7 Best Paint Brushes for Oil Painting

Starting oil painting is hard as is, and you don't want to be scrolling through thousands of different paint brushes. Some brushes fall apart after one use. Others cost a fortune but don’t perform any better.

Bad brushes make painting harder than it needs to be. They slow you down, shed bristles, and ruin clean strokes.

You deserve tools that actually help you paint better without costing a fortune.

TL;DR

• Start with 3–5 brushes: a small round, medium filbert, and large flat cover most needs.

• Hog bristles are best for bold strokes and dry brushing; synthetics offer control and easy cleanup.

• Filberts blend smoothly, flats give sharp edges, and Egberts are great for expressive foliage.

• Brush size impacts technique — small for detail, large for coverage and loose strokes.

• Clean brushes gently, reshape while damp, and avoid soaking to keep them in top shape.

What Difference Do Bristles Make?

The bristles affect how much paint it holds, how it moves on the canvas, and how long it’ll last. Some give you bold, textured strokes. Others glide smoothly for detail and softness.

Tip: Many pros use a mix of both, one for block-ins, one for details, one for texture.

What are Different Brush Shapes for Oil Painting?

Different brushes do different jobs, and each one has its own “personality.” Oil paint is thick and slow-drying, which means the right shape can give you way more control, texture, or flow.

"The best brush is the one that lets you forget it’s there and just focus on painting." - Richard Schmid.

Round

• Great for detail, sketching, and controlled lines.

• These brushes come to a fine point, making them perfect for outlining, facial features, or thin highlights.

• With oil’s slow drying time, rounds give you time to finesse those delicate areas without rushing.

Flat

• Bold, blocky, and perfect for confident strokes.

• Flats have long, straight bristles with a squared-off tip — ideal for covering large areas or making crisp edges.

• They hold a lot of paint and are great for layering and blending in big, expressive shapes.

Bright

• Shorter version of a flat with more control.

• Because the bristles are shorter and stiffer, brights are perfect for short, snappy strokes — great in tight spaces or when you want a little more pressure and precision.

Filbert

• The all-rounder. Soft corners, smooth blends.

• Filberts have a rounded edge that makes them super versatile — you can blend, shape, and soften edges all with one brush.

• They’re ideal for portraits, florals, and any time you want smoother transitions without hard lines.

Angle

• Like a flat, but with attitude.

• The slanted edge makes this brush great for curves, edges, petals, and dynamic shapes.

• It’s also surprisingly useful for cutting in clean lines and getting into tight corners.

Fan

• A texture-lover’s dream.

• Fan brushes are spread out like a fan (go figure) and excel at blending skies, softening edges, and creating effects like leaves, hair, or clouds.

• With oil, they’re fantastic for dry brushing and adding subtle texture.

Egbert

• The expressive wild card.

• Egberts are like filberts with extra-long bristles, giving them a flexible, flowing feel.

• They’re amazing for loose foliage, sweeping lines, and brushy textures. If you paint landscapes or florals — this is one to try.

Oil Brush Sizes

You don’t need every single size. What you do need is a small set that covers the basics: detail, mid-size work, and large coverage.

Start with 3–4 brushes in different sizes and shapes.

"I've found that using fewer brushes actually helps me paint more confidently. A good hog bristle flat can do 80% of the work if you know how to use it." - Bill Inman, professional oil painter.

Try a small round, a medium filbert, and a large flat — that combo alone can get you through most of a painting. You can always add more once you get a feel for what you love using.

Best Oil Painting Brushes in 2025

If I Had to Choose Three

If I had to narrow it all down to just three brushes it’d be these.

1. Rosemary Ultimate Long Flat Size 8 – daily driver for bold, confident strokes
2. Utrecht 103 X-Long Filbert – unbeatable for wild tree trunks & foliage
3. Masters Series 272 Round – softening edges, branches, delicate work

Final Thoughts

The best brushes for oil painting aren’t about having the biggest collection — they’re about finding the few that really work for you. Think about what you love to paint, how you like your brush to feel in your hand, and what kind of strokes feel most natural. Start with a small, smart mix of sizes and shapes, pay attention to how they behave with your paint, and build from there.

One more tip:
If a brush feels frustrating, it’s not you, it’s probably just the wrong match. Don’t be afraid to try something new or experiment with an unusual shape. That’s how most artists find their favorites.

Need a little spark of inspiration? Scroll through our top painters’ oil paintings, their brushwork might give you exactly the push you need for your next piece.