Here’s our review of the best acrylic paint brushes for artists.
The best paint brushes for acrylic painting are durable, versatile, and can last a long time.
There are a lot of different brush types to choose from and it’s important to get the right brush set that suits your needs.
As an artist, nothing is more frustrating than buying art supplies that end up not matching expectations. That’s why I spent a day researching brushes for acrylic painting.
And I found that the Benicci Professional Artist Paint Brush Set is a great choice for most artists.
But every artist is different. So, I’ve included a few other options that might be better for you.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
5 Best acrylic paint brushes
Here are the five best acrylic paint brushes that I have found from my research.
1. Benicci Professional Artist Paint Brush Set – Best overall
The Benicci Professional Artist Paint Brush Set is a great brush set for beginner artists. It comes with flat and round brushes in many different sizes. It also comes with a fan brush and a filbert brush. This set is quite versatile and can pretty much cover most of your painting needs. The brushes work great with acrylic paint as well as watercolor and oil paint. The brushes are synthetic like other brush sets in this list and are good quality for the price.
The main downside with this set is that it does appear to have some manufacturing defects from time to time. Some users reported the brush head falling off the handle on the first use. But you can just request a replacement or refund when that happens. The set also doesn’t have an angled brush so you’ll have to buy it separately if you need one.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good variety | Some manufacturing defects |
| Great for beginners | No angular brush |
| Good with acrylic, watercolor, oil |
2. BOSOBO Paint Brushes Set – Best budget
The BOSOBO Paint Brushes Set is a great brush set for beginners if you’re on a tight budget. It comes with flat, round, liner, and filbert brushes in various sizes which can cover most of your needs. Note that the set has 20 brushes but only 10 different brushes (2 sets of 10 brushes). This saves you the trouble of having to buy another set since you have a backup set. This set is quite affordable compared to other sets.
The main downside with this set is that the variety is a bit limited. It covers the basics, but it lacks the fan and angled brushes. The brushes in this set also lean towards the smaller size which makes it perfect for small and medium canvases. But, if you’re looking to paint on a bigger canvas, you might want to pick other sets.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very affordable | Limited variety |
| Duplicate brushes in case one breaks | |
| Wide variety of brush sizes |
3. Princeton Velvetouch – Best quality
The Princeton Velvetouch brush set is a great choice if you’re looking for a higher quality brush set. The set comes with four brushes: round, long round, angled, and wash (flat) brush. These brushes are synthetic and are made with exceptional quality. They are durable and work well with acrylic, watercolor, and oil paint. They’re also more comfortable to hold.
The main downside with these is that they’re a bit more expensive. They also have a limited brush variety. It’s enough to get you started, but it might not be good if you want to try out a wide variety of brushes.
| Pros | Cons |
| Exceptional quality | A bit expensive |
| Great for acrylic, watercolor, oil | Limited brush types |
| Durable | |
| Comfortable to hold |
4. LorDac Arts Paint Brush Set
The LorDac Arts Paint Brush Set is another great brush set for acrylic painting. It comes with 3 different round brushes, 2 flat brushes, a filbert brush, and an angular shader. This is enough to cover most of what you’ll be using while painting with acrylic. The set also comes with a traveling bag which is quite convenient.
The only downside is that it’s slightly more expensive. But, the quality is good for the price.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great for traveling | Slightly more expensive |
| Good quality for the price | |
| Good variety |
5. Artecho Art Paint Brushes Set
The Artecho Art Paint Brushes Set is a great brush set for acrylic painting if you’re looking for a wide variety of brushes. It comes with liner, round, angular, flat, filbert, fan, 1-inch flat, and 2-inch flat brushes. This set pretty much covers every brush type you’ll ever need when it comes to acrylic painting. This set is great for beginners and works great with acrylic paint. The set also comes with a storage bag which makes it easy to store and travel with.
The main downside with this is that some people find that the bristles are a bit soft and thin for them. Some also said that the bristles tend to shed when you start using them. To avoid excessive shedding, try not to submerge your brushes in water for too long.
| Pros | Cons |
| Wide variety of brushes | Bristles are a bit soft and thin |
| Good for beginners | Bristles shed |
| Great for acrylic paint | |
| Good for traveling | |
| Affordable |
What to consider when choosing brushes for acrylic painting
Here are a few things to consider when picking the best acrylic paint brushes.
Natural vs Synthetic
Paint brushes can be categorized into two types of bristles: natural and synthetic. Natural brushes are great for oil painting because of the heavier texture of the paint. They can also retain their shapes well. But, they can be damaged by acrylic paint over time so I recommend avoiding natural brushes. Because of this, I didn’t include any natural brushes in this article.
Synthetic brushes work great with acrylic. They are easier to clean and can be submerged in water for longer than natural brushes. They don’t hold their shapes as well, but they are more durable and cost less. When painting with acrylic, it’s always better to go with synthetic brushes.
Brush types
There are various brush types for you to consider. Understanding them will allow you to pick a brush set with the types of brush heads that you want.
Mop
This type of brush has a slightly round head which allows you to create a wide broad stroke for the initial wash. You can also use it for blending. But, this type doesn’t work well with stiffer acrylic paints because they generally have softer hair.
Wash
Wash brushes generally have a flat head that is wider which makes it great for the initial wash. You can easily cover a large surface area with this type of brush. But, that’s really the only thing that these brushes are good for.
Flat
Flat brushes are great for wide sweeping strokes that require a lot of paint. They are also good at blending large areas and making long solid strokes. The tips and edges can also create thinner lines which give you more flexibility. These brushes are best for small and medium canvases where the wash brush might be too large.
Round
Round brushes are generally great for fine details, especially the ones with pointier ends. Round brushes with fine tips are also great at adding high lights in small areas. Thick round brushes are good for filling areas.
Filbert
A filbert brush is like a flat brush but with a slightly rounded tip. This type of brush is great for blending. It’s also versatile because you can switch between rounded and flat strokes.
Fan
Fan brushes are generally great at painting tree leaves, branches, and adding highlights to clouds, mountains, and water. These brushes can give you a slightly textured look, but they might not work well if they’re too soft.
Angled
Angled brushes are good for creating lines that go from fine to thick like in tree trunks or branches. They’re also great for filling in corners and painting curved strokes.
Rigger/liner
Rigger or liner brushes are brushes specifically designed for finer details and line art. They are great for thinner lines and work by absorbing the shaking from your hand which makes the line looks smoother.
How to clean and maintain brushes
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you clean and maintain your brushes so that they can last a long time.
When you’re painting:
- Keep a small bucket/cup of water to rinse and clean your brush as you paint.
- Remember to clean and wash your brush in the bucket before switching brushes so that the paint doesn’t dry out on the brush you set off to the side.
- Avoid submerging your brush in the water for too long because it can make the adhesive loose and the bristle will fall out easier.
- Blot your brush with a piece of paper towel as you paint to wipe off excess water and paint.
When you’re cleaning:
- Start by wiping off excess paint (if there is a lot) with a piece of cloth or paper towel. Pinch with your thumb and index finger while you wipe.
- Wash with cold water and rub/wiggle with your fingers. Don’t use hot water as that can make the paint set rather than help remove it.
- Use mild soap or a brush cleaning soap for a deeper cleanse.
- Dry the brush on a piece of clean cloth or paper towel.
- Let the brush air dry before storing it in a cool, dry place.
Be sure to also check the ferrule (the metal part of your brush) for any cracks or damage from time to time. You can also trim frayed and remove loose bristles to keep your brush in shape.
Try to avoid letting the paint dry on your brush because it makes it much harder to clean. But, if you accidentally let the paint dry on your brush, you can submerge it in a brush cleaner before rinsing to help clean off the brush. Here’s an excellent article that goes into greater detail on how to clean your brush.
Our verdict
Paint brushes come in many different shapes and forms. A good brush set should be durable and versatile so that it lasts a long time and cover your needs.
Every artist is different so be sure to consider which types of brushes you need and pick the right brush set for you.
But the Benicci Professional Artist Paint Brush Set is a great choice for painting with acrylic paint.
