Tradional Tole WAS painted on tin but also wood. Some traditional Tole painters believe the term is not appropriate unless the designs are actually painted on tin. And traditional Tole was/is done with round brushes to create a variety of comma strokes to create your work. The comma stroke was/is the one and only brush stroke used in traditional tole with some variations of that same stroke.

Decorative painting falls more into the category of using a variety of different strokes made with a variety of different brushes - round, flat, angular, rake, fan, filbert, etc. to create your work.

Most people who have learned to do decorative painting these days don't know what traditional Tole is. It usually ends up under the category of decorative painting. I read once that there was so much controversey around the terms 'tole' and 'decorative' painting that they should just call it 'decorative tole painting'. Works for me!