Term: Rigger

A rigger is a thin brush with extremely long bristles developed by marine painters to paint the lines and rigging of sailing ships. These brushes have a sharp point but may also have a flat, square or angled tip. Rigger brushes are great for creating long fine lines with a consistent width. When you load a rigger brush with a large amount of thinned paint it is ideal for delicate lettering, painting thin branches on trees, or hairs on people and animals. They're also good for signing your name on a painting. Depending on the length of the bristles, rigger brushes may also be called liner, script, or scriptliner brushes. These brushes typically have short handles and round ferrules.