Brushes
I have a lot of favourite brushes. I started out using wonderful traditional Chinese brushes as they were more affordable than western brushes, and still have a great collection of them.
My favourites have changed a little over the years but I still tend to work in the studio with Raphael sable brushes, and Raphael Squirrel quills. I still prefer naturals hair brushes, and look after mine very carefully, though the synthetics are getting better all the time.
More detail is included about these and other brushes on my blog, which is searchable.
My favourites have changed a little over the years but I still tend to work in the studio with Raphael sable brushes, and Raphael Squirrel quills. I still prefer naturals hair brushes, and look after mine very carefully, though the synthetics are getting better all the time.
More detail is included about these and other brushes on my blog, which is searchable.
Travel Brushes
Travel Brushes or Pocket Brushes are a great idea when sketching en plein air. They have a cap of some form that covers the brush head and becomes the handle when in use. I have a number of them from tiny little sables to a larger squirrel mop.
Rosemary & Co Travel Brushes
Based in the UK, Rosemary & Co make the largest range of travel brushes so I am showing them first. Here is their original range from 2012 (pictured left). They are (from top right - click for more information using the affiliate links)
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R1 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Sable Pointed Size 6, R2 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Sable Pointed Size 8 (a great size if you only want one sable travel brush), R3 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Sable Pointed Size 10 (which was really too big for a travel brush! It has since been redesigned with a larger case - see below), R4 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Sable One Stroke, R5 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Sable Rigger, R6 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Filbert , R7 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Comber, R8 Pocket Pure Kolinsky Mop, (this is another brush that is now housed in a larger case. I love it!), R9 Pocket Pure Squirrel Hair Mop, though this has been updated to a ferrule rather than a quill styleR10 Pocket Golden Synthetic Pointed (an economy or vegan version) and on the left the R11 Pocket Pure Red Sable Pointed. |
The R12 Red Sable (sable and synthetic 50/50 mix) 1/4" dagger
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In 2013 I asked Rosemary to make a dagger brush in this pocket version in both a 100% nylon for Malcolm Carver and a 50% nylon 50% sable 'red sable' version that I prefer. They are terrific brushes as the dagger allows you to paint larger washes or finer detail with the one brush - once you get used to them! The Red sable version is available from me for AU$25 plus shipping if you want to try it. It has also been added to the Rosemary & Co range as the R12 Red Sable 1/4" Dagger.
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Note - Rosemary has also added this 1/4 sized dagger brush, as well as 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" sizes Red Sable daggers to her range in regular handle (not travel) brushes known as series 772. Many Rosemary and Co travel brushes and the 1/2" dagger are available from Larrypost.com.au
Below is the updated range as of December 2019, including the smaller R0 Pocket pure kolinsky sable pointed size 4, R13 Sable Blend Designer pointed size 8, R14 Pocket Pure Squirrel Mop (small), R15 Pocket pure squirrel oval squirrel quill 1/4" and the newest addition, the R16 Pocket sable Blend ⅜" dagger brush. This also shows the new enlarged cases for the R3 and R8. Full details of these brushes and many more can be seen on my blog here.
Rosemary Travel Brushes. R0, R1, R2, R3, the new R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, new R8, old R8, R9 (ferrule version), R9 (mop version), R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15 and R16 pocket/travel/reversible brushes.
Here they are a little closer. I really love the R8 sable quill in its new larger case. I love quill-style brushes.
Rosemary Travel Brushes. R0, R1, R2, R3, the new R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, new R8, old R8, R9 (ferrule version), R9 (mop version), R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15 and R16 pocket/travel/reversible brushes. Close up.
Da Vinci Travel Brushes
Made in Germany, Da Vinci is another of my favourite brush brands and their travel range is expanding all the time.
Shown here are the Da Vinci Kolinsky sable Maestro travel brushes in size 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10. Next are the synthetic squirrel hair called Casenao in a size 8 round and the new dagger. These brushes have a screw on and off handle that becomes the cap and screws on to protect the brush tip. They are really lovely to use and the size 8 sable is my go-to brush when teaching.
The Caseneo also comes in a mop style travel brush and a flat - shown right. I usually use natural sable and squirrel brushes, but the synthetic squirrel Caseneo hair is really wonderful.
The Caseneo also comes in a mop style travel brush and a flat - shown right. I usually use natural sable and squirrel brushes, but the synthetic squirrel Caseneo hair is really wonderful.
Da Vinci Travel brushes in size 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 Kolinsky sable, and the Caseneo size 8 and Slant brush.
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Three new Da Vinci Caseneo travel shapes introduced in 2019 - the slant brush, the mop and the flat.
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Escoda travel brushes
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Escoda make and an excellent range of sable travel brushes too. They also make a gorgeous pouch to hold them all! More recently that have added a synthetic range of travel brushes that are apparently very good. Notice the last two, which are a size 10 and 12, are in larger barrels. These are about the size of the Pro Arte brushes pictured below right.
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More travel brushes
Here is a size comparison of a number of travel brushes. The ruler is in cm.
1. Isabey squirrel quill - a lovely brush for 'drawing' and painting but not readily available these days.
2. Rosemary & Co Pocket Pure Squirrel Hair Mop R9 - the is a great brush if you are starting out in sketching - great point and holds a lot of paint.
3. Rosemary & Co Pocket Pure Kolinsky Mop R8 - another favourite, now in a larger casing.
4. Arches Squirrel Mop 3 - very large - best for larger paper. No longer readily available.
5. Art Basics Sable #6 - great brushes available from www.artscene.com.au
6. Art Basics sable #2
7. Escoda sable #2 - these are beautifully made and finished.
8. Escoda sable #4
9. Escoda sable #6
10 Rosemary & Co Pocket Pure Kolinsky Comber R7 - a specialist brush.
11-13. Wilcox Synthetics round, flat and filbert - larger brushes available under a number of brand names, including Pro Arte.
1. Isabey squirrel quill - a lovely brush for 'drawing' and painting but not readily available these days.
2. Rosemary & Co Pocket Pure Squirrel Hair Mop R9 - the is a great brush if you are starting out in sketching - great point and holds a lot of paint.
3. Rosemary & Co Pocket Pure Kolinsky Mop R8 - another favourite, now in a larger casing.
4. Arches Squirrel Mop 3 - very large - best for larger paper. No longer readily available.
5. Art Basics Sable #6 - great brushes available from www.artscene.com.au
6. Art Basics sable #2
7. Escoda sable #2 - these are beautifully made and finished.
8. Escoda sable #4
9. Escoda sable #6
10 Rosemary & Co Pocket Pure Kolinsky Comber R7 - a specialist brush.
11-13. Wilcox Synthetics round, flat and filbert - larger brushes available under a number of brand names, including Pro Arte.
Da Vinci Studio Brushes
I understand that Da Vinci make the largest range of brushes in the world - not only for artists but for makeup, and many other areas. This photo shows a range of Da Vinci travel and studio brushes to give a size comparison. I have written more information about them on my blog post. In general, squirrel hair is softer than sable. Both hold paint well but also release it evenly. Synthetics can be inclined to drop moisture all at once.
Rosemary & Co R9, Da Vinci Maestro travel brushes in sizes 3, 4, 8 and 10, Da Vinci Sable rounds is sizes 8 and 5, Da Vinci Harbin round in size 4, Da Vinci sable mop in size 0, Da Vinci Casaneo synthetic squirrel mops in size 0 and 2, Da Vindi Junior flat in 6mm, Lamy Joy fountain pen, Raphael 8040 in size 4.
Another excellent travel option is a waterbrush. These are synthetic brushes that literally hold water inside them. They are fast to use and don't require a separate water container. Available in many brands but the best seem to come from Japan. I use Pentel in Medium.
There are also brush pens - fountain pen brushes that hold ink - available from Pental, Kuretake, Sailor and Platinum. See my blog post here.
There are also brush pens - fountain pen brushes that hold ink - available from Pental, Kuretake, Sailor and Platinum. See my blog post here.
Raphael Studio brushes
Raphael is a French brand, and I've used these in my studio for decades. The squirrel quills are a traditional mop style, called a quill as they were originally made from the quill of a feather. These are series 803 'Petit Gris Pur' and range in size from larger than this #14 down to a 3/0. However the sizing of mops is totally different from the sizing of rounds, so the 803 size 3/0 is almost the same as an 8404 size 5. I tend to use the sables for smaller areas and fine detail and the mops for larger washes and looser painting.
The pointed round series 8404 can bee seen ranging from #8 down to 000. I have also shown two of the extra pointed 8408, and a Lamy Joy for scale.
The pointed round series 8404 can bee seen ranging from #8 down to 000. I have also shown two of the extra pointed 8408, and a Lamy Joy for scale.
Raphael brushes - Series 803 Squirrel mops size 14, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, 2/0 and 3/0. Series 8404 Kolinsky pointed rounds size 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0,00 and 000. Series 8408 Kolinsky extra pointed rounds sizes 4 and 3. Lamy Joy fountain pen.
Rosemary & Co studio brushes
Rosemary & Co make a huge range of brushes, as does Da Vinci. Here are some more specialised shapes and sizes, along with the lovely pointed Kolinsky sables. You can read more about these on my blog here
Rosemary & Co brushes - Lamy Joy for scale.
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These are some more specialised brushes. The first are interesting combers for creating various effects - grasses, fur or whatever. I wanted to test these out but don't use them a lot. The second three are Eradicators and I use these all the time - especially the small one on the right which is fantastic for lifting out fine details or doing fine cleaning up of edges. You can read more about these on my blog here. |
Rosemary & Co special effect brushes.
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This page was last updated in December 2019