8 Best Design Brushes for Painting Walls + Tips for Painting

Last updated: December 21, 2020


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A painter holding a brush, preparing to paint a wall


Walls can really add character to a room. This is why more and more people have started to incorporate intricate designs on their walls. What some people don’t realize is that there are actually paintbrushes available that can help you achieve your desired look.

If you want to add a design to your walls, it’s important that you know what your options are for tools. This article will help you learn about design brushes for wall painting by covering the following:

Before we get into the best ways to paint designs on your walls, let’s dive into the best design brushes available. If you’re repainting your entire wall, check out our guide to the best thin paintbrushes for walls.

8 best design brushes for wall painting

Whether you’re trying to apply stencils, add texture, or design a mural; you should be sure you’re using the best brushes. These are our recommendations for the top design brushes for wall painting.

1. Wooster Tiz Foam Roller Cover

Wooster Tiz Foam Roller Covers

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Roller

Quantity: 2

Size: ⅛-inch nap, 3-inch length

Material: Yellow foam

Best Feature: Smooth finish

If you want to paint a stenciled design on your wall, the Wooster Tiz Foam Roller Cover is a great option. The yellow foam helps you provide a smooth, lint-free finish. Works great with oil-based paints.

2. Shur-Line Foam Roller

Shur-Line Foam Roller

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Roller

Quantity: 1

Size: 6-inch length

Material: Foam

Best Feature: Coverage

The Shur-Line Foam Roller is another great option for those who want to paint a design on their wall using a stencil. The foam roller cover works well with all oil and latex-based paints to provide great coverage and a smooth finish. This set also comes with a roller handle, so you won't have to go searching for one.

3. Wooster Texture Maker Roller Cover

Wooster Texture Maker Roller Cover

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Roller

Quantity: 1

Size: 9-inch length

Material: Plastic looped material

Best Feature: Application

For those wanting to create a textured look on their walls, the Wooster Texture Maker Roller Cover is a great option. Its plastic looped material helps add texture to your walls when using texture paint on medium to semi-rough surfaces. This roller cover is also extremely durable.

4. True Value Applicators Master Painter Select Texture Roller Cover

True Value Applicators Master Painter Select Texture Roller Cover

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Roller

Quantity: 1

Size: ¼-inch nap, 9-inch length

Material: Plastic looped material

Best Feature: Easy to use

The True Value Applicators Master Painter Select Texture Roller Cover is another great option for those wanting to create a textured design on their walls. This roller cover allows you to easily apply texture with all types of texture coatings. Remember to purchase a roller holder separately.

5. Utoolmart Home Wall Rubber Paint Roller

Utoolmart Home Wall Rubber Paint Roller

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Roller

Quantity: 1

Size: 6-inch length

Material: Sponge

Best Feature: Beautiful stencil

If you want to easily paint a design on your walls, check out the Utoolmart Home Wall Rubber Paint Roller. This roller has a stencilled design on the cover, allowing you to roll the design straight to your wall. This roller is available in various designs.

6. Bueer DIY Patterned Paint Roller

Bueer DIY Patterned Paint Roller

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Roller

Quantity: 1

Size: 7-inch length

Material: Rubber

Best Feature: Reusable

The Bueer DIY Patterned Paint Roller is another great option for those wanting to easily paint a design on their walls. These rollers are beautifully designed to help you easily apply the pattern of your choice to your wall. There are also several different designs available to choose from.

7. One Happy Choice Synthetic Hair Paintbrush Set

One Happy Choice Synthetic Hair Paintbrush Set

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Brush

Quantity: 10

Size: Various

Material: Synthetic sable hair

Best Feature: Size

For those creating a detailed mural on their walls, you'll want an artist's brush set like the One Happy Choice Synthetic Hair Paintbrush Set. This set includes 10 different brushes designed to help you fill in and paint careful details on your wall. These brushes work well with acrylic and oil paints.

8. Linzer Chip Brush Multi-Pack

Linzer Chip Brush Multi-Pack

Image Credit: Amazon.ca

Type: Brush

Quantity: 6

Size: 1-inch to 3-inch

Material: White China bristles

Best Feature: Variety

The Linzer Chip Brush Multi-Pack is also recommended for those looking to paint a mural on their walls. The pack includes brushes that are an ideal shade for filling in sections of your mural where using an artist's brush would take more time. These brushes are also easy to use and hold.

What’s the best type of design brushes for walls?

To know what types of design brushes to use on your walls, you need to know what type of design you’re trying to create. Here is a quick guide for what tools to use for your specific project:

  • Painting over a stenciled design - If you have a stencil that you need to paint to your wall, using a foam roller will help you efficiently apply it while achieving great coverage and a smooth finish.
  • Applying a repeating stencil - If you want a tool that easily applies a stencil over your walls, there are many great rubber stencil rollers available.
  • Adding texture - If you want to use this simple method to give your walls some character, texture rollers are available to help you efficiently apply textured paint.
  • Creating a mural - For those wanting to design and paint a mural on their walls, it’s recommended that you use artist’s paintbrushes for the finer details and chip brushes to fill the larger sections of colour.

Best way to paint walls: design brush or roller

Whether to use a brush or a roller for adding a design to your walls depends on what you’re painting. For the majority of cases, you should use a roller as they’re often the most efficient and quality option. The most common examples are using a foam roller to paint on a stencil, a stencil roller to roll on a repeating design, or a texture roller to add texture to your walls (unless you’d feel more comfortable using a brush). The one time you should opt for paintbrushes instead is when creating a mural, since this project will require painting careful details.

A roller sitting on a paint can lid covered in green paint

Choose a brush if…

  • You’re painting a mural.
  • You want to take extra caution.
  • You don’t mind spending extra time and effort applying your designs.

Choose a roller if…

  • You’re wanting to apply a stencil.
  • You want to achieve full coverage and a smooth finish.
  • You’re creating texture across the entire wall.
  • You want to be efficient with your time and effort.

Best way to paint walls with a design brush

If you’re adding a design to your walls, it’s important that you do everything you can to make sure it looks great. Here are some tips for painting a design on your walls.

  • Clean the surface - Use a damp cloth to go over the surface you’ll be painting to remove any dirt and debris that could show up in your paint.
  • Fill any holes or cracks - Filling any gaps in your walls with spackle will ensure nothing will take away from the final look of your wall’s design.
  • Use painter’s tape - Make sure to tape off any trim, baseboards, or other surfaces near your project so you can maintain focus on applying your design.
  • Use the right paint for your project - Ensuring your selected paint works well for your intended purpose will ensure the final product looks great. For example, textured paint for creating texture or acrylic paint for mural painting.
  • Draw your mural with a pencil first - If you’re designing a mural, make sure to draw it out with a pencil first so that you’ll have a guide and can avoid mistakes.

Now that you know all about painting designs on your walls, it’s time to get started. If you’d like to hire a professional instead, the City Painters are here for you. Contact us here or give us a call to get a quote today.