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There are so many different brushes out there, so where should you start? This beginners guide will look at some of the types of brushes and their intended uses.

The styles of brush tip seen most commonly are:

• Round: Long pointed tip tightly arranged bristles for detail
• Flat: Designed for putting paint on the canvas in large areas fast and even over a surface
• Bright: Brights have shorter bristles than flats. Brights are a flat brush shape with short stiff bristles that are good for pushing the paint into the canvas.
• Filbert: Much like a flat brush but with rounded edges that allow good coverage, but still can be used in some minor detail work.
• Fan: Fan brushes are great for blending or smoothing paint.
• Angle: Best of both worlds, much like flats and a detail brush in one. Can be used to cover larger areas with paint, and also can be used to get in details with the tip.
• Mop: a larger soft bristled brush with round edges for broad soft paint application, as well as blending and adding paint to other layers without disturbing other layers too much.
• Rigger: Long bristled round brushes that are usually smaller in diameter. Great for lettering and lining, small detail work, and can be used with both oil paint as well as watercolors and acrylic.

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Airbrushes- are also a type of brush that can be used with many types of paint, from oils to acrylic. They require an air source supply to power the brush, usually an air compressor, and sometimes portable canned air.

• They are very versatile brushes that can be used in conjunction with other brushes and methods of painting.
• Airbrushes are great for achieving soft, smooth, subtle blends of colors.
• When airbrushing, techniques such as masking can be used also to get clean, crisp, sharp edging.
• Airbrushes are used from spray tanning, food decorating, finger nail design, to automotive and fine art applications.