Top 5 compared
The best artists' brush sets
The right brush for each mark makes painting easier, from fine detail to smooth washes and crisp edges.
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The top 5 at a glance
An artists’ brush set gives a painter the handful of shapes a picture needs. Rounds come to a point for lines and detail, riggers pull long, fine strokes, flats lay down washes and crisp edges, filberts give a broad mark with a soft edge, and a fan breaks colour up for grass and foliage. Sets are either made for one paint, usually watercolour, or sold as all-rounders for acrylic, oil, watercolour and gouache.
Every set here is synthetic (nylon, PBT or a blend) rather than natural hair. Acrylic dries fast and hard in the fibres, so rinse as you go and never leave brushes standing in the water pot. The Cotman set is made for watercolour alone.
What matters
- A case or roll to keep the tips in shape.
- Brushes that hold their shape and don’t drop hairs.
- Short handles for close work at a table.
- A wide flat or two for backgrounds and base coats.
#1ARTIFY 25-Piece Brush Set with Stand-Up Holder (24 brushes)
£10–£20
Twenty-four nylon brushes and a palette knife in a cloth roll that stands up on the table, for acrylic, oil, watercolour and gouache. Seven shapes include a cat’s tongue alongside the usual flats, rounds and filberts.
What owners say: Owners say the stand-up roll keeps every brush together and the set rinses clean easily; one has used it for painting furniture.
A closer look: Opened out, the roll stands on the table with every brush upright and in reach, then rolls up to go in a bag or hang on a hook. Use the palette knife for mixing colours, and with acrylics rinse the brushes promptly rather than leaving them standing in the water pot.
- 7 shapes, including cat’s tongue
- Roll hangs on a hook
Best for: Acrylics and a tidy table
- Brushes
- 24 and a palette knife
- Hair
- Nylon
- Made for
- Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache
- Case or holder
- Stand-up cloth roll
#2Nicpro Artist Paint Brush Set (12 brushes)
Under £10
Twelve nylon brushes on birch handles, in round, flat, filbert, angle and rigger shapes, which Nicpro makes for watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache and tempera. A set to try painting with, or a second one kept just for acrylics.
What owners say: Owners rate them most highly for acrylics, find them quick to wash out, and use the finest sizes to get into tiny nooks.
Heads up: There’s no case, so once they’re dry, stand them head-up in a jar to keep the tips in shape.
A closer look: Nicpro’s advice is simple: wash the brushes in warm water straight after painting, or follow the paint maker’s instructions. The smallest round and the rigger reach into the tight corners of models and figures, while the biggest flat covers larger areas of canvas.
- Round, flat, filbert, angle, rigger
- Birch handles, aluminium ferrules
- Also for tempera
- Rigger for tight corners
Best for: A first set for acrylics
- Brushes
- 12
- Hair
- Nylon
- Made for
- Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache
- Case or holder
- No
#3Amazon Basics Paint Brush Set (10 brushes)
Under £10
Ten soft PBT synthetic brushes on short blue wooden handles, in pointed round, flat, filbert and liner shapes, sold for acrylic, watercolour, oil and gouache. It covers fine lines and broad areas alike, which makes it an easy first set or a spare one for messy jobs.
What owners say: Owners find them soft, easy to clean and smooth at laying down paint, with a size for tiny details and larger areas, though a few say they don’t last long.
A closer look: The handles run from about 17.5 to 19.5cm, short enough for close work at a table. Keep this set for acrylics, glue and varnish and save better brushes for watercolour; a rinse in warm soapy water straight after painting keeps the bristles soft.
- Round, flat, filbert and liner
- Short blue wooden handles
- Handles 17.5–19.5cm long
Best for: Messy craft jobs and first paintings
- Brushes
- 10
- Hair
- PBT synthetic
- Made for
- Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache
- Case or holder
- No
#4Artecho Art Paint Brush Set (24 brushes, with case)
£10–£20
An organising case of twenty-four nylon brushes, from tiny 3/0 liners to 1in and 2in wide brushes, which Artecho makes for watercolour, acrylic, oil and gouache. The spread of sizes also suits rock painting, models and miniatures.
What owners say: Owners like having a size for almost every job, and say the heads soak up paint and spread it smoothly.
A closer look: Use the two wide brushes, 1in and 2in, for backgrounds and base coats, and the 3/0 liner for eyes on miniatures or fine lines on painted pebbles. Put each brush back in its own slot once it’s dry, so the heads don’t get bent when the case is carried about.
- 3/0 liner to 2in wide
- Birch handles, aluminium ferrules
- A slot for every brush
Best for: Rock painting and models
- Brushes
- 24
- Hair
- Nylon
- Made for
- Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache
- Case or holder
- Organising case
#5Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolour Brushes (short handle, 7-pack)
£30.25 RRP
Seven short-handled watercolour brushes in six shapes, from a fine rigger to a fan, made of synthetic fibres of mixed thickness: the thick ones give spring, the thin ones carry colour. Winsor & Newton was founded in London in 1832 by William Winsor and Henry Newton.
What owners say: Owners find the brushes keep their shape without dropping hairs, and several are learning watercolour from scratch with them.
Heads up: Keep them for watercolour, the paint Winsor & Newton makes them for, and use a separate set for acrylics, which dry hard in the fibres.
A closer look: The rigger’s long, thin hairs paint branches, grasses and long flowing lines, and the angled brush pressed down gives a curved stroke. Rinse each brush in clean water as you go and reshape the point with your fingers before it dries, so the rounds keep their tip.
- 6 shapes, rigger to fan
- Short handles
- Mixed-thickness synthetic fibres
- Nickel-plated brass ferrules
Best for: Learning watercolour
- Brushes
- 7
- Hair
- Synthetic blend
- Made for
- Watercolour
- Case or holder
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1ARTIFY 25 | #2Nicpro 12 | #3Amazon Basics 10 | #4Artecho 24 | #5Winsor & Newton Cotman 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best budget | Best for crafts | Best for watercolour | |
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Price | £10–£20 | Under £10 | Under £10 | £10–£20 | £30.25 RRP |
| Brushes | 24 and a palette knife | 12 | 10 | 24 | 7 |
| Hair | Nylon | Nylon | PBT synthetic | Nylon | Synthetic blend |
| Made for | Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache | Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache | Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache | Watercolour, acrylic, oil, gouache | Watercolour |
| Case or holder | Stand-up cloth roll | No | No | Organising case | No |
| Best for | Acrylics and a tidy table | A first set for acrylics | Messy craft jobs and first paintings | Rock painting and models | Learning watercolour |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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