How to Choose a Paintbrush for Brush Lettering
It can get a litttttle bit confusing when you find yourself in that big ol’ paint brush isle, but don’t worry. Finding a lettering brush is really pretty simple once you know what to look for!
Today I’m sharing how to choose the right brush for lettering, in just 3 easy steps.
There most important things to note are…
type
size
shape
First, look for a soft brush.
In a lot of stores, brushes are arranged by brand, and within each brand’s section there are different “types” of brushes. Look through the different brands and see what they have to offer. The key here is finding a brush that is nice and soft; I like the ones with synthetic hairs. I think they’re easier to work with. Plus they’re cheaper! Win win.
You can actually pick them up and feel them! Watercolor, acrylic, or mixed media brushes are a good choice. Steer clear of oil painting brushes, or the suuuuper cheapies - the ones that have very coarse or loose bristles.
Next, narrow down your size options.
Brushes within each section are typically organized by size. Generally, you’ll want a brush on the smaller side (somewhere in the 0-2 range) for most lettering projects. BUT if the project is very large, you may need to size up!
For reference - the brushes I most commonly buy are: 10/0, 0, and 2. This would be a good place to start, to see what works best for you!
And the last step - Look for a round brush.
Now, of course a round brush is not the only option when it comes to brush lettering - but I definitely think it is the best, and easiest, place to start. The reason a round brush is so great for lettering is because it has a pointed tip which allows us to create those thick and thin lines that we want to see in our lettering. if we use just the very tip of the brush, we can get a super thin line, and if we just press down a little more into the belly of the brush, we can get a thicker line!
Did you find this helpful?
Let me know in the comments!
xo, G