Anatomy of an Artist Brush

Parts of a Brush

1. the handle (usually made of wood)
2. the ferrule (which holds the hairs onto the handle)
3. the hairs or bristles (which can be synthetic or natural).

Brush heads are made with a variety of bristles, natural soft animal hair, and synthetic materials. Five  of the most common styles/shapes for brushes:

• Rounds. Have a simple tubular shape with a semi-blunt point allowing for a great variety of strokes. Rounds are used for detail work.

• Flats. Thinner and wider than rounds with bristles squared off at the point. These brushes give a soft brush stroke and carry a lot of paint. Flats are good for blocking in color, shading, blending and highlighting.

• Brights. This is a stiff brush for making short flat strokes and blending. Brights work well with heavy mediums.

• Filberts. With this brush you can get both detail strokes and, using the angular edge, a broader stroke with soft edges.

• Fan. These broad brushes are used to make highlights, blending and glazing.

Additional specialty styles include:

• Angular

• Liner

• Deerfoot

• Dagger

• Script

• Shader

• One Stroke

• Flat Wash

• Oval Wash

Explore these and other unique brush styles from our popular Black Gold by Dynasty, Dynasty Brush Series, Eye of the Tiger Series, Mastodon Series, Symmetry Brush Series, Black Silver by Dynasty and many more.

Artist Brushstrokes - Artist Brush Styles - For All Paint Mediums

Brush Styles & Usage

Choosing the proper brush for your next art project will ensure you bring our art work to life with ease.  Knowledge of the the brush style, brush hair, ferrule and type of handle (long or short) are all important components to become familiar with prior to making your brush investment.  If you are having trouble deciding on a brush use the Brushstrokes Brush Buddy to take the guess work out of selecting the perfect brush.