Chalk & Milk Paint Tips & Techniques. Helpful How-to’s & DIYs

Furniture Paint Brush Guide — What Brush for Which Paint & Why it Matters

21/6/2016

Most tradies and experienced painters agree — quality tools make the difference. Many "paint problems" can be solved with a good brush.

Even better? The RIGHT brush.

Why is this the case? Why aren't all brushes created equal? Why do different paints need different brushes?

A brush is a brush, right?

Not always.

Whether you are a newbie DIY-er or an avid furniture upcycler, this guide will clear things up by providing the information to make the right decision when selecting the correct brush for the job!

Many furniture painters treasure their paint brush collections

Natural Bristle Paint Brushes

Let's start with natural paints such as Chalk Paint and Milk Paint. Natural bristle brushes are typically recommended for best results.

Can you use a synthetic polyester or nylon brush with these paints? Absolutely. But what happens is paint slides off the bristles forcing you to repeatedly reload your brush reducing the quality of the finish. In addition, the bristles can be stiff or slick and lead to excessive drag marks, brushstrokes and patchiness.

The soft flexibility of natural bristle brushes smoothly apply a thin, even layer of paint minimising streaks and working to distribute paint evenly. This prevents the "lines" you can get with synthetic brushes.

Top: Old World Chalk Paint applied with synthetic brush leaving streaks. Bottom: Old World Paint applied with natural bristle paint brush providing solid, even coverage. (Old World Paint colour: South Seas)

Natural bristle brushes are purpose-designed to pick up, hold and distribute natural paints like Old World Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint beautifully (as well as other chalk paint and milk paint brands).

Coverage and finish is massively improved when using these brushes with most clay, chalk and milk-based paints.

*Natural bristle brushes tend to shed with the first couple of uses, however, quality brushes stop shedding after the second or third use.

MMSMP Small Paint Brush, $16

Miss Mustard Seed Paint Brushes
are made with natural bristles, purpose-designed for the application of Milk Paint
as well as Chalk Paint and have the
added bonus of being designed
smaller and lighter for womens' hands!

They are high-quality brushes that will last a lifetime when cared for properly.

A very good all purpose MMS Small Paint Brush starts at only $16.
This is also an excellent brush for
applying MMS Hemp Oil.

Fusion Paint Brushes

Ok, so I have my natural bristle paint brush and now I want to use Fusion Mineral Paint.

Surely I can use a natural bristle brush with Fusion, right?!

Wellllllll, not exactly...

Fusion is a high-quality acrylic paint and you tend to get poor coverage and a streaky finish when using a natural bristle brush. There is something about Fusion's satiny-smooth, built-in wax finish that doesn't work optimally with natural bristle paint brushes.

Top: Fusion Paint Brush leaves a smooth, even finish. Bottom: Natural bristle brush leaves an uneven coat with excessive brushstrokes. (Colour: Fusion Mineral Paint in Fort York Red).

Fortunately Fusion thinks of everything, so they created very affordable synthetic fibre paint brushes to use with Fusion Mineral Paint and the Metallic Paint range.

These are inexpensive lightweight brushes with tightly-packed bristles that glide along surfaces leaving a smooth, nearly brushstroke-free finish. An absolute staple for Fusion lovers!

As a bonus, they are cleverly sized to fit directly into the sample pot and the full size pot of Fusion Mineral Paint for only $8 and $12 respectively!

*Both brushes fit perfectly into the 250ml Fusion Metallic Paint as well.

From left: Small Fusion Paint brush, $8 designed to fit into a sample pot; Medium Fusion Paint Brush at only $12 fits perfectly into a full size Fusion paint pot.

Cling On Paint Brushes

Have I saved the best for last? It's possible!

Cling On Paint Brushes recently entered the Australian market and have exploded onto the upcycling, DIY and furniture painting scene. And it's no wonder!

Handmade in Holland they are the Rolls Royce of paint brushes without the price tag to match. The bonus? They work brilliantly with any water-based paint including Chalk Paint, Milk Paint AND Fusion Mineral Paint!

It's the very best of painting worlds where you do not have to remember which brush is for which paint and there is no need to swap and switch.

Granted, avid painters will benefit from (and take pride in) a collection of brushes for various finishes, but for those starting out and not wanting to invest in multiple brushes for different projects and paints, Cling Ons are the way to go.

The same is true for those who prefer a less hand-painted look as the Cling On brushes greatly reduce brushstrokes. The coverage is exceptional with these brushes and they are virtually self-cleaning.

Get all the details in our follow up post next week on Cling On Brushes.

Cling On Brushes suit all water-based paints, minimise brushstrokes and are self-cleaning, $20-$29 online

When investing in good brushes, an equally important investment are the tools for the proper cleaning and care of the brushes.

We recommend a natural soap to gently clean and condition such as Fusion's Linseed Brush Soap or Miss Mustard Seed's Brush Soap. Together with our handy Brush Scrubber, you will have your paint and wax brushes for life!