Fan paint brushes

A fan brush has hairs spread into a thin semicircle in a flat ferrule, so it applies paint in many fine lines at once rather than in a single continuous stroke. Artists use it to paint grass, foliage, fur and clouds and to soften transitions between colours. Depending on the hair type, it suits oil, acrylic and watercolour painting. The range includes fan paint brushes from Princeton, Royal & Langnickel, Daler Rowney, Kreul, KOH-I-NOOR and da Vinci, as well as Meyco fan brush sets.

What can you paint with fan paint brushes?

Tap or drag a dry fan brush with a little paint across the canvas to create a tuft of grass, a tree canopy or an animal's fur. Sweep a clean, dry brush across the still-wet boundary between two colours to soften the transition without visible brushstrokes. You can also gently soften the edges of clouds or mist over a landscape.

The manufacturer also recommends the da Vinci 433 hog bristle brush for applying gold leaf.

Hog bristle or synthetic hair?

• Hog bristle – stiff natural hair leaves a pronounced texture in thick oil and acrylic paint. Examples include the Daler Rowney Georgian and Graduate ranges, Princeton Selectartiste, and brushes from Kreul and KOH-I-NOOR.
• Stiff synthetic hair – the synthetic bristles in the Princeton Catalyst and Umbria ranges or Daler Rowney System3 are resilient and can handle thick acrylic paint.
• Soft synthetic hair – the Princeton Velvetouch and Aqua Elite, Daler Rowney Aquafine and da Vinci Colineo ranges are for thinned paint, watercolour and smooth blending.

Small sizes such as 10/0 or 20/0 are for details and small formats, while larger sizes cover a wider strip. However, numbered sizes are not the same across all manufacturers, so stick to one range when buying additional brushes. Meyco fan brush sets with synthetic or natural hair offer several sizes together.

How does a fan brush differ from a flat brush?

A fan brush has a flat ferrule like a flat or filbert brush, but its hairs spread out into a fan rather than coming together in an edge. Flat paint brushes leave a straight edge and cover areas, while filbert paint brushes combine a broad stroke with a soft edge. A fan brush complements them when you want many thin lines instead of a single stroke. You can find other shapes, sets and brushes for different techniques among the painting brushes.