Choosing the right glaze for your project can be a difficult decision already, but having the right brush to apply that glaze is a struggle on its own.
If you’re looking for just the right brush to glaze your pottery pieces, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will introduce you to 10 of the best brushes for glazing. Plus, we’ll show you what you should look for as you shop for glazing brushes.
Ready to get started? Let’s take a look at some of the best glazing brushes.
Got no time to read? Here are our best picks and why we picked them.
| Product Name | Good For |
| Suproot Paint Brushes Set | Lifetime warranty |
| Crafts 4 All Artist Paint Brushes | Nylon-haired brushes |
| Artlicious Paint Brush Set of 25 | 25 piece set builds a solid brush foundation for any collection |
| FolkArt Plaid Nylon Brush Set | Aluminum ferrules resist rust |
| Soucolor Acrylic Paint Brush Set | Filbert, flat, and round brush types included |
| Benicci Professional Artist Paint Brush Set of 12 | High-quality nylon bristles |
| Patelai 3-Piece Flat Hake Brush Set | Thick bristle width |
| Blick Masterstroke Interlocking Bristle Brush Set – Flat Long Handle | Long, flat handles for better grip |
| Blick Wonder White Set – Assorted Handle | Durable taklon fibers |
| Royal & Langnickel Soft Grip Golden Taklon Brush Beginner Short Handle Set | Soft rubber grips for comfort |
Best Brushes for Glazing
Here’s a list of the best brushes you can use for glazing pottery.
Suproot Paint Brushes Set
For many artists, potters included, brushes can be a consumable component of the trade. In those cases, it’s good to invest in brush sets such as the Suproot Paint Brushes Set. These brushes might not be of the highest quality, but they can get the job done just as well.
This 10-piece brush set includes the following sizes: ⅝, 8, 6, 4, 5, 3, 1, and 2/0. Suproot also includes a pair of size 2 brushes as well, which vary in length. These brushes feature nylon fibers that won’t shed but are easy to clean and use.
Seamless nickel ferrules double crimp to form a bond with the short wooden handles. These handles provide easy gripping surfaces for intricate details as you glaze. Plus Suproot offers a lifetime guarantee to protect your purchase.
Pros
- 10-piece set
- Lifetime warranty
- Nylon no-shed fibers
Cons
- Not necessarily professional grade
Crafts 4 All Artist Paint Brushes
Multiple types of brushes can be found in this set of 12 from Crafts 4 All. With these 12 brushes in your hands, you should be able to complete a variety of glazing projects with the ability to both cover large areas of clay as well as achieve intricate detailing of your projects.
The wide tips on these nylon-haired brushes are easy to clean with soap and water. You can easily reshape the brush hair once they’re cleaned for next time. The short wooden handles feature rust-resistant aluminum ferrules, which provide a stylish appearance as well.
This set of 12 brushes includes filbert, angular, flat, detail, wisp, and soft fan brush types.
Pros
- Variety of brush types to choose from
- Nylon-haired brushes
- Set of 12 in various sizes
Cons
- No intricate, small brush sizes available
Artlicious Paint Brush Set of 25
Choosing the right set of paintbrushes can be a hard decision for some folks, so going with a set of 25 brushes from Artlicious can be a good move to get some experience. With the variety of brushes available in this set, you can easily glaze in a number of different styles.
Besides the variety of sizes, there’s also a wide array of brush hair types as well. Nylon, bristle, foam/sponge, and camel hair are all included in this set.
Nylon brushes work well with most glaze types and can easily achieve high detail. Bristle brushes are best for acrylics or oils and covering large areas to get paint on your canvas. Foam works well with a lot of paint types, and can provide a smooth finish when necessary.
Camel hair might seem like an odd hair type, but they’re actually a versatile option when it comes to brushes. Watercolors work well with camel hair, especially for blending edges and subtle strokes.
Pros
- Multiple brush types for a broad experience
- Variety of sizes and shapes
- 25 piece set builds a solid brush foundation for any collection
Cons
- Speciality brushes not necessary included
FolkArt Plaid Nylon Brush Set
Glazing quickly and efficiently is easy with this 3-brush nylon set from FolkArt.
While there might only be 3 brushes total in this set, they get the job done quickly and efficiently when it comes to glazing. The sizes included in this set are ½ inch, ¾ inch, and 1 inch. Between these 3 brushes, you should be able to cover a lot of clay easily with whatever glaze you choose.
The bronze taklon bristles on these brushes clean up easily with soap and water. Plus you can reshape them for next time with your fingers as they dry. The aluminum ferrules keep the bristles from clogging your glaze up. Plus, each brush is about 7 to 7.5 inches long, so you can easily grip the handle during glazing.
Pros
- Broad, flat brush heads
- Durable bronze taklon bristles
- Aluminum ferrules resist rust
Cons
- Single brush type in 3 sizes
Soucolor Acrylic Paint Brush Set
Value is a big factor in this Acrylic Paint Brush Set from Soucolor. From this set of 20 pieces, there are a lot of projects you can tackle, including glazing.
Included within this set are actually 2 identical sets of brushes. This can be especially helpful if you are using multiple glazes but want to use the same type of brush. Speaking of which, the included sizes are a #4 and #8 filbert, a #2, #6, and ⅝ flat/shader, a #2, #2, and #5 round/script/rigger, as well as a 2/0 and #1 liner/detail.
These brushes are soft and durable. They feature high-grade nylon hairs with an ergonomic wooden handle for gripping. You can choose from 1 of 4 colors as well.
Pros
- Double set of brushes
- Filbert, flat, and round brush types included
- Available in multiple colors
Cons
- More thin brushes than large, thick brushes
Benicci Professional Artist Paint Brush Set of 12
This set of 12 brushes from Benicci are of professional grade and provide a variety of brush types for artists of all experience levels. With plenty of shapes and sizes, these brushes are easy to clean and use and maintain their shape.
The high-quality nylon bristles of these brushes contain fine tips that produce crisp and smooth brush strokes. The bronze color aluminum ferrules hold the bristles in tight so you don’t have to worry about them falling into your glaze.
Ergonomic wooden handles provide a solid base for your grip. Plus, you can choose from flat, soft fan, filbert, and round brushes as well. Each will provide a different type of coverage to suit your glazing needs.
Pros
- Professional grade brushes
- Variety of brush types
- High-quality nylon bristles
Cons
- No angled brushes
Patelai 3-Piece Flat Hake Brush Set
Last but not least, we’ve included this Flat Hake Brush Set from Patelai on our list. These three brushes are perfect for wide coverage across large clay projects.
Many potters seek out hake brushes for their specific design. The sheep hair bristles are wired into natural wooden handles with copper wire to keep more hair on the brush and less on your projects.
Hake brushes like these are ideal for creating smooth and even layers with glaze. They come with a hole through the handle end so you can hang them up to dry after use. Plus, these three brushes are all 9 inches long, with 1-, 2-, and 3-inch wide bristles.
Pros
- Wooden handles with holes for hanging up to dry
- Thick bristle width
- 9-inch long handles for added gripping power
Cons
- Details may be hard to accomplish with these large brushes
Blick Masterstroke Interlocking Bristle Brush Set – Flat Long Handle
Dependable brushes make for dependable results, which is why we’ve chosen this set of 6 Blick Masterstroke Interlocking Bristle Brushes for our list. The flat, long handles provide plenty of gripping surface so you can focus on glazing, not juggling the brush itself.
These half-dozen glaze brushes from Blick come in sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. The hand-selected white hog bristles are interlocking. This allows you to produce a smoother stroke with heavy or thick glazes. Plus, they’re held tight in the gold accent tips at the end of the black handles.
Pros
- Quality brushes in common sizes
- Interlocking hog bristles
- Long, flat handles for better grip
Cons
- Pricey compared to other brushes on our list
Blick Wonder White Set – Assorted Handle
Blick also produces this Wonder White Set of 6 brushes, which could be a more affordable alternative if you’re working on a budget. Don’t confuse budget with economy quality though, because these brushes exhibit durability.
The assorted brush sizes in this set include a 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 brush. Brush styles include bright, filbert, flat, and round. The white taklon filaments are installed in a blue gloss-finished handle, which is attached to a nickel-plated brass ferrule for a clean, professional look.
Blick describes these glaze brushes as having the texture and responsiveness of red sable. However, they’re also durable when exposed to paint and solvents, so you don’t have to worry about the brushes deteriorating as you use them to glaze.
Pros
- Variety of brush shapes and lengths
- Professional packaging that’s sleek and durable
- Durable taklon fibers
Cons
- More for detailed glazing than covering large areas of clay
Royal & Langnickel Soft Grip Golden Taklon Brush Beginner Short Handle Set
This set of beginner brushes from Royal & Langnickel features everything you need to get started with glazing. These 5 brushes will start your collection off right, whether you plan to add on to it later or stick with learning these handful of brushes first.
Sizes in this brush set include ¾ inch, 5/0, a 4 round, an angular ¾ inch, and a size 8 shader. If you’re not sure which is which, Royal & Langnickel have printed the sizes on the handles for quick reference.
This set of 5 brushes is economical as well as handy to have. The thick acrylic handles feature soft rubber grips near the ferrules to provide the best experience possible during use. The handles might be short when compared to other brushes, but that gives you the ability to have more control over small details.
Pros
- Soft rubber grips for comfort
- Variety of brush types and sizes
- Great starter collection for beginner
Cons
- Advanced glazers may want more specific brushes not included in this set
What to Look for in Glaze Brushes
Below is a list of the main characteristics you should look for as you search for the best brush for glazing.
Bristle Type
There are many types of bristles available on glazing brushes, each with their own set of pros and cons. They’re typically divided into two categories: natural and synthetic. Natural hair types include hog, hake, and camel, while synthetic brushes are typically nylon or polyester. Both types work well for ceramics, especially when it comes to glazing.
Here are some of the most common types of bristles you’ll see. Keep in mind that each type will create its own set of brush marks.
Nylon Brushes
Nylon paint brush bristles are often easier to keep clean than natural hairs. They’re dyed and baked to make them softer and increase their ability to absorb glaze. In fact, these natural fibers are often referred to as “taklon.”
Most nylon paint brush bristles are tapered, flagged, abraded, or tipped. They won’t necessarily age as well as natural bristle brushes but can be an affordable alternative. Many brush sets include nylon brushes.
Hog Hair Brushes
Hog bristles are naturally strong and springy, giving them durability as you use them. The ends are naturally split to hold more paint or glaze and they resist fraying. Hog-hair bristle brushes typically age well and actually become softer as you use them. Durability is a huge factor that makes them a popular brush type to work with.
Camel Brushes
Don’t be fooled by the name. There’s not actually any camel hair in these brushes. In fact, camel hair is not suitable for painting or glazing and is hardly used if at all.
Brushes that claim they use camel hair are actually made from other types of soft hair, such as squirrel, goat, ox, pony, or a blend of any of them. Keep this in mind as you shop so you’re not lured into paying more for “camel” hair.
Hake Brushes
Made from goat or sheep hair, hake brushes are often sought after for their ability to provide overall coverage during glazing or painting. Hake brushes typically feature long handles that are wooden and flat. Many bakers and cooks also use hake brushes to apply marinades, sauces, and more.
A hake brush is known for shedding a bit of hair in the beginning, but after a few uses, it should stop. While some painters use a hake brush to apply paint or glaze, others prefer to use a dry hake brush instead. Using a hake brush to work in watercolors is popular as well.
For many artists and potters, a hake brush can be intimidating. A hake brush can be quite advanced for some, since it’s not just a huge brush with natural bristles. That said, it’s a good idea to pick up a hake brush or even a few hake brush sets and experiment with it with glazes to see what it can do for you.
Bristle Sizes
Paint brush bristle sizes matter in terms of both length and width. Wider brushes will provide greater overall coverage across a surface but aren’t the best for small details. Smaller brushes allow you to get into spaces with greater ease.
With that said, many artists use brushes in a variety of ways. Just because certain brushes are used for common methods, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment with your own glazing brushes.
Brush Handles
Brush handles are typically measured in terms of inches. Longer handles can be great for artists with larger hands, especially if they’re thick as well. However, shorter handles can provide more leverage and therefore higher accuracy for smaller details with glazes.
Handles that include soft-grip textures also do well with glazing. Any feature that can reduce the wear and tear on your hand will be a paintbrush you pick up again and again to glaze.
Brush Styles
There are many glaze brush styles available to choose from. Common types include filbert, round, flat, and fan.
Soft fan brushes are best for adding glaze to a surface in broad strokes. Filbert brushes are your typical glaze brush, with a broad, square-like shape. Round glaze brushes actually come to a point if they’re worth their salt, such as those used in pinstriping.
Flat brushes are most commonly used for glazing, since they provide broad coverage. The bristles are flatter and thinner than those found in round brushes. Hake brushes are a type of flat brush especially used with glazes. If you want to apply a lot of glaze across a wide area, remember the hake brush.
Variety
Choosing glaze brush sets with a variety of brush types will gain you more experience as an artist. A variety of sizes and thicknesses will also help with glazes if they’re included in the brush sets.
If you’re able to work with glaze brushes of all types and sizes, you can easily use that experience to choose the right brush the next time you glaze. There’s plenty of value in the many glaze brush sets we’ve included below.
Durability
Choosing a durable brush will help protect your investment. This means finding brushes with strong ferrules that keep the brush bristles locked in. No one likes to find paintbrush bristles on their projects, especially after glazing.
The best brushes for glazing should also be able to endure quite a few painting or glazing sessions. They should retain their shape after you wash them and the best glaze brushes will get softer with age, so they’re more flexible as you use them.
Wrap up
We hope you’ve found this article on the best brushes for glazing useful in your search. Shopping for brushes can be a fun experience, especially when you think about all the projects you can create once you get back to the studio.