7 Different Types Of Nail Art Brushes That Anyone Can Try

You can’t become a pro unless you master the art of knowing which brush to use when.

Reviewed by Anuja Sachdeva, Internationally Certified Nail Master & Educator
Written by Jyotsana Rao, BE

Edited by Subhrojyoti Mukherjee, MA (English)

Fact-checked by Joyce Joyson, MA (Mass Communication & Journalism) • Nov 15, 2023

7 Different Types Of Nail Art Brushes That Anyone Can Try

Image: Shutterstock

Nail art rules the beauty industry now! And anyone can try it at home, but only if you have the right tools. Talking about the same, Jenna, a blogger shared her experience of using nail art brushes and how it makes the nail polish application process easy, smooth, and efficient for her. She said, “I think the easiest tool for nail art is a brush! Sure, you can use toothpicks/mechanical pencils but brushes will give you the best results. They also feel much more natural to use than bobby pins or whatever else you might use (i).” However, the blogger also emphasized the importance of cleaning and drying the nail brushes immediately after putting them to use as they can turn dry and clumpy due to the hardening of nail polish on them.

How to choose a good nail art brush? What are the different types of nail art brushes available? What are the things you should keep in mind while doing nail art? If you are confused with all these questions, we have your back. This article contains all the information you need to know about nail art brushes. Keep scrolling!

Nail Art Brushes

Nail art brushes comes in 15 different interesting pieces and each set can be further divided into 7 parts. You can buy these brushes individually too depending on what you like to do. These brushes are:

Keep In Mind

Prep Your Nails: Thoroughly clean your nails, shape them to your desired length, and apply a base coat to protect your nails.
Precautions: Clean your brushes after each use to prevent color mixing and avoid using acetone to clean your brushes as it can damage the bristles.
Nail Care Tips: Regularly apply a cuticle oil or cream to keep your nails and cuticles hydrated.
Aftercare: Apply a top coat to seal in the nail art. Use a non-acetone nail polish remover to remove nail art without damaging your nails.

In This Article

1. 3D Brush

The 3D brush, more specifically the acrylic brush (no. 02), is the most versatile and common nail art brush. It is great for painting nails and can be used for creating intricate designs. It also helps in creating different strokes and patterns. These brushes also help in making 3D nail art using acrylic powder and monomer.

2. Striper/Liner Brush

This nail brush helps in creating stripes (long lines), striping stroke patterns, and plaid art (checks), and you can also use them to make animal patterns such as zebra or tiger prints. You get straight lines with these brushes with ease, which makes them perfect for nail artistry. Your set may contain 3 of these brushes.

Quick Tip

A striper brush is also ideal for creating geometric designs and drag marbling. The long bristles help to reduce shakiness and create smooth lines.

3. Flat/Gel Brush

This brush is also known as a shader brush. These brushes help in creating long fluid strokes on the nails. It also helps in creating one stroke patterns, blending and shading. They are also helpful in doing gel nails. Your set may contain 2-3 sizes of this brush.

4. Angled Brush

This brush basically helps in one-stroke nail art flowers on the nail. It is very easy to double-load the two different colors of nail polish while using it because of its angled bristles.

Quick Tip

Aside from designing, an angled brush can also be used to remove excess polish from the cuticles and sidewalls of the nails.

5. Fan Brush

A fan brush has many functions. It helps in shading, creating swirls, and sprinkling glitter. You can create beautiful stroke effects with this brush. It is also used in brushing off excess flocking powder or glitter too.

6. Detailing Brush

As the name suggests this brush is used for adding details to your nail design and it has a very good precision effect,which makes nail decoration a breeze. You can create many masterpieces with this brush. This is a must-have brush in your nail art tools stash and is just ideal for at-home manicure!

7. Dotter

Your 15-piece nail art brush set should consist of one dotter tool too. It has a very small head tip which helps in creating many small dotted effects on the nails. For larger dots, you can use other bigger dotting tools that are available in the market.

Infographic: 5 Brushes For The Perfect Nail Art And How To Use Them

Nair art is a major trend these days, and the best thing is that it allows you to be creative with the designs. However, you need to have the right brushes at your disposal.
Check out the infographic below for 5 important brushes you will need for executing your flawless nail art aspirations.

5 brushes for the perfect nail art and how to use them (infographic)

Save the high-quality PDF version on your device now.

Download Infographic

A good set of nail art brushes make nail art easy and help you achieve the desired look. Round brush, striper brush, flat brush, angled brush, fan brush, detailing brush, and dotter brush are a few nail art brushes that you can choose from. The brushes let you express your creativity and can be used for shading, sprinkling glitter, blending, and making intricate designs. In addition, a few of these brushes also help create 3D designs. While using these brushes can be tough initially, you will get used to it with constant practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use instead of nail art brushes?

You can use old eyeliner brushes and paint brushes instead of nail art brushes. You can also use a syringe glue applicator to add rhinestones or embellishments to your nails.

Which brushes are best for acrylic nails?

Acrylic brushes are the best for acrylic nails as their pointed tip allows precise application, offers a good control for a smooth finish and helps enhance its beauty.

How do I keep my acrylic nail brush from getting hard?

Your nail brush may go hard if acrylic is left to dry on it. So, thoroughly wipe your brushes with clean paper towels using the monomer liquid after every use to keep it from becoming hard. Make sure you do not dip your brush directly in monomer without wiping acrylic leftover from the brush as it can result in the acrylic drying up on your brush and hardening the bristles.

Key Takeaways

Every kind of brush has a particular usage and can be employed to produce various designs.
The outcome of the nail design might be impacted by the brush’s quality.
Natural or synthetic hair are only two examples of the materials that can be used to make nail art brushes.
For greater versatility, certain nail art brushes have numerous brush heads.
The longevity and utility of the brushes can be guaranteed by proper cleaning and maintenance.