The right brush not only feels comfortable in your hand but also makes your painting go faster and look more professional! But with so many options, how do you choose?! With this guide, you’ll confidently navigate brush options and choose the perfect tool for your next project!
Brush Types & Their Uses
Selecting the right brush depends on your project size, desired finish, and comfort. Experiment with options to find your perfect match!
Choose by Brush Shape
- Flat Brushes: Ideal for large, flat surfaces like tables or cabinets. Perfect for base coats and topcoats, offering smooth, even coverage. Great for beginners.
- Round Brushes: Best for detailed work, textured finishes, and curved surfaces like spindles and legs. Ideal for stippling, dry brushing, or intricate designs.
- Oval Brushes: A hybrid of flat and round brushes, excellent for blending and working on both flat and curved surfaces. Versatile and ergonomic for comfort during longer projects.
- Pointed Sash Brushes: Perfect for tight corners, detailed woodwork, or intricate carvings on furniture or cabinetry.
- Angled Brushes: Designed for cutting in around edges, mouldings, and corners with precision. Great for trim work and tricky spaces.
Choose by Bristle Types
- Natural Bristles: Best for waxes, stains, and creating textured, vintage looks.
- Blended Bristles: A mix of natural and synthetic, providing smooth finishes and versatility.
- Synthetic Bristles: Ideal for water-based paints like Fusion™ Mineral Paint, offering smooth, brushstroke-free finishes.
Choose the right Brush Size
- Large Projects: Use wider brushes (2.5” or 3”) for efficient coverage on large surfaces like tables or cabinets.
- Detailed Work: Use smaller or angled brushes for intricate designs and tight spaces.
Pro Tips
- For smooth, modern finishes, use synthetic bristle brushes.
- For a textured, vintage look, opt for natural bristle brushes.
- When painting large flat surfaces, finish with a Staalmeester® Roller or Spalter for a flawless finish.
Why Fusion™ Mineral Paint Recommends Staalmeester® Brushes
At Fusion, we have tested almost every brush on the market, and through our extensive testing, we firmly believe that Staalmeester® brushes provide the best results with our paints. Does this mean you can’t use other brushes? Absolutely not! If you’re aiming to create lots of texture, an old round bristle brush would work great. Or if you love the hand-painted look, any brush you have on hand will do the job. If you only intend to paint one piece, we have economical options for you. However, the reason most painters are drawn to Fusion is for the smooth, sleek, modern finish it can easily achieve, and for that, Staalmeester® brushes are by far the superior option. Staalmeester® has been developing premium painting products of the highest quality for contemporary Dutch masters since 1948.
Brush Basics: Types, Sizes, and Bristles
FLAT BRUSHES
Ideal for large, flat surfaces, flat brushes deliver smooth, even coverage, making them perfect for applying base coats with precision and ease. Their broad bristles cover extensive areas efficiently, reducing the time and effort needed for large projects. In addition to base coats, flat brushes are an excellent choice for applying our topcoat, Tough Coat, ensuring a durable and flawless finish. Their versatility and ease of use make them especially great for beginners, allowing for a seamless painting experience whether you’re a professional painter or a DIY enthusiast.
ROUND BRUSHES
Round brushes are the go-to choice for detailed work and achieving textured finishes. Their rounded shape allows for excellent control over paint application, making them ideal for precision tasks such as creating fine lines, intricate designs, and delicate patterns. The pointed tip of round brushes enables artists and painters to add intricate details with ease, while the broader base can hold a substantial amount of paint, making it efficient for both small-scale and larger projects. Additionally, round brushes are perfect for techniques like stippling, dry brushing, and creating smooth gradients, spindles and legs. Their versatility and precision make them an essential tool for any detailed painting
OVAL BRUSHES
Oval brushes are a hybrid of flat and round brushes, offering the benefits of both. Their unique shape provides the precision and control of a round brush combined with the broad coverage of a flat brush. This makes oval brushes excellent for blending and creating a smooth, even finish with minimal brush strokes. The design of the brush allows it to hold a significant amount of paint, making it ideal for covering large surfaces efficiently. Additionally, oval brushes are perfect for working on curved surfaces and intricate details, providing versatility in various painting techniques. Good for applying base coats, finishing touches, or working on detailed projects, oval brushes deliver consistent and high-quality results, making them a valuable addition to any painter’s toolkit. Their ergonomic handle also ensures comfort during extended use, reducing hand fatigue and improving the overall painting experience.
POINTED SASH BRUSHES
An excellent choice for detailed work and navigating corners with ease. Pointed sash brushes have finely tapered bristles can reach the smallest carvings and tightest corners, ensuring a smooth and precise finish. This makes them ideal for intricate projects, such as raised or recessed panelling on kitchen cabinetry or furniture. Additionally, these brushes are perfect for working on window frames, moulding, and other detailed woodwork, providing excellent control and coverage in hard-to-reach areas. Their versatility and precision make pointed sash brushes a must-have for any detailed painting project.
ANGLED BRUSHES
Angled brushes are specifically designed for cutting into edges and corners with precision. Their slanted bristles allow for greater control, making them ideal for detailed work around windows, mouldings, and other tricky spots. The unique shape of angled brushes enables painters to achieve clean, sharp lines, which is particularly useful for trim work, edges, and tight spaces that require a steady hand. Additionally, these brushes are excellent for cutting in around back panels inside cupboards, ceilings, baseboards, and other areas where a straight edge is crucial. Angled brushes are also versatile enough to be used for broader strokes on flat surfaces, making them a valuable tool for both detailed and general painting tasks. Their ability to provide a smooth finish while maintaining precision makes them indispensable for any painting project, for professionals or DIY enthusiasts.
BRISTLE TYPE
- Natural Bristles: Best suited for milk paint waxes and stains. However, when used with Fusion™ Mineral Paint, they can create a textured, vintage look. The natural bristles help hold humidity and paint for excellent coverage and faster application on larger surfaces. A great option for stencilling too.
- Blended Bristles: The natural bristle holds more paint and the synthetic bristles deliver a smooth brushstroke-free finish. The best of both worlds, blended bristles provide exceptional versatility and performance, making them ideal for a wide range of painting tasks.
- Synthetic Bristles: Prefect for water-based paints like Fusion™ Mineral Paint. They maintain their shape and offer a smoother, finer finish. Ideal for blending and laying off. The Pro-Hybrid series has synthetic bristles. The Bristles in The One Series are super fine, the best of all the bristles in the Staalmeester® range.
Selecting the Right Brush for Fusion™ Mineral Paint
Brush Sizes
Based on Project Size and Detail
- For Large Projects: Opt for larger brushes. A wider brush covers more area with fewer strokes, reducing the time spent painting and ensuring a uniform application. It’s not just about speed; a larger brush can also help avoid overlapping marks, making for a smoother finish.
- For Detailed Work: Small brushes or those with angled or pointed tips are your best friends. They offer the precision needed for intricate designs and tight spaces, ensuring every nook and cranny receives a coat of paint.
Choosing the right brush size depends on your project. Use smaller brushes for detailed work and larger brushes for broad surfaces. The key is to balance control and comfort while minimizing the number of brushstrokes needed to cover your surface. For instance, when painting the top of a credenza or buffet, it’s best to paint from one end to the other, starting at the back and moving towards the front. We recommend using a 2.5-inch or 3-inch wide brush to achieve this with minimal brushstrokes. This size allows you to cover the surface efficiently in the least amount of brushstrokes. For Larger surfaces such as tabletops, wardrobes or large cabinets we would recommend Staalmeester® Rollers and a Staalmeester® Spalter to lay off.
Considering the Desired Finish
For a Smooth, Modern Finish:
Synthetic bristle brushes are recommended. They have the resilience to maintain a stiff form, allowing for even application and minimizing brush marks. Pairing synthetic brushes with Fusion™ Mineral Paint ensures a sleek, contemporary look.
For a Textured, Vintage Look:
Natural bristle brushes might be your choice. They’re great at holding more paint and can create those desired brush strokes for a rustic feel. However, it’s important to remember that Fusion™ Mineral Paint is water-based, so controlling the amount of texture will require a bit of practice with natural bristles.
Care of Your Brushes Between Coats of Paint
Between coats, keep your brush ready by sealing it in a ziplock bag with a spritz of water to stay humidified. Alternatively, place it in a glass of water with only the bristles submerged, ensuring the ferrule stays dry. Both methods help maintain your brush until it’s time for cleaning.
Long Term Maintenance of your Staalmeester® Brushes
Ensure your brushes last a lifetime with these simple steps
- Rinse Thoroughly: Wash under running water until it runs clear.
- Remove Dried Paint: Gently rub out any dried paint from the bristles.
- Clean & Condition:
- Use a pea-sized amount of Fusion Brush Soap (made with linseed oil).
- Massage it into wet bristles to condition and soften.
- Rinse and repeat if necessary.
- Reshape Bristles: Shape the bristles while wet for best results.
- Dry Properly: Hang the brush to dry, ensuring water drips off and the ferrule stays dry.
Proper care keeps your brushes soft, well-shaped, and ready for the next project!
Watch how easy it is to maintain your brushes with Fusion™ Mineral Paint brush soap
Fusion™ Mineral Paint Ultimate guides
Check out our Ultimate Guide – How To Prep Furniture
Furniture Painters Ultimate Product Guide
Happy painting!