Last Updated on January 19, 2025 by Masha Eretnova
The right brush decides the future quality of the painting as much as well stretched and primed canvas and paint.
This is why when you start I recommend investing in a few best brushes for acrylic paint on canvas you can afford and artist-grade paint in a limited palette.
Over time, you will learn what shape is good for what kind of work and what shape and size really work for you.
A beginner can start by buying some essential brush shapes and sizes or to buy a good affordable set. The best brush for acrylic paint on canvas is a synthetic, stiff, and very durable paintbrush, like Princeton. If you don’t want to learn all shapes right now, buy a good set where you will have all your painting needs covered, like Mont Martre Paintbrushes set of 15.
Shapes, sizes, material – all of this and even how all parts of a brush were made are important for a good artist. It is not easy at all to pick a good brush today – there are tons of offers and of course, they will all state great quality and numerous features.
I will give you The best brush in my opinion and the best brush set, but I will explain why: in my article, there are no long text paragraphs, but each brush or brush set contains easy-to-read Pros and Cons and alternatives for acrylic brushes.
I am sure after reading my Buyer’s guide you will be very confident about your brush choice.
Table of content:
- What brushes to buy for acrylic paint on canvas
- The Best Brush for acrylic paint on canvas
- 12 alternative brushes for acrylic paint
- The best acrylic paint brushes for beginners
- 11 alternative acrylic brush sets for acrylic paint
- How to store and clean paintbrushes
If you purchase via the Blick or Amazon links below I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps me support my blog.
Related: 13 Best Brushes for Miniature Painting & Wargames Models [Brushes under $20 included]
THE BEST BRUSHES FOR ACRYLIC PAINT ON CANVAS UPFRONT
- Princeton Acrylic Paint Brush is the best brushes for acrylic painting for beginners and pros
- Mont Marte Art Paint Brushes Set of 15 is the best affordable brush set for acrylic paint on canvas for beginners
What brush shape do I need?
TAKEAWAY: To start get 3 shapes of brushes: round, flat and bright brushes.
There are 8 main brush shapes that you will discover learning and experimenting with:
Usually, when you’re buying a set of brushes, you will have all the main shapes and sizes.
| Brush shape | Use and description |
|---|---|
| Round | Has a large belly with a fine point. – can cover large areas easier – good for detailed work – create thin to thick lines Must have: a mid-sized round brush. Use with thinned paint |
| Pointed round | Has a sharp pointed tip. – good for detailed work, retouching – good for portraits |
| Flat | Has square, flexible ends – can make long even strokes – good for blending in large areas – good for painting large areas – toe and sides can be used for detailed work – good for thicker application and impasto – good for varnishing – large separate flat brush is great for gesso and varnish Large flat brush can also be called “wash brush” |
| Bright | Flat with edges curved inward at the tip, with shortish hairs. – good for thicker application – good for close work – short and controlled strokes |
| Filbert | Flat and oval-shaped end with medium to long hairs. – Filbert brush is good for blending on canvas – can be used both for detailed work and large areas – can be used for layering underpainting |
| Angular Flat | Flat with angled hairs at the end. – good for curved lines and filling corners and small areas – can cover large areas as a flat brush |
| Fan | Flat brush with spread hairs. – good for textural effects |
| Detail Round | Round, hairs shorter in length. shorter handle. – good for fine lines and detailed work |
If you want to save money, fan brushes, filbert, angeled and very tiny detailed brushes are not a necessity.
What size brushes are best for acrylic?
The size of the brush includes length, diameter, and width. Every shape can be in different sizes.
The size of the brush it is a number: #8, e.i.
You normally need 2-3 sizes of round, flat or filbert brushes. Most commonly used sizes are #2, #4, #6, #8 and #10. Sizes are not consistent through all brands so please test!
Normally,
- small-size (#0-#6) brushes are great for detailed work
- mid-size (#6-#14) brushes are quite universal, good for underpainting, coloring areas, and sometimes for details too
- large-size (#14 +) brushes are great for painting large areas and washes. I use large brushes for abstract painting a lot!
Size range is: 20/0, 12/0, 10/0, 7/0, 6/0, 5/0, 4/0 (also written 0000), 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30.
Sizes 000 to 20 are most common.
These “numbers” are not universal for brands, some brands may vary and if you are used to #4 of one brand, don’t assume it is the same for others.
What to do with it?
Make notes about brush sizes, check the product details about the length, diameter, and width of the brush before buying.
Short or long handle?
- Brushes with longer handles are useful for easel work when you want to paint from a distance that allows you to see the whole work at once.
- Short handles are recommended for table-top painting where the artwork lies flat, especially with water media.
The width of the brush stroke is not equal width of the brush itself!
The actual width of the stroke varies according to the amount of pressure used, the angle at which the brush is held, the media used, and the flexibility of the brush hair.
The brush stroke will vary depending on how you hold your brushes too.
Holding your brush close to the ferrule gives you the most control, great for painting details; holding near the end gives you lose strokes.
Natural or Synthetic Bristles?
TAKEAWAY: Choose synthetic acrylic brushes for beginners for acrylic painting.
Natural-hair brushes are not recommended for acrylic paint, because acrylics can damage natural bristles over time.
They are better for oil paint and, in fact, can be more expensive than synthetic brushes. Kolinsky sable is the most premium natural hair for brushes.
Do not buy squirrel natural brushes! The tend to be of worse quality.
Synthetic-hair brushes are made, generally, from nylon, taklon, or polyester and can be soft or stiff. They imitate nature hair but are easier to clean and perfect for acrylics.
Synthetic brushes can handle water, while natural ones don’t like it.
- nylon tend to have less streaks and last longer than other synthetic. It is one of the best choices.
As a beginner, you will have more controlled strokes with synthetic bristles.
Despite my recommendations, both natural and synthetic brushes can be of a great or poor quality! Go for popular brands and artist quality brushes only.
| Natural bristles | Synthetic bristles | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | better for oil paints than acrylics | better for acrylic |
| Price | more expensive | affordable |
| Stiffness | loses faster | loses over time |
| Ease to use for painting, blending, mixing | require skills | easier to use |
| Hair loss | happens often | bad with cheap brushes |
| Care | require more care | easy to care for |
| Brush strokes | softer but visible | smoother, almost no brushstrokes with the right technque |
| Ease to clean | tricky | super easy, soap and water. |
Read also: Is Acrylic Painting Expensive? Cost Breakdown From An Actual Artist
What Brush do I need for acrylic painting?
TAKEAWAY: You need a brush with firmly connected parts, no rust on the ferrule, no falling bristles. If you are pressing the bristles against a flat surface, they do not bend too close to the ferrule. Check that there isn’t a gap between the bristles and ferrule, where paint could accumulate.
A paintbrush has 4 main parts: a handle, a crimp, a ferrule and bristles.
- A handle helps us hold the paintbrush. It can be long or short, wooden or plastic.
- A crimp secures the handle and the ferrule together.
- A ferrule is a very important part – it firmly connects bristles and the handle. A good ferrule doesn’t rust or loosen.
- Bristles are hairs of our paintbrush. With bristles, we apply the paint. Good quality bristles don’t fall. Can be natural or synthetic, for acrylic we choose synthetic, but we’ll talk about it later. Bristles have a belly – the wide center part of the brush, and a toe – the very ending of the brush bristles which actually touch the surface.
The Best Brush for acrylic paint on canvas
Princeton Paint Brush are the best paint brushes for acrylic paint I know!
A great choice for beginners and intermediate painters. The manufacturer, Naohide Takamoto, produces brushes for 5 generations already – imagine the quality!
PROS:
- affordable bestseller, around $6 for flat #6
- NextGen synthetic filaments, durable, strong
- full range of shapes and sizes
- smooth and controlled stroke
- very comfortable handle
- Princeton has a variety of series of brushes and they are all of great quality (Snap, Velvet Touch, Lauren, etc)
CONS:
- only offer small sets
GREAT Alternatives to The Best acrylic paint brushes for beginners
Buying brushes or sets depends not only on shapes, sizes, and hair material but on your budget. Some brands are more expensive, like Da Vinci.
We picked some great brushes already, let’s have a look at good alternatives.
Here is the recap table of all alternatives followed by a review of each of them.
As we know, the price is very important for beginners, so I mention the price for flat brush #6 for each brand and the general price range to give you an idea.
| Paintbrushes for acrylic painting | Price for #6 |
|---|---|
| Princeton Velvetouch Series 3950 Synthetic Brushes and Set (BEST) | around $6 |
| Grumbacher Goldenedge Acrylic Paint Brush | around $11 |
| Blick Masterstroke Golden Taklon Brushes | around $6 |
| Blick Master Natural Bristle Brushes | around $11-12 |
| Blick Scholastic Wonder White Synthetic Brushes and Sets | around $5 |
| Da Vinci Nova Synthetic Brushes | only other sizes |
| Da Vinci Top Acryl Synthetic Brushes | only other sizes |
| Loew-Cornell American Painter Brushes | only other sizes |
| Royal Langnickel Zen All Media Brushes | around $4 |
| Utrecht Manglon Synthetic Brushes and Sets | around $6 |
| Winsor & Newton Artisan Brushes | around $8 |
| Winsor & Newton Monarch Acrylic Paint Brushes (Natural Bristles) | around $15 |
| ROSEMARY & CO Brushes Set | Shiraz #6 around $7-8 they have good sets, check price |
Grumbacher Goldenedge Acrylic Paint Brush
Grumbacher is one of the most famous brands when it comes to art supplies.
PROS:
- synthetic durable bristles
- controlled soft strokes
- comfortable handle
CONS:
- only limited sizes are available
- expensive
Blick Masterstroke Golden Taklon Brushes
PROS:
- Taklon bristles
- bestseller
- great control and absorbency
- a big choice of shapes and sizes
CONS:
- no sets
Blick Master Bristle Brushes
PROS:
- high-quality hand glued brushes
- high-quality durable bristles
- bestseller
- Lifetime Guarantee
- one of the widest choice of shapes and sizes
CONS:
- expensive
- only one set of 4 shapes is available
Blick Scholastic Wonder White Synthetic Brushes
PROS:
- cheap
- full range of sizes and shapes
- sets available
- good durable Taklon
CONS:
- student-grade quality
Da Vinci Nova Synthetic Brushes
PROS:
- responsive and controlled strokes
- short and long handles are available
- wood for the handle is from sustainable forest
CONS:
- not all shapes have all sizes
Da Vinci Top Acryl Synthetic Brushes
PROS:
- extra-strong, extra-smooth synthetic bristle
- very durable hairs due to the “interlock” effect
- short and long handles are available
- good for heavy-body paint, thick application, and impasto
- sets available
CONS:
- not all shapes have all sizes
- not all shapes are available
Loew-Cornell American Painter Brushes
PROS:
- synthetic golden Taklon hair
- handmade brushes
- controlled strokes
- high dexterity
- good for heavy-body paint, thick application
CONS:
- extremely small size and shapes range – only filbert, wash, and shader shapes available in 1-2 sizes.
Royal Langnickel Zen All Media Brushes
PROS:
- lightweight
- the handle is durable and waterproof
- controlled strokes
- cheap
CONS:
- not all users liked the bristles
Utrecht Manglon Synthetic Brushes and Sets
PROS:
- nice design: each shape has its own colored tag
- excellent paint capacity
- good with all kinds of acrylics, including heavy-body
- deep double crimping, very durable brushes
CONS:
- only one set of 4 is available
- pricey
Winsor & Newton Artisan Brushes
PROS:
- retain spring after contact with water
- controlled stroke
- durable and last long
- easy to clean
CONS:
- only available for North America
- expensive
Winsor & Newton Monarch Acrylic Paint Brushes
PROS:
- long handles
- variety of shapes and sizes
- good quality natural bristles designed for acrylics
- very responsive strokes
CONS:
- expensive
- not available in sets
Rosemary & Co Brushes Shiraz
Two times already I have seen super professional acrylic or water-based mediums artists using Rosemary brushes. They are rare creatures and you cannot find them on Blick or Amazon, only at Jackson (for watercolor or oils), but they are considered exteprt watercolor, acrylic and oil paint brushes.
The best option is to buy them through official site. The reviews for each brush are almost consistently 5 stars.
Shiraz series is what we may need for acrylic – they are synthetic brushes. The set of 8 Shiraz brushes costs about $50 and comes with most popular different brushshapes and sizes – no useless brushes. Not cheap but not bad for acrylic professional brushes! Check reviews and prices.
The Best acrylic paint brushes SET for beginners
Quick reminder: the best acrylic paint brushes for beginners are synthetic brushes of main shapes and sizes. Definitely pick some round, flat, and detail brushes to start your creative journey. You will need some small-sized brushes #2-4 for detailed work like round brushes, and sizes #6-12 to cover larger areas evenly.
The best acrylic paint brushes for beginners will come in sets. If you’re just starting, you don’t know yet techniques and how comfortable handles and sizes are.
Grab an affordable but durable and performant brush set and figure out your painting style through some tutorials. Then, you’ll be ready for Premier League and you are free to buy brushes of specific sizes and shapes individually depending on your project.
Mont Marte Art Paint Brushes Set of 15 is The best brush set for acrylic paint on canvas for beginners
This is the set of 15 brushes: 2 filbert (#4 and #8), 4 angle (#2, #5, #10, #12), 2 round (#3 and #7), 2 flat (#6 and #11), 1 fan, 1 rigger (#3/0), 1 liner and 1 mop brushes – all you need to start painting.
PROS:
- great for beginners
- good variety of brushes in shapes and sizes
- cheap $16.95 for 15 pcs
- carry case included
- handmade professional brushes
CONS:
- good for beginners, the pro will switch to buying brushes individually.
11 Acrylic Paint Brush Sets Alternatives
| Acrylic Paint Brush Sets for acrylic painting | Price |
|---|---|
| Mont Marte Gallery Series Acrylic Paint Brush Set – BEST VALUE FOR MONEY | around $9 for 6 pcs |
| Royal & Langnickel Acrylic Paint Brushes – for details & miniatures | around $20 for 11 pcs |
| Jerry Q Acrylic Paint Brushes | around $9 for 12 pcs |
| da Vinci Acrylic Paint Brushes – good small synthetic set | around $26 for 5 pcs |
| LorDac Arts Paint Brush Set – good set for newbies (not for detailed work) | around $18 for 7 pcs |
| Komina Acrylic Paint Brush Set of 15 | around $19 for 15 pcs |
| Dainayw Artist Paint Brush 12 Pcs – cheap and versatile! | around $9 for 12 pcs |
| Artbrush Tower 24 Piece Acrylic Paint Brush Set – super large and cheap set (not long-lasting) | around $6 for 24 pcs |
| D’Artisan Paint Brush Set + Case – versatile, has both synthetic and natural brushes! | $35 for 15 pcs |
| Adi’s Art Pro Paint Brush Set of 12 for Acrylic Paint + case+sponge+palette | $24.99 for 12 pcs |
| Benicci Artist Paint Brush Set +24 paint tubes+palette knife+sponge | $16.97 for 12 pcs |
Mont Marte Gallery Series Acrylic Paint Brush Set
This is the set of 6 main shapes: 2 round (#6 and #16), 2 flat (#8 and #10) and 2 filbert (#8 and #10) brushes – all you need to start painting.
PROS:
- great for beginners
- cheap
- good quality Taklon bristles
- good paint absorbency, smooth application
CONS:
- only for beginners
Royal & Langnickel Short Handle Acrylic Paint Brushes
This is the set of 11 detail and short liner brushes in sizes 5/0, 10/0, 0, 20/0 and 3/0. It is not a universal set to go for a beginner.
PROS:
- Finest quality soft synthetic bristles
- short handles
- good set for fine work
- rust-resistant ferrule
CONS:
- only for detailed work
- limited sizes and shapes
Jerry Q Acrylic Paint Brushes
It is the set of 12 brushes: Round (# 10/0 #3/0 # 0), Flat (#2 #4), Long Liners (#20/0 #10/0 #5/0 #0 #2 #4 #6).
PROS:
- cheap option
- nylon bristles
- nice variety of brushes
- long handles for comfort
CONS:
- only for beginners
- no larger size is available
da Vinci Acrylic Paint Brushes College Set
It is one the most well-known manufacturer and they offer several types of sets for beginners. The College Starter Set includes 5 brushes: 2 round (#2 and #6), 3 flat (#4, #8, #12).
PROS:
- wood for handle from sustainable forest
- the handle has a grip for more comfort
- durable synthetic brushes
- controlled strokes
- easy to clean
CONS:
- personally, I don’t like grips on handles, for me they are uncomfortable
- pricey
This brand also sells brushes individually and they are extremely good.
LorDac Acrylic Paint Brushes Set
LorDac Set contains 7 brushes of different shapes: 3 Round, 2 Flat, 1 Filbert, and 1 Angular.
PROS:
- decent durable bristles
- smooth application
- Travel Kit case included
- Money-Back Guarantee
- eco and vegan friendly
- easy to clean
CONS:
- only in sets
Komina Acrylic Paint Brush Set of 15
The Komina set is great for beginners, especially for children and students. This set includes 15 brushes and a brush holder. The brand says that these brushes are good both for painting on canvas and body.
PROS:
- handmade nylon brushes
- protective brush holder included
- 30 days money-back guarantee
- 15 brushes included: all 8 main shapes and different sizes for round, flat, and angular flat brushes
- affordable
CONS:
- only in sets
- I don’t really trust such cheap and multi-purpose versatile sets, but they are good to start for kids
Dainayw Artist Paint Brush 12 Pcs
This is a student grade set of 12 brushes: flat, filbert, angle, round, liner, and oval in different sizes.
PROS:
- really cheap
- dual-color nylon, chrome-plated brass ferrules look durable
- money-back guarantee
CONS:
- only for beginners
- not really easy to maintain
- can be less durable than alternatives
Artbrush Tower 24 Piece Acrylic Paint Brush Set
This set is amazingly full different sizes: size:#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7,#8,#9,#10,#11,#12 for for 2 main shapes – round and flat.
PROS:
- extremely cheap
- 1-year replacement guarantee
- wide range of sizes
CONS:
- such a low price makes me question the production cost and quality.
- the brand says the shapes in the set are round and flat, but for me flat doesn’t look flat at all, as bright – maybe.
- only 2 main shapes
D’Artisan Paint Brush Set of 15
A professional artist set of 15 brushes with a carrying case: 4 flat paintbrushes, 1 fan brush, 3 round brushes, 4 filbert brushes, 1 angle brush, 1 rigger brush, and 1 wide brush.
Sizes: 3/0,1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,5/4
PROS:
- synthetic + hog high-quality bristles (4 natural hog hair bristle brushes and 11 synthetic bristle brushes)
- good for intermediate and pros
- durable and ergonomic custom design
- 15 brushes and a storage case included
CONS:
- expensive
Adi’s Art Pro Paint Brush Set of 12 for Acrylic Paint
Great set for a beginner! You have brushes, a case, but also a palette! The set includes 12 brushes: 1 angle brush, 4 flat paintbrushes in different sizes, 1 filbert, 4 round paintbrushes, 1 liner brush, and 1 fan brush.
PROS:
- simple palette, Pop-up Carrying Case, and sponge included
- good quality durable hand-picked brushes
- double crimped ferrules
- 1-year money-back guarantee
CONS:
- a bit more expensive because the case and palette are included
- maybe not what a Pro expects, but great for starting painting!
Benicci Artist Acrylics Paint Brush Set
Another great option for a beginner is Amazon Editor’s Choice by the way. This set can cover all needs of a beginner: 12 different sizes and shapes brushes are included.
Paintbrushes: 4 round, 1 fan, 1 filbert, 6 flat.
PROS:
- good variety of brushes
- good quality durable double-clamped bristles
- strong ferrules
- 1-year money-back guarantee
CONS:
- I would not expect much from the paint quality in the set for $17
- if the set costs $17, how much do brushes really cost?
- only for beginners
How to store and clean acrylic brushes
The 2 main ways to care for acrylic brushes are proper cleaning and storage.
The better you care for and maintain brushes, the longer they will last without falling apart because acrylic paint is very rough and harsh with bristles.
Cleaning
Always clean your brushes right after you finish the painting session. If you will leave them with acrylic paint on them – it will destroy bristles very quickly. Never let you brushes dry with paint.
You can use water and soap or a special Master’s brush cleaner (painters all over the world really prefer this one). I recommend double washing brushes every time.
During painting, always keep 2 separate containers with water: one use to clean brushes and another to just have clean water to dip and wet brushes.
It is vital that brushes dry properly after cleaning!
Related: How to Clean Acrylic Paint Brushes [The Ultimate Cleaning Guide]
Storing
Storage is another important thing. Always keep your brushes dry and facing bristles up.
This is how old brushes look like. They cannot hold shape anymore. You can try to condition them (using paint brushes conditioner and trying to shape them up) or buy a replacement.
Best Acrylic Brushes FAQ
How often should I replace brushes?
A cheap brush can loose brisles and shape after a few days even, but professional brushes can serve you up to 3 years and even longer but only if you took good care of them! This is also why good professional brushes tend to be more expensive but they are worth it as you are buying one for next few years!
What type of brush is best for acrylic painting?
Synthetich soft brushes are best recommended for acrylic painting. While there are a variety of shapes and sizes, according to professional artists and amateurs, round, flat, bright (short flat), and filberts are the most popular brushes for acrylic paints.
What are the best paint brush brands?
Professional acrylic painters use Princeton, Rosemary, Grumbacher, Winsor&Newton and Liquitex acrylic paint brushes.
Can I use the same brushes for watercolor and acrylic?
Technically you can use the same brushes for all water-based paints including watercolor, acrylic and gouache. However, some watercolor brushes are made to hold morewater, so be careful and test first to avoid runny paint.
Read also: Watercolor vs Acrylic Paint: Key Difference Between Acrylic and Watercolor
What size brush for beginner acrylic paint?
Paint brushes sizes #2, 4, 6, 8, 10 are most popular for acrylic painting.
If you are working with miniature painting you will look into sizes #1 and below like #00. Brushes larger than #10 are good only if you are working with very large areas, upcycling furniture or working with abstract acrylic art.
Read also: 19 Best Brushes for Gouache Reviewed by Artist [Ultimate Brush Guide]
To Sum Up
Starting your acrylic painting journey, keep it simple: only a few brushes for acrylic paints, such as round and flat in sizes from #2 to max #10.
As you explore more techniques and styles, you are free to experiment.
Remember that cheap brushes can not produce the desired effect and tear quicker than professional brushes, and the synthetic soft brushes are the best for learning and practising acrylic painting.
Happy painting from Masha!
Masha Eretnova, born in 1991, is a Buenos Aires-based certified teacher, artist, and member of the Professional Artist Association with 20+ years of personal painting journey.
She started painting and drawing very early and is now an international abstract artist and educator passionate about acrylic painting, gouache, and crafts.
Her works are part of international exhibitions and contests, including ArtlyMix (Brazil), Al-Tiba 9 (Spain), Exhibizone (Canada), Italy, and many more.
Besides her artistic pursuits, Masha holds a post-grad diploma in Teaching Film Photography and 2 music school diplomas: piano and opera singing.
Last update on 2025-06-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API