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Which Brush?
When choosing a paint brush there are a number of things to consider. The application and the product you are using will dictate which brush to use.If you are painting with a water based product the brush to use is a polyester brush or a polyester/nylon blend. The water base paint will flow nicely with these brushes and you will find that clean-up is a breeze. Be careful not to use an alkyd based paint with a polyester brush. Because of the slickness of the polyester alkyd based paints will run off the polyester, dripping off the brush or running down the handle and your arm if you are painting up high.
If you do use an alkyd based paint your brush should be made of natural bristle. These bristles are made up of animal hair and are available in different types and price ranges. The bristle of these brushes are hollow, this allows the brush to hold a large amount of paint inside the bristle without dripping. If you tried using a latex based paint with a natural bristle brush you wouldn't find much difference in the application of the paint, but when it comes time to clean up you will notice a big difference. The latex based product dries so quickly that it dries inside the bristles making it very difficult to clean. The bristle will also begin to curl upwards permanently, giving you little or no control of your brush.
Most brushes are available in short bristle, long bristle, angular sash or straight sash. Short bristled brushes are not designed to last a long time, they usually contain the cheapest bristle material and are classed as "throw-aways". A "throw-away" brush often sheds bristles, they then have to be picked out of your painted surface. A long bristled brush if cleaned and cared for properly should last a long time. A straight sash allows paint to flow evenly, giving you a smooth finish. An angular sash is for cutting in and drawing straight lines, the angle gives you better control.