Brushes for oil paint

Brushes for oil paint have stiffer bristles that hold thick oil colour straight from the tube and leave visible brushstrokes in the paint. Here you’ll find brushes the manufacturer has designated for oil painting: flat, round, filbert and fan brushes, as well as fine liners, available individually and in sets. The most common materials are natural hog bristle, used in ranges such as Daler Rowney Georgian, Graduate and Simply Oil, and synthetic hair, as found in Princeton Imperial Oil and Royal & Langnickel Mini Majestic. Many have long handles so you can paint at an easel with some distance between you and the canvas. Around two fifths of the brushes are designed exclusively for oil painting, while the rest work with several painting media, including acrylics.

Hog bristle, sable or synthetic hair?

Natural hog bristle is stiff and has split tips, so it holds plenty of thick paint and suits underpainting, impasto and bold brushstrokes. Softer natural sable, found in ranges such as Daler Rowney Georgian, leaves a smooth stroke for glazes, subtle transitions and detail work. Princeton Imperial Oil uses synthetic hair that mimics mongoose hair: it is softer than hog bristle but still holds thick paint. The fine synthetic hair in the Royal & Langnickel Mini Majestic and Da Vinci Nova ranges suits small details and smooth areas of colour.

Brushes for oil paint: which shape do you need?

A long handle lets you paint with your arm extended while keeping the whole picture in view. A short handle is enough for smaller canvases and painting at a table. If you’re just starting out, choose a set with several shapes and sizes – take a look at the paintbrush sets.

How do you clean oil paint from a brush?

Water won’t dissolve oil paint. First wipe off the excess paint with a cloth or paper towel, then rinse the brush in an artist’s solvent for oil colours or an artist’s turpentine substitute, and finally wash it with lukewarm water and soap until the lather stays clean. Reshape the hair with your fingers and leave the brush to dry flat. For painting, pick up some oil colours and stretched canvases too.