-range sizes are for underpainting and color blocks - sizes 6-14
- Large sizes are for the initial wash - sizes 14 and above
However, note that your choice in the brush's size depends on the piece you are creating and your experience as an artist.
Some other points to note are that brushes from different brands may vary slightly in size even though they are in the same size class group. Therefore, if you're a professional grade artist, we recommend that you check out the manufacturers' website to get all the product details.
Details such as the width, length, and diameter of the brush they have are essential, especially when you want to replace your own. This is because it will allow you to compare with your own to get the same size.
3. Material
The material comes down to natural or synthetic? Soft or stiff? You need to know which kind of bristles work best for you and get those.
However, when it comes to acrylic painting, the story is a bit different because you'll find that expensive natural fibers aren't always the best for acrylics. Please note that you must never use animal hair fibers with acrylics.
There are two reasons for this. First, dried acrylic paint on your brush can cause the bristles to split or snap no matter how small the amount. If this happens, your brush will be ruined entirely, no matter how new or high-quality it is.
The second reason is that acrylic brushes are usually cleaned with water as you use them. Therefore, the hair will lose its springiness faster than synthetic fiber. If this happens, you end up with less control of your strokes than if you used synthetic fiber.
The last thing you want is your artwork to come out less impressive than you had expected because of your brush's material. All the options we've covered today are synthetic fibered so that you can choose your brush for acrylic painting from there.
Conclusion
Which one of these best brushes for acrylics did you love the most? Let us know how your next painting experience goes with your new brushes.
