How to Use New Brushes for Painting: Prep, Test and First Strokes

New brushes often arrive stiff, oddly shiny and sometimes capped with a tight plastic sleeve. That stiffness is not the brush itself but a starch or gum sizing that brushmakers apply to hold the shape during shipping. Paint straight over it and the brush will feel clumsy, load unevenly and may even leave the sizing in your first layer. A few minutes of preparation fixes that, and a short test session tells you exactly what each new brush is good at. Here is how to use new brushes for painting, from unpacking to the first real strokes.

Step 1: Unpack and Inspect

Before any water touches the brushes, take a quick look at each one.

• Remove the plastic caps carefully by sliding them straight off. Do not twist.
• Check the ferrule. It should be firmly crimped with no wobble.
• Check the handle. Look for cracks or loose finish near the ferrule.
• Look at the hair. A few stray hairs are common; large gaps, crooked bundles or obvious damage are not.
• Note the labels. Many sets stamp the shape and size on each handle. Writing down which brush is which, or sorting them by shape, saves time later.

Budget sets are a great way to discover which shapes you like before investing in single brushes, and quality varies a lot between them. Our guide to the best brush sets under 20 dollars covers what to expect from affordable sets and which shapes they typically include.

Step 2: Remove the Factory Sizing

Sizing is usually a water-soluble starch or gum. It must come out before painting.

1. Rinse the head in lukewarm water. Hold the brush tip-down under a gentle stream, or swirl it in a cup of water.
2. Gently work the hairs with your fingers. You will feel the stiffness soften as the sizing dissolves.
3. Add a drop of mild soap. Lather lightly, then rinse until the water runs clear and the hair feels soft.
4. Squeeze out water gently with a clean towel.
5. Reshape. Pinch rounds into a point and press flats into a straight edge.

Avoid hot water. It can loosen the ferrule glue, especially in inexpensive brushes.

Step 3: Check for Shedding

New brushes sometimes release a few loose hairs. It is better to find them now than in your first wash of color.

1. While the brush is damp, gently pull the hairs between your thumb and forefinger from ferrule to tip.
2. Remove any loose hairs that come away.
3. Repeat two or three times.

If hairs keep coming out after several passes, the brush may have weak glue. Use it for rough work, or return it if the seller allows.

Step 4: Dry or Go Straight to Painting

After washing, you can either let the brushes dry flat or hanging head down, or blot them and start painting immediately. Most painters prefer to blot and start, as long as the water has been squeezed out.

Do not put the plastic caps back on. Sliding a cap over damp hair can bend the tip, and even on dry brushes a tight cap can catch hairs.

Step 5: Learn Each Brush’s Marks

Every brush makes a characteristic set of marks. A quick test session teaches you what each brush does before you rely on it in a painting.

Set up a test sheet

• Use inexpensive paper, a canvas board, or the back of an old painting.
• Mix a single color to a creamy consistency for acrylic or oil, or a medium-strength wash for watercolor.
• Label a row or square for each brush.

Strokes to test

Keep the test sheet. It becomes a quick visual reference for choosing brushes later.

How to Use a Paint Brush Properly

Once you know your brushes, these fundamentals make every stroke more controlled.

Hold the brush correctly

• Close to the ferrule for detail and control, like holding a pencil.
• Further back on the handle for looser, more expressive strokes.
• Overhand, with the handle under your palm, for broad strokes at an easel.

Load the brush

1. Dip only the front half to two-thirds of the hair into the paint.
2. Roll or press the brush lightly in the paint to fill the belly evenly.
3. Wipe one side on the palette edge if you want less paint.
4. Avoid getting paint near the ferrule.

Make the stroke

• Pull rather than push most brushes. Pushing against the hair direction can splay soft brushes.
• Use the whole brush. The tip for lines, the belly for width, the side for edges.
• Vary pressure within a stroke for thick-thin variation.
• Lift cleanly at the end to control how the stroke finishes.
• Reload before the brush runs dry, unless you want a dry-brush effect.

Matching New Brushes to Your Medium

Many inexpensive sets are labeled for “all media,” but some brushes suit certain paints better.

• Acrylic: firm synthetic brushes work well and tolerate acrylic’s quick drying. Rinse often.
• Watercolor: softer synthetics that hold water and form a good point are best.
• Oil: firm synthetics or bristle brushes handle thicker paint. Clean with solvent or oil, then soap.
• Craft and rock painting: small detail brushes and short flats are useful for small surfaces.

It is a good habit to dedicate brushes to one medium once you start using them. Residue from oil paint, for example, can repel water in a watercolor brush.

Your First Session: Care Habits That Protect New Brushes

1. Rinse between colors. Swirl gently; do not press the tip into the jar bottom.
2. Never leave brushes standing in water. Lay them flat on a rest or towel.
3. Keep acrylic moving. Rinse brushes frequently so paint does not dry in the hair.
4. Use an old brush for rough tasks. Masking fluid, glue, gesso and scrubbing wear out good brushes fast.
5. Clean immediately after painting. Wipe, rinse, wash with soap until the lather is clean, reshape and dry.

A Simple First Painting to Try Every Brush

After the test sheet, a small, low-pressure painting puts the brushes to work together. A simple landscape on a 5 x 7 inch card or board uses nearly every shape in a typical set.

1. Sky with the largest flat. Lay a graded band of blue across the top third, fading lighter toward the horizon. This tests coverage and how evenly the flat releases paint.
2. Distant hills with a filbert. Paint soft, rounded shapes along the horizon in a muted blue-gray. The filbert’s curved tip makes gentle edges.
3. Middle ground with a medium flat. Block in a green field with horizontal strokes, using the flat’s edge for a crisp line where the field meets the hills.
4. Trees with a fan brush. Tap or stipple dark green clusters, then a lighter green on top for highlights.
5. Trunks and branches with a liner. Pull thin brown lines up into the foliage, tapering as you lift.
6. Grass and flowers with a round. Flick short upward strokes for grass, and add small dots of color for flowers with the tip.
7. Final details with the smallest brush. Add a fence post, a bird or a few highlights.

The goal is not a masterpiece. It is to feel how each brush behaves in context, which ones you reach for naturally, and which ones you rarely need. That knowledge guides what to buy next.

Common Beginner Mistakes With New Brushes

• Painting through the sizing. The brush feels stiff and may leave streaks; always rinse it out first.
• Dipping to the ferrule. It seems efficient, but it is the fastest way to ruin a brush with dried paint.
• Using the smallest brush for everything. Large brushes cover areas faster and give smoother results; save small ones for details.
• Scrubbing paint on. If you need to scrub to get coverage, the paint is too thick or the brush is too small.
• Leaving cleanup for later. Especially with acrylic, “later” often means a stiff, ruined brush.

Breaking In New Brushes

Some brushes feel slightly stiff even after the sizing is removed. A short break-in period helps:

• Use them on scrap work for a session or two before an important painting.
• Wash and condition natural-hair brushes after the first few uses to soften the hair.
• Let synthetic brushes relax by rinsing in lukewarm water and reshaping; they often settle into their final shape after a few uses.

Bristle brushes in particular often become more responsive as the tips wear in slightly with use.

Natural vs synthetic break-in

Natural hair, such as sable, squirrel or hog, can take a few washes to reach its best softness and spring, and benefits from occasional conditioning. Synthetic filament is usually close to its final feel after the sizing is removed, so if a synthetic brush still feels wrong after two or three sessions, it is unlikely to improve much.

Organizing a New Brush Set

Most budget sets come in a plastic sleeve or a simple case. To keep brushes in good shape:

• Store them upright with heads up in a cup, or flat in a box.
• Keep different shapes together so you can find them quickly.
• Separate brushes by medium using labeled jars or colored tape on the handles.
• Dry brushes fully before putting them back into a closed case.

Signs a New Brush Is Not Right for You

Not every brush in a set will suit your style. Watch for:

• A round that will not point even after washing and reshaping.
• A flat with a ragged edge that leaves uneven strokes.
• Constant shedding after the first few uses.
• Hair that stays bent no matter how you reshape it.
• A loose ferrule or cracked handle.

Keep these brushes for rough tasks like gesso, glue, varnish touch-ups or texture.

FAQs

How to use brush sets for the first time?

Remove caps, rinse each brush in lukewarm water to dissolve the factory sizing, wash with a drop of mild soap, check for loose hairs, reshape, and test each brush on scrap paper before painting.

Do I need to wash new paint brushes before using them?

Yes. Most new brushes have a sizing that stiffens the hair. Washing it out makes the brush softer and helps it load paint evenly.

How to use a paint brush properly for beginners?

Hold the brush like a pencil for control, load only the front half of the hair, pull strokes rather than pushing, vary pressure for different widths, and rinse often between colors.

Is it normal for new brushes to shed?

A few loose hairs at first are common, especially with natural hair. Ongoing shedding after several uses suggests weak glue or poor construction.

Can I use the same brushes for acrylic and watercolor?

You can, but it is better to dedicate brushes to one medium. Acrylic residue can stiffen brushes and affect watercolor flow.

Should I put the plastic caps back on new brushes?

Generally no. Caps can bend the hair when you slide them back on. Store brushes upright or flat instead.

Final Thoughts

Using new brushes well starts before the first stroke: remove the caps, wash out the sizing, check for shedding, and test each brush to learn its marks. Then load from the tip, pull your strokes, rinse often and clean immediately after painting. If you are still choosing a starter set, compare our picks for affordable brush sets that cover the essential shapes.