It’s Just a Paintbrush….

Artists and non-artists alike have all encountered an object with bristles on one end and a stick for a handle. This easily recognizable image is what most of us can agree with is a paintbrush. Whether you’ve used one yourself or know of someone who has, you’d probably agree that the humble paintbrush is a staple in any artist's toolbox. What you might not know is that there are infinite types, shapes, and sizes of them. Typically, people can tell the difference between a nice soft bristled brush with a wooden handle vs those unfortunate plastic paintbrushes with stabby hairs they give to children in cheap art kits. However, art has a history stretching all the way back to the beginning of humankind. That left plenty of time to change and innovate great tools for painting along the way. Let’s journey through the ages to discover how what we have today came to be.

Ancient Evidence

The first paintbrushes were simple tools taken from nature. They were just sticks, animal hair, tubular bones, split palm leaves, bird feathers etc. In ancient times one end of a bamboo stick would be smashed or chewed to form the brush tip. These early versions have been traced all the way back to prehistoric times, and we have observed evidence of their use in places including China, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. 

Animal hair obsession

The amount of animal hair used to create paintbrushes is ridiculous. You may have heard of boar bristles, but our ancestors were wildly more creative than that. In China, their bristles could come from wolf, goat or even rabbit fur. Some paintbrushes were made with squirrel hairs in medieval Europe! Sable hair in particular was sought after due to its smoothness and ability to form a fine point; especially during the Renaissance. Having that type of quality is essential when you need to create delicate brushwork. If you don’t know what a sable is, here is a photo. They are from the weasel family. 

When it starts to get familiar

The form of paintbrush we recognize today started taking shape in the 16th century in Europe. You may notice that most grown-up paintbrushes have a metal tube connecting the wooden or plastic handle to the brush tip. This thing is called a metal ferrule and it’s pretty genius. Before we had ferrules, bristles were typically tied or glued directly to sticks. This meant that they weren’t as durable as they are today. With this new addition, the brushes become longer lasting and more accurate for producing finer details. Demand for better, higher quality brushes led to a spike in production during the 19th century as new manufacturing techniques developed.

Bask is the variety

These days you can walk into any craft store, supermarket or online marketplace and find endless options when it comes to paintbrushes. There are shaped brush tips for specific stroke styles, such as fans or round tips. There are handles made from plastic, bamboo or wood and some even have rubber grips. You’ll see synthetic or fur bristles with various different colors to choose from. You’ll also see a crazy range of prices and brands all flooding you with choices, choices and more choices to make.

In our current age, there can be an overwhelming number of options when it comes to paintbrushes. While standing at the end of an aisle of paintbrush-covered walls may seem daunting, think about how lucky we are that the artist before us took the time to craft the tools we use every day. You’ll never have to compromise the quality of your paintings, and you’ll always be able to find the perfect brush for your exact needs.

Learn More:

If you learned a few cool facts and would like to dive deeper into this topic, check out more resources here and don’t forget to share your findings with a friend:

Paintbrush - Wikipedia

A Brief History of The Paintbrush — Primetime Paint & Paper

A brief history of paint brushes | paint brush manufacturers

Who Invented The Paint Brush - Paint Explained