As you likely know, paint brushes come in what seems like an unlimited variety of shapes and sizes, bristle types and price. Knowing the difference between natural and synthetic bristle paint brushes will help you figure out what to choose for your next DIY project.
- Dip the brush directly into the paint up to 1/3 of the length of the bristles. This stops the brush from being overloaded with paint and prevents dripping. Tap both sides of the brush lightly against the side of the can or pail. This loads the paint more on the interior of the brush.
- Huge range of paint brushes and varnish brush emulsion brushes for secure on-line ordering and delivery throughout the UK including Prodec, Wooster, Hamilton Acorn, Proform, Purdy, Harris and Corona.
- Bizwizz Professional Paint Brushes with No Loss of Bristle Paintbrush Heads 1 Piece Pack, –(Emulsion Brush)(Wooden Handle Paint Brush)((4'/10cm, Wood Handle) 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,383 £6.99 £ 6.
Fast Isn’t Always Best. When it comes to painting fast, the most important speed we’re talking about. Featuring all the variety of brushes you'll need to splash your way to perfection, these sets won't just help you get the job done quickly but will also ensure a professional-quality finish. And for those harder-to-reach areas, don't miss our long handled paint brush, which is designed to get into every nook and cranny.
Natural
As the name suggests, natural bristle paint brushes are made from natural animal hair such as hog, sable and badger.
When to Use Natural Bristle Brushes
Natural bristle brushes are great when you are using:
- Oil-based paint
- Varnish
- Shellac
- Shellac-based primer
- Alkyd enamels
- Stain
- Polyurethane
- Chalk-based paint
- Milk paint
- Clay-based paint
The Good
These type of bristles actually split naturally which makes them designed to pick up, hold and distribute natural paints and can speed up painting. The soft flexibility of natural bristle brushes help to apply a thin, even layer of paint reducing streaks and distributes paint evenly. When using these brushes with natural paints (chalk/milk/clay-based) there is less chance of streaking than with synthetic brushes.
The Bad
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If you are looking for precision painting, natural brushes can be difficult to use.
Natural bristle brushes also shed the first few times you use them. If you have bought a quality natural brush, the bristles should stop shedding after the second or third use.
Synthetic
Synthetic bristles are made from materials like nylon, polyester or a mix of both.
When to Use Synthetic Bristle Brushes
Synthetic bristle brushes are great when you are using:
- Water-based latex paints
- Water-based primers
- Gloss Paint
- Acrylic paint
- Water-based wood finishes
The Good
Nylon brushes are durable, excellent paint pickup, and smooth finish.
Polyester brushes maintain their shape and control which is great for detail work.
Nylon/Polyester blend brushes combine all the positive qualities and is the most popular choice.
The smooth texture and springiness of the bristles make for an even finish aand great for woodwork and furniture in water based satin,eggshell and gloss finishes.
Modern synthetic brushes are excellent and have the advantage of being cheaper than natural hair.
The Bad
Nylon brushes soften in hot weather or after a lot of use with latex paint. Brushes can lose the ability to create a smooth, precise finish.
Polyester brushes have a lower paint pick up which means you will need to reload your brush more often.
Emulsion Paint Brush Cleaning
Paint with fast-drying ingredients (majority on the market right now) will stick to polyester making them harder to clean. If you look after these brushes, they’ll last for years.
What happens if you use the “wrong” bristled brush with the recommended paint?
If you try to apply latex paint with a natural-bristle brush, the bristles will absorb the water from the paint and become extremely limp, making it difficult to spread the paint smoothly.
If you try to apply chalk/clay-based paint etc. with a synthetic brush, you will likely have a lot of brushmarks and have a lot of extra work getting a smooth finish.
Not sure what size of brush to use either?
The size of the brush to use will really depend on the type of project you are tackling. Here is a short guide to help you get started. Don’t forget to read the packaging on each brush. Many manufacturers list the recommended use for their brushes.
4″ – 6″ This size would be great for painting large flat areas. I have one this size but have yet to use it!
2″ – 3″ The size I use the most! Great size for painting all types of smaller flat surfaces.
1″ – 1.5″ Perfect for more detailed smaller projects. Great for trim work on doors & walls too.
0.5” I have a ton of these small brushes for all my “crafty” projects.
Shapes
The shape of the brush can affect how easily you will be able to paint your project. A brush with a squared-off end works well for flat surfaces because it will hold plenty of paint and spread evenly. Angled brushes are for precise work on trim and corners because they allow for more control and a straighter line.
Do your really get what you pay for with a paintbrush?
As a general rule, you do get what you pay for with paintbrushes. Although I have a lot of inexpensive brushes in my workshop, I have found that I keep going back to the more expensive brush. I am currently using a Cling-On brush, which I paid $30 CND, and LOVE it because of the smooth finish I achieve.
Quality brands to check out:
- Cling-On! – synthetic bristle brushes
- Zibra – synthetic bristle brushes
- Purdy – offers both synthetic and natural bristle brushes
- Wooster – offers both synthetic and natural brushes
- Staalmeester – synthetic / natural bristle blend
Don’t forget about Prep Work!
Even the perfect paint brush isn’t a guarantee for a smooth, flawless finish. If you haven’t prep your surface properly, you will be disappointed with the final product. Do you need a refresher on what steps to take for proper prep work? Check out the blog post I wrote 7 Steps To Prep Furniture .
Ever wonder just how to paint a smooth surface without leaving brush marks?
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You see all these items in your house that are painted with a brush, such as cabinets, furniture, railings, trim, baseboards, and other woodwork, yet you don’t see brush marks when a professional does it.
What’s their secret?
When you do it, after everything dries, you see a line-up of deep canyons left behind by the brush. They show your every move, each bristle and strand of brush marks going where you went with your brush.
The truth is there’s no magic going on with the pros. They just use the tricks of the trade. Knowledge + technique + a little experience goes a long way to getting your professional painting look.
Covered below, we open up the book on how to avoid brush marks and also see if you can fix brush marks that are already there.
5 Steps to No More Brush Marks
Here’s the best 5 tips to use to get the most professional look out of your brush painting.
1. Fast Isn’t Always Best
When it comes to painting fast, the most important speed we’re talking about is paint drying time. What’s that old saying about something extremely slow and boring– “it’s like watching paint dry!”
The main reason you get paintbrush marks in the first place is because the paint hasn’t flowed out completely before it’s dried.
So, the first tip in avoiding paintbrush lines is to buy slow-drying paint. This is usually higher quality paint that is labeled to take up to 24-hours to dry.
Beware of labels that say “dry to the touch” after a couple hours, or Quick-Dry. While this might be helpful if you’re in a hurry to complete a project, it may not lead you to the best results.
You really do want to remember that phrase from above about watching paint dry. Remember an even better phrase too when it comes to painting: “Slow Makes Paint Flow!”
And flowing paint means a smoother finish.
The only word of caution here is to be careful not to bump the paint or handle painted surfaces while they’re drying since you may be used to faster drying times.
2. Go Horizontal
A second trick to help you avoid those unwanted brush marks is to always paint on a horizontal plane if possible.
In other words, take down doors for painting or paint trim before installing. This will allow you to lie them flat and paint on top of them, so paint can flow evenly as it dries.
One of a painters best tools is actually a pair of saw-horses. These also help make painting large or long pieces easy as they can be positioned at just the right level.
This tip really piggy-backs off of the first one above about paint flowing. A nice, flat surface will allow gravity to pull the paint in all directions evenly…like a small pebble dropping in a placid lake.
So what happens when you paint vertically?
When you paint up and down with a brush those vertical brush lines just stay there as nothing allows them to spread out into each other.
You want those ridges from your brush strokes to flatten out, going side-to-side.
3. Go with the Grain
Another tip that you may already know (but need to do!) is to paint with the grain on wood surfaces.
Go in the same direction as the grain so that any brush strokes that do end up showing, will not be as noticeable.
4. Don’t Skimp, Do Two Coats
Next, realize that just about every paint job, done well, will need at least two coats. This is exactly whatgood, professional painters do.
That means, don’t try to lather it on thickly and soak it on in one coat.
Just make sure to cover the surface area with a good amount of paint evenly. Let it dry, and then come back and apply the second coat.
5. A Quality Brush Means a Quality Job
Finally, always (a big always!), buy a quality paintbrush. You’ll know it’s good because it’ll be a little more expensive than the rest on the shelf.
With proper paintbrush cleaning and care, you’ll have your brush for a long time. Bristles and hairs on these brushes will be of varying lengths and have a “slit-end” look at the ends of them instead of coming to a small point.
This “non-uniform” end lets paint clump more there, giving you a smoother application as paint glides on. Think of layered bangs in a good haircut, or carpeting with many fibers of different lengths – that’s what you’re after.
Now, if for any reason you didn’t end up with a really smooth surface and the paint has already dried, you can carefully sand down the fine grooves and ridges left by a brush with a fine, 120-grit type sandpaper.
Go over with a lint-free damp cloth to clean and try painting again keeping the tips above in mind.
There you have it, a few basic how-tos on avoiding paintbrush marks.