| Author | Message | ||
  Lisa |
Thanks for the input-- I went by Michael's today and bought some golden edge brushes because were 1/2 price. They really work well. I bought four different one-stroke flats and a rigger. I also bought a 2" wash painter's handle brush. Very nice. | ||
A.N. |
Lest they be forgotten in the list of inexpensive great brushes, Grumbacher Golden Edge brushes are very good. They deliver the water in a controlled manner and the flats have a razor edge which means you can paint with them on edge like a round. Very controllable and forgiving (and cheap) brushes. | ||
A.N. |
The difference between Robert Simmons white sables and golden taklon type brushes (as well as the other brands of white nylon) is that Simmons employs about 5 different diameters of "hairs"; this aids greatly with water carrying capacity, water release evenness, and handling. The others use only one size filament throughout. The Wilcox could be made by Simmons, but I am not sure. If the Wilcox brushes say "Dominican Republic" on them then they are no doubt Robert Simmons. | ||
garydoc |
for what its worth, i like the r&l softgrip taklons and the golden fleece (cj's) best, but i'm cheap and love to try and collect brushes all the time...so i doubt i'll move up to red sables any time soon! | ||
Eugene |
Rekha, The R&L's I use are the majestics | ||
Rekha |
Eugene, I have been to the R & L website and there are several 'models' like Aqualon, Kolinsky elite etc. Which one of these did you like? I notice that Michael Wilcox sells 'his' own brand of synthetic brushes. Has anyone tried them? A.N. Robert Simmons white sable's description sounds quite good | ||
Eugene |
Have you tried Royal Langnickel? They are the synthetics that work best for me. And they're cheap. Haven't tried the Simons white sable. Proves that the most expensive are not always the best. | ||
A.N. |
A.N, By "higher range" do you mean most expensive? My experience has been that the Robert Simmons "white sables," while cheap, are the best--they were the first synthetics on the market over 20 years ago. Try the 1 1/2" flat and the #14 round for very useful all around brushes. | ||
Rekha |
It is becoming evident to me from this thread that I might be better off just getting the higher range of synthetics and then discard them when they lose their point, saving myself a lot of money. However, I have both synthetics and sable and I have to say that the best synthetics do not give the feel of the volume of paint sables hold and the pointed shape. | ||
A.N. |
I agree- an expensive sable used everyday---lifespan of the needle point is about 3 months. | ||
Eugene |
Ricky. Your advice on the care of brushes is great but I'm afraid it is too time consuming for me. I'm more slap-dash and just buy new ones as they wear out. And sables WILL lose their points in time , no matter how much good care you give them. I also wash mine with mild soap ocassionally to remove those stuborn staining colors. It doesn't seem to harm them. I think the important thing is to shape them before drying. (even with spit) | ||
Grace |
I, too, abuse my brushes. Ricky is correct, and I wish I were that good of a person. Suzy, I am pure Appalachian. Coal miner's daughter. | ||
Suzy |
Grace, are you from the NW? Some of the things you've posted remind me of an artist I once met in Washington state. | ||
Suzy |
I lose my brushes before they could ever possibily wear out. I totally abuse my brushes and just by new ones when they wear out! (I am so lazy!) I am pretty partial to the Legends series that CJAS sells. I have at least one of every size ... | ||
Grace |
No spit??!! Are you sure 'bout that? | ||
Ricky |
This is elementary, but has not been mentioned in this thread, but whatever brushes you end up with, it is very easy to treat them well. Never let them sit in water, even for a second. When you are taking water from them with a towel or your clothes, do it gently. Don't use the sables or squirrels to scrub, use synthetic or bristle. Rinse them out gently with body temperature water, not soap, no conditioner, no spit. Don't let them get into the water over the distal end of the ferrule when you are painting. Let them dry in open air. Don't keep them closed up in a drawer or tight box. Moths may surprise you by eating them!! Keep good care of your brushes and they will take good care of you. Paint with them every day. They will last you for the rest of your life, Good Painting | ||
Eric |
Yeah, those Tsunamis aren't floppy at all. I thought they would be when I would see them in the catalog. That's why I avoided purchasing them. Then I heard that Frank Francese used them per Robert's (get well, Robert!) report from the workshop, so I tried them out and was pleasantly surprised. The only negatives for Tsunamis are that the paint chips off the brush too easily and also I'm finding a few too many loose hairs that break off, but I guess that's typical of squirrel hair. | ||
marie |
I was surprised when I found out the Tsunamis were made of squirrel because they're quite different from my squirrel quills. | ||
A.N. |
But Squirrel quill mops are floppy. | ||
Eugene |
I just tried my new set of Tsunami flats and really like them. They hold a lot of paint and are not at all floppy. | ||
A.N. |
It is limp by nature. That's okay if you use it as a wash brush. It enables far more dexterity than a 2' flat. | ||
Rekha |
I have a squirrel Isabey mop and find that it quickly delivers a loaded brush and then goes limp. Is this your experience as well? | ||
A.N. |
Lisa-- Over the years I have accumulated lots of synthetics, blends, and pure natural hair brushes. I think it is good to have some synthetics and some naturals at your disposal. The kolinsky watercolour sables allow you long, sweeping strokes without running out of water. The nylons, such as Robert Simmons White Sable (my favorite synthetic and the first marketed), allow you to do dry brush much easier. They also are good for quick spontaneous brush strokes due to their springiness. Of the kolisnsky brushes, I find Raphaels to be the springiest. There are also squirrel hair brush which are great for big bold brushstrokes and washes though they are not springy in the least. I recommend the #8 Isabey quill. | ||
marie |
Hi Lisa, a lot of people prefer the synthetic brushes, but I prefer natural hair. Both types of brushes have advantages and disadvantages, and the best brush depends your style and subject. It sounds as though you have already done some reading on the subject. Natural hair holds more water and tends to release paint more evenly. The drawback is that there's not much spring unless you get a very fine (and expensive) kolinsky sable. Synthetics tend to have a good, crisp edge. I do a lot of figurative work, and I simply cannot live without the good sables. I do almost all of my painting with a #10 or #12 kolinsky round. There's no other brush that gives me the range of brushmarks that I can get with a good sable. I don't know many figurative painters who prefer synthetics. Many fine watercolorists - including Frank Webb (I think) and Robert Wade - do amazing paintings using synthetic brushes. I often think of nice sable brushes the same way I think of playing a Steinway piano. It's a wonderful luxury, but you can get a lot of enjoyment from a much less expensive instrument. I have a couple of pieces of advice: 1) Don't worry about the pricetag with your brushes. Even if you get the most expensive brush, you're still not talking about spending more than you would for a couple of dinners at a nice restaurant. Find some brushes that make you happy, and use them. You may prefer the expensive ones and you may prefer the cheap ones. If you have friends who paint in watercolor, ask if you can try some of their brushes before you make a purchase. Terry is right; a handful of rounds and a flat should be about all you need. I would reccommend rounds in a #6, #8, #10, something larger than a #10 as well as a 1 1/2" wash brush. 2) Paint! Doing 100 paintings is far more important than what brush you use or what pigments you choose (as long as they are lightfast :-) ). The number of hours you spend with brush to paper will do more to improve your paintings than having the perfect brush. | ||
Terry |
Most new artists will find the synthetic to be the best bet. Cheap Joe's Golden Fleece brush line is one of the best for this. They last a long time, are priced great and technically hold an edge and lots of paint. You will want a couple of rounds, a flat or two and a bold wash for the big areas. The next step up is the Dreamcatcher which is a combo of natural hair and synthetic. It gives you the best of both worlds....the crisp lines of the synthetic and the paint holding and super feel of the natural hair brushes at a better price point. | ||
Lisa |
New to watercolor and am wondering which brushes to purchase, natural or synthetic. I don't mind paying moe if the naturals are actually superior. I'd like opinions on this. Thanks. |
