Brushes Matter: The Paintbrushes I Reach For (and the Ones I Don’t)
I used to think a paintbrush was just a handle with some bristles attached. Then I spent enough time fighting the wrong brush to realize the tool really does matter.
A brush changes how much paint you can carry, how a stroke starts and ends, whether an edge stays crisp, and whether you can make a mark confidently instead of scrubbing at the canvas. A good brush won’t paint the picture for you, but the wrong one can make painting harder than it needs to be.
I’ve bought more brushes than I probably need. These are the ones I keep reaching for—and the ones that haven’t found the same place in my rotation.
My favorites
Princeton Aspen: my workhorse
The Princeton Aspen series is my dependable, firmer brush. I like it when I want the paint to move, the stroke to keep its shape, or the brushwork to stay visible. Flats and brights are great for blocking shapes and laying in edges. An angle is handy when I want a controlled corner without changing brushes.
Other painters often praise Aspen for holding its shape and carrying a surprising amount of paint for a firm synthetic. That balance is a big part of why I like it. The tradeoff is that Aspen can be too assertive for a very soft transition, a delicate wash, or a hairline detail. It wants to leave a mark. Sometimes that’s the whole point.
SDANART angular brushes and filberts
These are useful shapes that can do more than one job. An angular brush gives me a pointed corner and a broad side: I can work along an edge, pull a tapered stroke, or use the side for a wider pass. A filbert has a rounded end, so it makes softer shapes and edges than a flat. I like it for rounded forms and blending without making everything look squared off.
I reach for these when I want more control than a broad brush gives me, but I’m not looking for tiny detail. They aren’t my heavy scrubbers, and a small angle brush won’t cover a big canvas quickly. They’re handy for controlled marks and softer edges.
KINGART Original Gold 9500 filberts
The 9500 filberts are golden taklon synthetics. Their rounded edge is useful for shaping and blending forms, petals, clouds, and other curved marks. KINGART describes the line as durable and suitable for multiple painting media; I like the filbert shape because turning the brush can take a mark from broader to narrower.
They’re not what I’d choose for a sharp square corner or rough, bristly texture. For that, I’d pick up a flat or an Aspen. These are the friendly ones in the drawer: forgiving, useful, and easy to steer.
KINGART 1050A oval mop brushes
These are the very soft ones: natural goat hair shaped into flat oval mops. I reach for them to soften a transition, haze an edge, or make a gentle pass after the stronger brush shapes have done their work. They can take the hard edge off a cloud, distant ridge, or atmospheric passage.
That softness is also their limit. I wouldn’t ask one to push thick acrylic around, cut a crisp edge, or hold a sharp point. It’s a softener, not the brush I hand to a paint fight.
ZEM deerfoot stipplers
A deerfoot stippler earns its keep through texture. Its angled head can tap, pounce, and scumble broken marks that suggest foliage, grasses, fur, stone, or patches of uneven light. I like it when a neat, even stroke would make nature look like it had been combed.
This one has a specific job. It’s not for laying down a smooth field or drawing a delicate continuous line. Load it lightly and tap or drag; if you press and smear it like a regular flat, you lose the reason for using it. ZEM describes its deerfoot shape for stippling and pouncing.
Jerry Q liner brushes
Liners are for long, narrow marks: branches, grasses, stems, and small accents. Jerry Q makes liner brushes in a range of sizes, so I can pick a dedicated line brush instead of trying to coax a detail out of something too broad.
They aren’t for filling areas, and they aren’t magic pens. A liner needs an appropriate amount of paint and a steady pull. Overload it, or use paint that’s too thick, and your fine line can wobble, break, or turn into a little rope.
The brushes I reach for less
Liquitex brushes—
Liquitex brushes are a good example of personal preference not being a universal product review. Plenty of painters praise them for smooth application and comfortable handling. I’ve tried them, and I still reach for other brushes first. They’re not the feel I want for most of my painting. If they work beautifully in your hand, that’s a good reason to use them.
PalettePro brushes—
This one stings a little because I paid real money for them. They haven’t become regulars in my rotation. At that price, I want to reach for them without thinking; instead, I keep choosing the brushes that already feel right. That’s my personal value judgment, but an expensive brush still has to earn its spot.
Fuumuui brushes—
These guys have plenty of fans and come in a wide range of shapes and sets. They simply haven’t become my go-to brushes. I don’t need a big set for the sake of owning a big set; I want a few tools that feel right in my hand and suit the marks I actually make. These are usually pretty cheap and they act cheap—IMO. 😎
So, do brushes really matter?
Absolutely. Not because expensive brushes make someone a better artist, and not because there’s one correct brand. They matter because different shapes, stiffness, and hair types make different marks. If a stroke is frustrating you, sometimes it isn’t your hand failing—the brush may be the wrong tool for that job.
My practical advice is to buy one or two shapes for the work you actually do: a firmer flat for paint and edges, a filbert for rounded forms, a soft mop for blending, a stippler for texture, and a liner for fine lines. You don’t need every brush in the store. You need the ones that help you paint the way you want to paint.
And if you try a brush everyone else loves and it does nothing for you, that’s allowed. A brush can be well made and still not belong in your hand.
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