They charge well with paint and offer even application and smooth color with little or no brush marks. They represent a near opposite to the boar bristle brushes described in the previous paragraph. Priced from very economical to moderate, these brushes also have nickel ferrules and stand up well to chemical and solvent contact. Considered by most oil painters to be the premier brushes for oil work, red sable brushes have been used for centuries by artists. Composite brushes, those made of a combination of sable and synthetics, offer added durability and resilience, especially when working on more rigid surfaces.
Sables come in varied handle lengths and a large variety of sizes.
Synthetic brushes give a combined quality of strength and supreme flexibility. Their hair is very near that of sable, yet they can stand up to more demanding use without decline. While they are best suited to acrylic painting, they can be used for oil works as well. Some of the more unique include badger hair, water buffalo, and raccoon. Each is available in a variety of shapes and handle lengths.