How To Choose a Painting Brush


Stiff or Soft

The stiffness of the bristles makes a difference in the finish

The perfect handle

Gourd Handle

Gourd Handle

Ergonomic design that reduces stress on the wrist and hand whilst painting. A traditional shape that is featured in our ExperTech Hog Bristle and Detail & Finishing range of brushes.
Short Handle

Short Handle

Featured in our mini cutter brushes and Monarch Cutting in & Framing range of brushes, this shorter handle provides greater precision when painting small spaces such as corners, trims & detail areas.
Flat Beavertail Handle

Flat Beavertail Handle

This shape is rounded and slightly flattened to fit perfectly into the palm of the hand whilst painting.
Square Handle

Square Handle

Square shaped handle with bevelled corners is featured mainly in trim or sash brushes and is comfortable to hold when painting.
Rat Tail Handle

Rat Tail Handle

As featured in our Rat Tail range of brushes, this handle is longer & thinner than the standard making it easy to hold to give greater control.
6 Common Types of Handles

6 Common Types of Handles

Rounded and thin, a long handle is easy to hold like a pencil giving great control & precision when cutting in & painting tricky spaces.

Wall or Sash (Trim)

WALL brushes are for longer strokes and help you cover more surface which makes them perfect for painting walls or ceilings. They have thicker bristles or filaments to hold more paint. Wall brushes are also designed with larger, thicker handles to reduce fatigue and assist in getting a nice long, smooth paint stroke.

SASH brushes are designed to be used on all the trim areas of the house like doors, windows, door frames, skirting boards, gutters, etc. They have less filament or bristles than a wall brush and therefore don’t hold as much paint, allowing greater precision and control.

Angled brushes are also available, these do everything a straight edge sash or trim brush will do, but some people prefer the control an angled filament gives them.

Size and style

Small or Sample Pot size brushes

Small or Sample Pot size brushes

Small or Sample Pot size brushes are ideal for detail work and tight spaces such as skirtings, corners or windows. These brushes are also suitable for use with sample pot paints when testing out new paint colours.

Sash style brushes

Sash style brushes

Sash style brushes are suitable for covering large surfaces and achieving great coverage from good pick up and release of paint. This style of brush can be used in conjunction with wall brushes when needing to paint walls, doors and ceilings.

Angular style brushes

Angular style brushes

Angular style brushes are designed to assist in painting straight edges when cutting in and painting trims & skirting. These brushes are also great for getting into small corners & tricky spaces.

Large Wall or Paint brushes

Large Wall or Paint brushes

Large Wall or Paint brushes are good for large areas, such as weatherboards, fences and brickwork. Best used when a detailed finish is not required.

More How To Tips