Oil Painting Brushes Guide: Types, Shapes and Brush Sizes Explained

Choosing brushes can be confusing. I’ll make it simple by covering everything from shape, size, bristles, and brands.

Understanding Brush Shapes

Flat, filbert, and round — these three brush shapes cover most of what you’ll ever need.

Flat Brushes

Flat brushes have sharp edges. They are great for painting architecture, buildings, and geometric objects. Depending on how you hold the brush, you can achieve a wide variety of brush markings. You can create broad strokes, chiseled ones using the tip of the brush, thin lines, and sharp edges when blocking in areas.

Since I paint a lot of architectural landscapes, flat brushes are the perfect choice to paint structures with clarity. Almost 70-80% of my painting is rendered with flat brushes.

Long, straight strokes are much easier to pull off with a flat brush. You can also use just the tip of the brush to render smaller, controlled strokes with precision.

There is a shorter version of flat brushes, known as brights. They are stiffer and provide more controlled strokes.

Filbert Brushes

Filberts have a rounded tip. They are great for painting organic and natural forms — like portraits, wildlife, and clouds. The curved edge gives you softer, blended strokes without any harsh lines. You can achieve a variety of marks — gentle curves, tapered strokes, and smooth transitions — just by adjusting the angle and pressure.

Filberts are perfect for blending colors and shaping rounded forms with a more natural and fluid feel.

Round Brushes

Last but not least, round brushes have a pointed tip. They are mainly used for line work and small details. These brushes can create thin to medium lines depending on the pressure you apply. They're great for detailing, adding accents and highlights, lettering, and signing your artwork.

However, they don’t hold as much paint as flats or filberts, and their shape can be limiting when coverage is concerned. Therefore, I use them sparingly, mostly at the end stage of painting where I add the finishing details.

There are specialized forms of round brushes called liner and rigger. They have thin, long bristles that carry more paint and provide uninterrupted strokes, something standard round brushes can't do easily.

You’ll also come across other brush types—like fans, daggers, and more—but you don’t need them all. I stick to flats for most of my work and bring in filberts or rounds when needed.

Brush Handle Length

Brush handles come in two main lengths: long and short. Long handles are approximately 11 inches, while short ones are around 7 inches.

Long-handles are great for the early blocking stages. They encourage you to stand back and see the painting as a whole. Short handles, on the other hand, offer better control, making them ideal for fine details.

Natural vs. Synthetic Bristles

Brush hair comes in two main types: natural and synthetic. Natural bristles, like hog hair, hold more paint and provide beautiful textures. They are ideally suited for thicker applications. However, they wear down over time but retain their shape well.

Synthetic brushes are more springy and durable. However, they tend to lose their shape faster and hold a bit less paint. I use a mix of both to keep a variety of textures in my work.

Understanding Brush Size

Brush size numbering can be a bit confusing. Different brands use different measurements. I’ve noticed that more expensive brushes are actually smaller for the same number.

The photo above shows two black handle brushes with similar widths for the same number 4, while the Escoda in beige handle is different.

Now, what size of brushes you need will depend on the size of your paintings. I usually paint on medium-sized canvases, which are around 16x20 inches. For me, sizes 2, 4, and 6 work well most of the time, but I do have a couple of size 8s for specific scenarios. For larger pieces, go for bigger brushes; it will speed things up for you.

Recommended Oil Painting Brush Brands

When it comes to brands, here are a few I recommend:

Starting with Daler Rowney, it offers two solid options - Graduate and Georgian. They have some really affordable but reliable brushes. Graduate is their student line, while Georgian is more for professionals.

Next is Rosemary & Co. Their ivory line is my go-to for each painting and a personal favorite. The craftsmanship on these brushes is top-class, with the right amount of spring and bristle density. I have been using these for a couple of years now. Despite some wear in shape from regular use, they’ve held up remarkably well and still maintain their bounce.

I have restocked my brushes and just received a shipment this month, so I am good for the next couple of years now. The only downside is that Rosemary brushes are only available in the UK, so shipping and customs can bump up the total cost a bit.

You can check out the Rosemary and Co brushes. You can use my affiliate code SHREYASFA.

Next is Princeton's Aspen, another high-quality line that comes quite close to the Rosemary brushes. They have a very well-defined shape and provide crisp edges while painting.

Princeton also offers a Velvet Touch line. These are great soft synthetics for detailed work.

Starter Brush Set for Beginners

If you are a beginner, I suggest starting with fewer brushes, probably just 4 or 5. Rest assured, you can do plenty with them. Here’s a great starter set:

Shape	Size	Count
Flats	2 & 4	1 each
Filbert	4	1
Round or Liner or Rigger	2	1

If you are already into oil painting and want to invest more in your brush inventory, I recommend having a pair of the same size brushes, separate for darks and lights.

Personally, my set of brushes during a painting session includes:

Shape	Size	Count
Flats - Long Handle	2 & 4	2 each
Flats - Short Handle (soft synthetic)	4	1
Filbert	4	1
Round and Rigger	2	1 each
Flats	6 or 8	1

Conclusion

To wrap it up, you don’t need a massive brush collection to start oil painting. A few well-chosen brushes will go a long way. As your older brushes wear out, that’s the perfect time to try new sizes or brands and slowly build your collection.

Hope this guide to oil painting brushes was helpful, you can also checkout my youtube video on it below.

Youtube Video: Best brushes for Oil Painting

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