Synthetics are man-made of either nylon or polyester. They may come tipped, tapered, flagged, abraded or even etched to increase the brushes' ability to carry color. The man-made filaments may be dyed and baked to make them soft and more absorbent. The advantages of a synthetic brush are as follows:

• They are very durable

• They are less likely to be damaged by moths, paints or mild solvents.

• They are easier to clean.

• If you are using an acrylic paint, use a synthetic brush.

No animals are raised or trapped for the sole purpose of making a brush. Natural animal hair may be used in its pure state or mixed with other types of hair to accomplish a particular mixture for price, and or, performance, Natural hair will hold a tremendous amount of paint, because it has microscopic scales along the shaft of the hair. Quality and price of natural hair is determined by the grade of animal, and by supply and demand. Generally speaking, longer hair is harder to find and more expensive than the shorter lengths.

Squirrel Hair

Blue squirrel is the most readily available and comes in long lengths, as well as short lengths. It is generally used for striping brushes and lettering brushes. Brown, or kazan, is no longer as plentiful as it was several years ago. It is generally found in the shorter lengths and used for stripers, quills, and outliners. Both blue and kazan are very soft and fine. They point as well as kolinsky, but have very little snap, since the hair is not very resilient. Grey squirrel is the hardest to find and the most expensive. It is more durable, has more snap and makes a great quill or lettering brush.

Camel Hair

There are no camel hair brushes. Camel hair brushes received their name from "Mr. Camel", who invented them. Camel hair could be squirrel, ox, pony, goat, or a blend.

Pony Hair

It comes from an animal that is at least two years old. It is very strong, but also soft. The very finest pony hair comes from the belly of the animal. It is often blended with other hairs for less expensive watercolor and touch-up brushes.

Ox Hair

The best ox hair comes from the ears of cattle or oxen. It is very silky to the touch. It is also very strong, resilient and has good snap. However, it lacks a fine tip, so it is usually mixed with other natural hairs. The blending makes a brush more resilient and have more body.

Red Sable

This hair comes from any member of the weasel family that has red hair. It does not come from the "sable" animal. It is used to make a lot of different brushes, and there is a big variance in quality when one speaks of "red sable". The good quality red sable can be used as a less expensive alternative to kolinsky. Quite often, red sable is blended with ox hair to make a more economical brush, but unfortunately, the fine point is sacrificed.

Sableline

This is normally light color ox hair that is dyed to look like red sable. Some lettering and watercolor brushes are made with sabeline, mixed with sable, to lower the cost of the brush.

Kolinsky Sable

It comes from the tail of a mink. it is the best hair for watercolor and oil brushes because of its strength, spring and snap. It comes to a very fine point, and with proper care, will last many years.

Bristle

It comes from hogs in different parts of the world, but the very best comes from China. Hog bristle is different than any other natural fiber, since it forms a V-shaped split or "flag" at the tip, and has a natural curve. This gives it a resistance to fraying and it spreads paint smoothly and evenly.