The 5 Best Acrylic Paint Brush Sets in 2023 – Artlex
Good acrylic paint brush sets can make a big difference when painting with acrylic paints. When shopping for the best acrylic paint brushes, look for the type of bristles each brush has, how many acrylic paint brushes come in the set, the shapes included, and whether the handle is long or short.
Fun fact: Paint brushes were used over two million years ago and were made of natural hair.
Nowadays there isn’t much difference between synthetic acrylic brushes and natural hair brushes for acrylic paint. As a general rule, acrylic paint brushes can also be used for oil painting, but usually not watercolors.
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Acrylic Brushes
Understanding the different brush types and what each brush shape is used for is imperative when choosing the right acrylic paint brushes for acrylic painting.
Natural or Synthetic Bristles
Natural hair bristles are made with animal hair fibers from hog, sable, or squirrel. Hog paint brushes have stiff bristles used mainly for flat brushes while sable and squirrel are soft and can hold a lot of acrylic paint without dumping it on the canvas or paper.
Synthetic brushes are made out of synthetic fibers, usually nylon, and have come a long way from when they first came out. Some professionals will now paint with certain brands of synthetic brushes like Da Vinci. These are mainly used for their quality and likeness to natural hair bristles.
Wash Brushes
A wash paint brush is one of the largest and thickest acrylic paint brushes. Unlike a flat brush that has a perfectly flat tip, a wash brush has a slightly rounded head.
They’re the best brushes for creating broad wide strokes over large surfaces and an initial wash. A flat brush can then be used to create more texture or for smaller canvases.
Flat Brushes
A flat brush comes in different sizes and has a flat top. They’re the best brushes for a smaller canvas where a wash brush is too large.
These acrylic paint brushes are useful for sweeping strokes that require a lot of acrylic paint. The tip and edges of a flat brush can also be used to create thinner lines.
Round Brushes
Of all the brushes, a round-shaped brush is one of the most versatile paint brushes for any media. They are round with a pointed tip and come in a small rigger or short-liner brushes. It is best for fine details with a large thick brush for a larger painting.
The fine tip of a round brush can also be used for small highlights or details such as adding branches to a tree.
Filbert Brushes
A Filbert brush is the best of all worlds between round, flat, and wash paint brushes. The edge of the Filbert brush is slightly rounded and can create rounded and flat edges in one brush.
A Filbert is one of the best paint brushes for creating washes without paint brush marks. Most professional acrylic artists purchase a separate, high-quality Filbert art brush for its versatility.
Fan Brushes
Acrylic painters’ art supplies wouldn’t be complete without a fan brush in an acrylic paint brush set. A fan brush usually must be purchased separately.
They are mainly used for painting trees, bushes, and branches or to add highlights to clouds, mountains, or water scenes.
Angled Brushes
One of the more widely used brushes for acrylic painting, an angled paint brush has a tilted head and is best used for creating fine to thick lines, such as a tree trunk. It’s also one of the more durable brushes used for acrylic paint.
Our Recommendation List for the Best Acrylic Paint Brushes
#1 Best Acrylic Paint Brush Overall – Soucolor Paint Brushes
- Price – ~$6.79 – Our score: 9/10
- Type of bristles – Synthetic bristles – Our score: 9/10
- Pieces – 20 – Our score: 9/10
- Shapes – Variety – Our score: 9/10
- Handle – Small – Our score: 8/10
The synthetic fibers of this Soucolor brush set make up one of the best complete sets of brushes for acrylic paint. The set includes several brush types including a round brush, Filbert, flat, liner, and riggers.
The mid-sized round brush is excellent for painting details or filling in a larger area with paint. The complete brush set is good for oil paints or acrylics painting either on rocks or paint-by-number.
These painting brushes are some of the best quality brushes for the price. The soft tips should be wet before the first use and they must be cleaned after each use and dried properly to guarantee they last a long time.
Pros
- These soft synthetic brushes are easy to clean
- One of the best quality brushes for the price
- Has nickel-metal ferrules
- Can be used for acrylic paints, oil paint, or watercolor
Cons
- Does not come with a brush holder
2. Best Acrylic Paint Brush Set Mixed Fibers – A
- Price – ~$37.99 – Our score: 7/10
- Type of bristles – Synthetic and natural fibers – Our score: 9/10
- Pieces – 24 – Our score: 9/10
- Shapes – Variety – Our score: 9/10
- Handle – Long – Our score: 8/10
Ideal for acrylic painting, these painting brushes from Art Advantage are one of the best brushes for painting figurines or painting by number. The 12 nylon brushes come in six flat and six round brushes in a variety of sizes.
The natural brushes also come in six round and six flat brushes for 12 natural hog bristle brushes with sturdy, stiff bristles. The natural fibers are easily identifiable with their beige handles while the nylon bristles have a brown handle.
It includes a handy canvas material roll brush set holder. Sizes include 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 each available in natural and synthetic brushes.
Pros
- A nice range of sizes, fibers, and shapes for the price
- Comes with a roll for storing and transporting the acrylic brush set
- Perfect for oil and acrylic paints
- The slots can also accommodate fountain pens and other small pens or pencils
Cons
- Not artist-grade brushes
3. Best Synthetic Bristles Set– Mont Marte Synthetic Brushes
- Price – ~$9.99 – Our score: 7/10
- Type of bristles – Taklon synthetic fiber – Our score: 8/10
- Pieces – 6 – Our score: 8/10
- Shapes – Variety – Our score: 9/10
- Handle – Medium – Our score: 8/10
Beginners that would like synthetic brushes will appreciate this Mont Marte paint brush set. Ideal for acrylic paints, each synthetic brush resists shedding with its durable ferrule.
The round paint brushes come in sizes #6 and #16 which are good to paint thin lines. There are two flat brushes in sizes #8 and #10, while the versatile Filbert paint brushes come in sizes #8 and #10.
These paint brushes are great for acrylic painting on wood, ceramic, glass, or regular canvas. Each acrylic brush must be cleaned after use as leaving dried acrylic paint will ruin them.
Pros
- Can also be used as oil brushes
- One of the more versatile acrylic brushes sets
- Bristles vary from soft to stiff for mixed acrylic painting surfaces
- Has a black-coated brass ferrule
Cons
- These acrylic brushes are intended for acrylic paints and not for acrylic nail art
4. Best Natural Hair Brushes – Blick Master Kolinsky Sable Natural Hair Brushes
- Price – ~$118.55 – Our score: 7/10
- Type of bristles – Natural bristles – Our score: 9/10
- Pieces – 4 – Our score: 7/10
- Shapes – Round and flat – Our score: 8/10
- Handle – Long – Our score: 8/10
The art community, whether new to the world of acrylic painting or an avid painter will like the Kolinsky sable fibers of these Blick Master brushes. The natural fibers are made of the highest quality sable in long-handled paint brushes.
For acrylic painting, this simple four-brush set is great for beginners. The long handle makes painting broad strokes on larger canvases easier.
This set includes four shapes ranging from two small round #4 and #8, one #14 bright brush, and one #8 Filbert paintbrush. Each brush has a brass ferrule to hold the sable fibers in place and ensure it doesn’t shed.
Pros
- Kolinsky Sable is the top-of-the-line brush fiber for most painting mediums
- These brushes can also be used for watercolors, oil, as well as acrylic
- With proper care, these brushes can last decades and are a long-term investment
Cons
- A brush stand must be purchased separately
5. Best Professional Artist-Grade Brush – Da Vinci Acrylic Paint Brush Set
- Price – ~$109.01 – Our score: 8/10
- Type of bristles – Synthetic fiber – Our score: 8/10
- Pieces – 10 – Our score: 9/10
- Shapes – Round and flat – Our score: 9/10
- Handle – Long – Our score: 8/10
Professional acrylic artists will like the variety and versatility of this 10-piece set of Da Vinci synthetic fiber brushes.
The set contains a flat brush in sizes that range from #2 to #16 and three round brushes in 1, 2, and 6 sizes. They each have nickel-plated brass ferrules to hold the combination of thinner and thicker fibers together without shedding.
These brushes are able to hold color better than most other synthetic brushes due to their combination hairs. Brushes are made in Germany and are available in either brown or white bristles.
Pros
- Contains more hair than standard synthetic brushes
- Cleans easily
- Has an ergonomic handle
- Likened to natural hair brushes
Cons
- Doesn’t include a Filbert with this set
Conclusion
We hope you found our guide to the best acrylic brushes helpful. We’ve covered the different types of acrylic brushes available along with our recommendations in various contexts.
We’ve discussed how you can choose the best acrylic paint brushes from synthetic brushes to natural brushes. Lastly, we’ve combined our recommendations for those acrylic paint brushes for beginners or professionals that include different brush sizes and shapes.
Thanks for reading. We hope our suggestions help you choose the best acrylic brushes, whether used for paint-by-number, to paint ceramic, or other art projects.
