The paint brush is your most important tool. There are many types out there, each can give you a different finish. The paint brush types listed below are what I use depending on the project, the type of paint and the finish I want.
I’ll use all of the paint brushes below with chalk paint, but I only use my chalk brush for chalk paint so read on to find out why! (It’s probably not what you expect)
1. Chip Brush
The chip brush (not an affiliate link) is by far the cheapest brush. It’s the one at the very bottom of the paint brush section at any big box store. I always have 2 or 3 of various sizes laying around.
However, they shed..Really bad. This brush is usually recommended for chalk paint but they are very frustrating to use on a large project. You end of with many brush hairs all over that you either need to get out quickly when wet or sand them out later. With that said, they are great for small projects or color sampling!
Pros
- Cheap
- Light and easy to use
- Good for dry brushing
Cons
- Sheds heavily
- Leaves brush strokes
2. Foam Brush
Foam brushes are great to get any paint really smooth. Their downside is they eat up a lot of paint, they smear on shiny surfaces, and once too saturated with paint they start to split at the handle.
I use them similar to the chip brush. For color sampling and small projects that I want a smooth finish on.
Pros
- Smooth Finish
- Cheap
Cons
- Splits after saturated
- Uses a lot of paint
- Smears on some surfaces
3. Shortcut Angle Brush
This is by far one of my favorite brushes! I call it the shorty. The short handle fits well in my hand and I HATE masking I’ll do anything to not mask so I use this brush in all the areas where I need a straight line. I used from my walls around the trim to the nooks and curves of my furniture pieces.
I get mine from Home Depot. (not an affiliate link) The drawback to these is using them on a big flat surface, the angle will cramp your hand up.
Pros
- Easy to use for detailed areas
- Quality brush no shedding
- Short handle design gives good control
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Not good for large flat areas
4. Chalk Paint or Oval Brush
These brushes are expensive, I only use mine for chalk paint. It’s hard to get all of the paint out if you get it deep into the brush. For this reason I’ll never use it with acrylics or latex because I can get a little lazy with cleaning up right away and I’d hate myself for ruining a $10-$30+ brush.
The brush applies the chalk paint in a couple different ways. Paint using ‘dryer’ paint and you’ll get great brush lines. This is perfect for various chalk paint techniques! You can also go for a really smooth look by dipping the paint brush in water, and/or mix a little water directly into your chalk paint.
When painting, because the handle is so long, it can be a little awkward but the point is to keep your hand away from the brush and do longer strokes. My hand and arm does get tired doing big projects with this one.
Pros
- No shedding
- Multiple ways to use it
- Holds a good amount of paint
- Good for large areas
Cons
- Heavy
- Harder to clean
5. Wax Brush
This brush pictured is used only for clear wax. Always use a separate wax brush for your dark wax! The reason is the dark wax will stain and always come of the brush on your lighter pieces, even if you wash and wash it! Experience!
It’s round shape with the flat bottom is surprisingly agile in it’s ability to get to the small spots.
I like it because you can apply wax with a ‘butter the bread’ motion or a nice brisk circular motion to really work it in. I don’t like that it doesn’t evenly scoop the wax out of the tin. Not that this really matters but the OCD in me cries a little and I usually smooth it out every so often.
When cleaning this brush I’m always careful to not scrub on it and to smooth it back into shape, I then let it dry sitting angled on something so the brush strands don’t smoosh and fray.
Pros
- Sturdy brush
- Works good for nooks as well as flat
- Easy to apply wax
Cons
- Heavy
- Can become frayed when cleaning
- Keeps a coating of wax, dark wax will stain it
6. Flat Artist Brush
These come in many sizes. My size of choice is one inch or smaller. I use these in detailed areas for glaze or dark wax, they are a nice size and shape to really control how much dark you add to a project. Look for these at Michael’s or any other arts and crafts store. I also use these to paint small details, like the word Dog on my dog shelf in my what I love today blog.
Because of the bristles on these if you don’t clean them right away they can become garbage. With wax I wash them with mineral spirits and then dish soap and water. If I’ve only used them for paint that day, then just dish soap and water.
Pros
- Easy to control your paint
- Great for small space
Cons
- Paint can dry hard to them
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