Paintbrush hair types can have a huge effect on your artwork, from the amount of colour that can be held, to creating textures. It’s important to tailor the hair types to the medium that you paint in and the techniques that you use so that you can achieve the desired effects.
In this journal, we’ll delve into the different types of paintbrush hair, their characteristics and the mediums that they are most commonly used with to help you choose your next paintbrush.
Sable hair
Usually regarded as the highest quality hair for painting with, Sable brushes have a range of characteristics making them suitable for control and precision. Sable hair is extremely soft, giving it a natural ability to hold large amounts of paint to reduce the amounts of dipping needed while still being able to pull together and create a sharp point. This softness also allows for even colour application and consistent strokes that allow them to create seamless washes and consistent lines.
Being a softer brush, Sable is more suited towards watercolour, gouache and watered down acrylics. Although it’s one of the softest hair types, its natural elements mean that it is extremely resilient and has great longevity if looked after properly.
Additional considerations
Although sable paintbrushes are renowned for their quality, they come at a considerable price tag and are one of the most expensive natural haired brushes. Sable brushes also require careful cleaning and storage to maintain their performance and can be damaged by harsh chemicals and rough usage. You can read our guide to cleaning sable paintbrushes here.
Hog hair
Often referred to as bristle hair, hog paintbrushes use much stiffer natural hair to make them ideal for moving thicker mediums like oil and acrylic. This stiffness helps with control, allowing for precise placement of paint as well as releasing paint evenly to ensure consistent paint strokes.
Hog brushes are known for their resilience and can withstand vigorous use and harsher chemicals compared to other natural hair paintbrushes. They are also a significantly cheaper alternative to other natural brushes, making them suitable for beginners or large projects. For example, our Pro Arte Series A Hog brushes.
Additional considerations
Hog paintbrushes produce a very distinct texture on the canvas, which can be desirable for adding effects but may not be wanted for smooth washes and backgrounds.
Like any natural hair, hog bristles can develop split ends over time, which can scratch the canvas or add unwanted paint strokes.
Squirrel hair
These paintbrushes offer a middle ground between sable and synthetic. While not as soft as sable, squirrel brushes provide controlled strokes for fine detail. This medium stiffness natural hair means that squirrel paintbrushes have a large belly while still maintaining a sharp and responsive point allowing it to hold plenty of colour suitable for large washes and smooth transitions.
Squirrel brushes are most suitable for thinner mediums such as watercolour, gouache and watered down acrylics. Compared to their sable alternative, squirrel brushes are much cheaper and therefore more accessible for artists wanting natural hair paintbrushes. See our squirrel brush range here.
Additional considerations
Static can build up within the hairs during use to loosen strands out of the ferrule and onto the canvas. If you notice any loose hairs, these can be picked out with tweezers.
Their softness doesn’t make squirrel brushes suitable for heavier mediums such as oil and acrylic.
Synthetic hair
Providing the largest amount of options and as a vegan alternative to natural hair brushes, synthetic paintbrushes are the most popular with artists. Their fibres can be adapted to different stiffnesses that are suitable for all types of medium, from soft watercolour to stiff oil brushes.
With advancements in technology, synthetic brushes have been adapted to perform as well as some natural hair brushes at a fraction of the cost. Their stiffness allows for fine points perfect for detailed artwork, and new wave-synthetic fibres in our Sablene brushes emulate the belly of natural hair brushes to increase the colour holding capacity for large washes.
Additional considerations
Synthetic brushes are made for a wide range of mediums, from very soft watercolour brushes to stiff oil brushes. It is important that you choose the right synthetic for your project. Most ranges will have a scale to indicate the stiffness of the fibres.
How to choose what hair works for you
Choosing the right paintbrush hair can be a difficult decision, especially if you’re a beginner artist or experimenting with different brushes. So here’s a quick guide to help you decide:
Consider your medium:
-Watercolour and gouache– Softer and more absorbent hairs help to carry more colour and allow for smooth washes and delicate details. Sable, squirrel and soft synthetic brushes are ideal for this
-Acrylics and oils– Stiffer hairs like hog bristle and firm synthetics allow you to move heavier pigments on the canvas
-Mixed media– Synthetic brushes offer the most versatility across different mediums
Brush cost:
Expensive – Although sable offers extremely smooth and precise strokes, it can be extremely expensive
Affordable – Squirrel hair and higher quality synthetic brushes offer good painting qualities at a much for accessible price point
Cheap – Hog hair and cheaper synthetics are very durable and affordable, making them suitable for heavy uses and beginners
Experiment! Don’t be afraid to play around with different hair types to find what works for you! Some artists prefer the textures you get with stiff oil brushes for use with watercolour. Likewise, other artists like to quickly wear out soft brushes to add textures to oil painting
Finally, no matter the type of hair, always clean and store your brushes properly to prolong their lifespan.
As marketing lead, Johnny oversees blog editing, social media content and artist collaborations. His background includes paintbrush manufacturing and a degree in Business Management Practice from Leeds Beckett University
