Camel Hair A catchall term used by manufacturers of economy brushes constructed of soft inexpensive soft hairs such as pony, horse or goat. Bristles A coarse, heavy hair traditionally used in oil painting, bristle is primarily made of hog hair. Bristle had great snap and resilence but lacks a fine point. Used for scrubbing out areas in watercolor painting as well as creating textures. Badger, Fitch Used by oil painters, these smooth hairs are finer than bristle and coarser than sable, they generally have great snap and can hold a fine edge or point.
Fitch hair is taken from the polecat or mongoose and has a fine, medium stiffness.
Badger is stiffer and has more spring and is used as a blender in oil painting. Sign painters quill-style brushes are make of these varieties as well. Synthetics Synthetic nylon or taklon brushes are used for acrylic painting due to their lower cost and durability. The golden yellow or white hairs hold a sharp point and more flexible than bristle. Finer, softer grades are used for economical watercolor brushes but synthetic cannot approach the quality and usefullness of sable.