Top 5 compared
The best artist paint brush sets
Cleaner lines, finer details and smoother washes in acrylic, watercolor or oil, with the right brush on hand.
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The top 5 at a glance
A brush set is about having the right shape on hand. Rounds come to a point for lines and detail, liners pull long, fine strokes, flats lay down washes and crisp edges, filberts give a broad mark with a soft edge, and a fan breaks color up for foliage. Most sets are nylon, for acrylics and oils; soft synthetic squirrel holds the water watercolor needs.
Most sets here are sold for acrylic, oil and watercolor alike; the ARTEGRIA is made for watercolor alone. Acrylic dries fast and hard, so rinse as you go, and dry brushes lying flat rather than standing in the jar.
What matters
- A few wide flats for backgrounds, a 0 or 00 for detail.
- Tubes, a roll or a case, to keep the tips in shape.
- Double-crimped ferrules, so the head doesn’t loosen from the handle.
- Ten covers most painting; bigger sets suit crafts and a busy table.
#1Nicpro Paint Brush Set (30 brushes, canvas roll)
$20–$30
Thirty brushes in eight shapes, from wide flats and filberts for backgrounds to daggers, a fan and a fine liner, plus a palette knife, all in a nylon canvas roll. It’s a complete kit for acrylics or oils that still rolls up small enough to take to a class.
What owners say: Thick, soft brushes that keep their shape and stay in one piece, with a spread of shapes and sizes that suits acrylics especially well. The roll keeps the whole set organized.
A closer look: Unroll it flat beside the easel so every shape is in view, and slot each brush back into its own pocket once it’s clean and dry, never while it’s still wet. Mix colors with the palette knife rather than a brush, which keeps paint out of the ferrules and the bristles in shape.
- 8 brush shapes
- Fan, dagger and liner brushes
- Birch wood handles
Best for: A complete kit for acrylics and oils
- Brushes
- 30 and a palette knife
- Bristles
- Nylon
- Made for
- Acrylic, oil, watercolor, gouache
- Case or holder
- Canvas roll
#2Soucolor Artist Paint Brush Set (20 brushes, 10 sizes)
Under $10
Twenty pointed round brushes across ten sizes, enough for most jobs from filling in a canvas to the fine lines on a painted rock. It’s the everyday set for acrylics and kids’ crafts, and the brushes wash out with soap and water.
What owners say: The range of sizes earns praise for small crafts and intricate detail, and they wash out easily. Durability is mixed: some sets survive heavy use, while others fray early.
A closer look: Wash them in warm, soapy water right after a session, reshape the tips with your fingers and let them dry lying flat. Acrylic that dries up inside the metal ferrule is what splays a brush, so don’t leave them standing in the water jar.
- Pointed round tips
- Cleans up with soapy water
- Nickel ferrules, wooden handles
Best for: Rock painting and craft projects
- Brushes
- 20 (10 sizes)
- Bristles
- Flagged bristles
- Made for
- Acrylic, watercolor, oil, gouache
- Case or holder
- No
#3Golden Maple Detail Paint Brush Set (10 brushes)
$10–$20
Ten tiny brushes, from 5/0 up to 8, for the fine work: miniatures, models and figurines, paint-by-number, nail art and the eyes on a painted rock. The triangular wooden handles give a steadier grip than round ones.
What owners say: Miniature painters and paint-by-number fans pick these out for detail work, oil painting included, and like the easy grip. A few found the bristles splitting and fraying.
A closer look: Slide the protective tubes back over the tips once the brushes are clean and dry: it’s what keeps the finest sizes coming to a point. Thin your paint a little for the smallest brushes so it flows off the tip instead of drying on it.
- Sizes 5/0 up to 8
- Triangular wooden handles
- Suits nail art and paint-by-number
Best for: Miniatures and fine detail
- Brushes
- 10
- Bristles
- Nylon
- Made for
- Acrylic, watercolor, oil
- Case or holder
- Tip tubes
#4ARTEGRIA Watercolor Brush Set (10 brushes)
$20–$30
Made for watercolor, with soft synthetic squirrel bristles that hold a lot of water: six fine-tipped rounds plus a dagger striper, an oval wash (cat’s tongue) and flats. The storage tube and velvet travel bag make it an easy set to take out sketching.
What owners say: Beginners and improving painters rate how much water the belly of each brush carries, and the useful mix of shapes. Shedding is where reports differ, from none at all to a lot of lost bristles.
A closer look: Wet the brush fully and blot it on a cloth before loading paint, so the belly holds an even charge of color. Rinse in clean water, reshape the point and store them in the tube, tips up, once they’re dry.
- Rounds from #0 to #12
- Dagger and oval wash brushes
- Bristles hold plenty of water
Best for: Watercolor sketching away from home
- Brushes
- 10
- Bristles
- Synthetic squirrel
- Made for
- Watercolor
- Case or holder
- Tube and travel bag
#5AROIC Paint Brush Set (10 brushes)
Under $10
Ten brushes in a mix of shapes and sizes, which makes it a handy set for a kids’ craft table, classroom projects or trying acrylics for the first time.
What owners say: Soft, but firm enough to hold paint without dripping, they wash out well and suit crafts, model building and kids’ projects.
Heads up: Give them a good rinse before the first use: a stray loose bristle or two can come out.
A closer look: Keep one or two brushes just for glue and varnish, so the rest of the set stays soft for painting. On a kids’ craft table, a jar of water and a paper towel for each child stops colors turning muddy from shared rinse water.
- Mix of shapes and sizes
- Nickel ferrules, wooden handles
Best for: Kids, classrooms and first tries
- Brushes
- 10
- Bristles
- Nylon
- Made for
- Watercolor, oil, gouache, acrylic
- Case or holder
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Nicpro 30 | #2Soucolor 20 | #3Golden Maple 10 | #4ARTEGRIA 10 | #5AROIC 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for detail | Best for watercolor | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.1 |
| Price | $20–$30 | Under $10 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | Under $10 |
| Brushes | 30 and a palette knife | 20 (10 sizes) | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Bristles | Nylon | Flagged bristles | Nylon | Synthetic squirrel | Nylon |
| Made for | Acrylic, oil, watercolor, gouache | Acrylic, watercolor, oil, gouache | Acrylic, watercolor, oil | Watercolor | Watercolor, oil, gouache, acrylic |
| Case or holder | Canvas roll | No | Tip tubes | Tube and travel bag | No |
| Best for | A complete kit for acrylics and oils | Rock painting and craft projects | Miniatures and fine detail | Watercolor sketching away from home | Kids, classrooms and first tries |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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