• Overloading the brush results in a sloppy brushstroke.brush in paint image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
  
  Using the right tools for a specific painting task is as important as how you use those tools. Certain types of paints are best applied with corresponding brushes and rollers. Acrylic and water-based paint goes on best with either a natural long bristle brush or a synthetic bristle brush, depending on the surface you're painting. Latex paint rolls on best with a synthetic roller, and oil-based paint is best applied with a roller made of natural fibers.
  
  

Ceilings

• Start by priming the ceiling so that you seal the surface if it's porous. The paint will adhere better and the results will appear even. Paint on the primer the same way you would the paint: Use a 2- to 4-inch trim brush to cut into the ceiling where the ceiling meets the walls. If the ceiling is small, paint the entire perimeter before rolling out the middle. Work in sections on large ceilings so that you're always painting over wet paint. Paint your strokes down the shorter width of the ceiling rather than the length for better uniformity. When painting a ceiling, always roll the paint over the wet edge of the last stroke. If the previously rolled stroke is allowed to dry before you paint the next stroke, the end result is a streaky finish.
  
  

Walls

• Wait until the ceiling is dry before starting the walls. The method is similar; begin by cutting into the walls with a 2- to 4-inch trim brush, working on one wall at a time. Cut in where the wall meets the ceiling, the baseboard, the other walls and any doors or windows. The idea is to always paint over the wet edge of a previous stroke; so on large walls, work in sections, cutting in and rolling out that part of the wall before continuing. According to Dutch Boy Paints, rolling in 3x3-foot sections gives you the best paint coverage per roller-load of paint. Roll out a capital "N" with the roller in the 3-foot square space. Fill it in with horizontal strokes, and smooth it out with vertical strokes. Start at the bottom corner of the wall, and paint in "N" squares to the ceiling. Begin the next vertical row at the ceiling, and paint toward the floor. Continue the pattern until the wall is complete, and cut in the next wall. Paint as many coats as the color requires, allowing each coat to dry in between.
  
  

Trim

• Ensure the walls are completely dry before painting the trim, especially if you prefer to tape the walls where they meet the trim to protect them. Use an angled trim brush, and paint from top to bottom. If the idea of potentially damaging your fresh paint job with tape isn't appealing, hold a plastic shielding tool or a wide wallboard knife up against the trim as you work. Wipe the tool clean of paint before you move it to the next section to avoid getting trim paint on the wall.