Watercolour Brushes PT 1 - Synthetics

 For some time I have been contemplating doing a series of posts on brushes. The problem is that being a poor amateur I don't get free samples and can't afford to spend ever more on products just to review them. Over the course of the last few years I have become friendly with a number of fellow enthusiasts through Wetcanvas and Facebook.  John is one such friend. Originally from Norfolk, East Anglia, he is long established in Australia. John is a similar person to me in that he accumulates art materials, actually though he seems even more acquisitive!

I switched to sables fairly early in my painting hobby so don't have a great deal of experience with synthetic brushes. You will find many - not all - professionals advocate the use of sables. What some don't seem to understand is that many amateurs cannot afford the very high prices and even prefer synthetics. Yvonne Harry does and has mainly Pro Arte brushes, often bought as `seconds, at the annual Patchings Art Festival. I partly  persuaded her to try some of the Jackson's own label sables which they introduced last year but she still mainly prefers synthetics. Johns piece follows. All illustrations have been supplied by him.

Synthetic Watercolour Brushes by John Softly

These days synthetic brushes are, for many artists, a viable alternative to the traditional natural sable brush and the quest to produce a synthetic brush with the properties of sable is a task which research and development departments of major brush manufacturers strive for but have yet to achieve. The insurmountable problem is liquid retention and, so far, no synthetic fibre has been able to match the liquid retention of natural hair.

Some manufacturers have managed to produce brushes that come close to the characteristics of sable and synthetic squirrel hair which is very similar to the natural product, albeit also lacking in water retention. After trying several products to find a synthetic brush that behaves like a sable I have put the search in the "too hard basket" and gone back to my sables with the odd foray into synthetics.

My conclusions are as follows:

Daler Rowney System 3 Brush

These are listed as acrylic brushes but, together with one other, are the closest I have found to sable. As a traditionalist I am used to a tapered wooden handle and almost didn't buy these as the handle is yellow plastic with a similar diameter throughout the length. The ferrule is black aluminium and there is no indication as to what the hair is. Water retention is similar to every other synthetic I own but it is soft, points remarkably well and feels very much like a sable. The big surprise with the brush is the balance. The first time I used the size 10 all negative thoughts about the yellow plastic handle vanished and the sizes 8,10, 12, 14, and 18 all have the same well-balanced feel, something one doesn't expect to find in a cheap brush. www.daler-rowney.com

Neef Series 552 David Taylor Riggers

I first saw these brushes being used by Herman Peykel and, apart from a squirrel quill mop, they are the only ones he uses. Most manufacturer riggers finish at a size 6 but the Neef 552's, and incidentally Rosemary's Shiraz series, go to size 12. Used like a standard round brush they are very expressive and water retention is good due to the length of the Taklon hair.  The handle is long and well  balanced. Ideal for a loose tecnique and together with the Daler Rowney System 3s are the closest I have found to sable. I have a couple of Neef white Taklons which are similar to the Escoda Perlas. www.neef.com.au/brushes/index.htm

Rosemary Series 344 Golden Synthetic Designer Brush.

These brushes, like all designer brushes, have longer hair than their round equivalent. In theory this should mean a softer brush but in this instance the hairs are not as soft as the previous two products. and are much stiffer than sable. In other words they are what one has expected to see from a synthetic brush. There is an long-handled option , something I should have chosen as I found the regular handle a little short. I also have a Paul Weaver Freestyle, Paul being a well-known Bristol artist who has received various awards at the annual Bath Prize Exhibition www.paulweaverart.co.uk . This is a `One size fits all brush' and the only one he uses. It is equivalent to a size 32, is longer than usual, and comes to a fine point. It can be used as a wash brush but falls down on water retention, although a good try.

Jacksons Synthetic/Sable Series 777 Quill Brushes

Although these brushes look like a quill  mop there is nothing `moppish' about them.The six brushes in the series are a pleasure to use and are slightly softer than Rosemary's 344s but firmer than the Daler Rowney's. Not a true synthetic. If you want  a true synthetic quill try Rosemary's series 304 - better still you could mortgage  your house and buy a Rosemary series 1 Kolinsky quill, brushes to dream for!

The Jackson's are a well made brush and it's nice to see the quill method used in brushes other than squirrel mops. I have quite a few older brushes that have shrink wrap where the ferrule meets the handle - due to the ferrule becoming loose. That doesn't happen with quills.

Pro Arte Connoisseur brushes

Before discussing these brushes I have to say mine are over fifteen years old  and are rarely used. The reason is that when I started I purchased sables from ABS (now Rosemary) that pointed perfectly. I then bought Pro Arte synthetics and did not like the way they pointed, with the tips folding over. After failing to make them point, using starch etc, they went into a container and were forgotten. Bringing them out for this appraisal  I find I was far too critical fifteen years ago. The tip problem remains but only when using a dry brush tecnique. Fully loaded the brushes behave like other synthetics. The fibres are similar to Daler Rowney System 3 and the smaller sizes don't bend at the tip. I haven't read any similar complaints so assume that (a) The problem has been rectified or (b) I am too fussy. I have purchased Pro Arte squirrel hair brushes and rate them highly. www.proarte.co.uk

Escoda Perla Synthetic brushes

 These are a recent acquisition and are the stiffest of the group. Escodas sizing is smaller than most, as are all Escoda rounds , and one of their champions, Joseph Zbukvic, uses them for detailing - putting red lights in cars, white highlights etc. They are excellent for placing thick paint as they are tightly flexed and very precise. I have yet to be convinced of their value for overall general watercolour work. There is no doubt Escoda make attractive brushes and I am an admirer of their sables and squirrels. www.escoda.com/

In the 1980s Grumbacher www.grumbacherart.com/  used a slogan in their sable brush advertising "Some say synthetic brushes are equal to natural ones. We say that claim doesn't hold water" To me that sums up the situation nicely.

I will still use my sables mostly and revert to synthetics if and when I think a painting will benefit from a different approach. I look forward to the day that someone comes up with a synthetic that actually imitates sable.

 I will close with a quote from Virgil Carter, a fine and knowledgeable artist,that was posted on Wetcanvas when discussing brushes.

" A squirrel mop must be used in a certain way, while a synthetic must be used in a different way, if one wants to get the maximum from both. Using brushes of every fibre type in the same manner is pointless and frustrating. It's a lot better to stick to a single fibre type and learn how to use it effectively. REMEMBER IT'S THE ARTISTS SKILL. NOT THE TOOLS, THAT MAKE STRONG PAINTINGS"

These then are Johns conclusions on synthetic brushes and I will make a few observations to round them off. My own experience with synthetic brushes involve the Pro Arte Prolene and Prolene plus series which are claimed to be the largest selling brushes of their type in the UK. They are well made and well priced. Yvonne Harry uses mainly these type of brushes. Pro Artes wide distribution in UK art shops undoubtedly contributes to this popularity. Pro Arte also make the popular Connisseur series which is a blend of sable and synthetic. I bought a size 16 years ago when starting and it is still in good shape but it never pointed terribly well and is only useful as a wash brush. The Daler Rowney brushes System 3 are usually listed along with the acrylic paints of the same name. They don't normally appear on the brush pages and are very cheap, size 8 from Jacksons only £4.75p.

As to synthetics manufacturers continue to make claims about closing the `sable gap' and Rosemary herself states in her latest catalogue that "The development of nylon continues to improve....." . John Yardley wrote that he had frequently been given synthetics to try with the statement they were equal to sable but found such claims to be false. He does use Winsor & Newton series 7 size 10 though costing over £100!

An alternative choice are the many sable/synthetic mixed brushes that are generally superior to pure synthetic in water retention but nothing like the price of sables,  Rosemary's series 401 www.rosemaryandco.com is one such and the SAA www.saa.co.uk have recently introduced another under the SAA own  label. There are many other options, in fact the choice is bewildering. The Da Vinci Cosmotop series, a mixed hair brush, is the preferred choice of Viktoria Prischedko and Piet Lap, two very fine artists. Available from Jacksons  www.jacksonsart.co.uk  and Great Art www.greatart.co.uk 

One thing John did not mention is that controlled paint release is also something where sables are considered much superior to synthetics.  John also mentioned the ABS Pure Kolinsky Sable Mop. This is now the Rosemary Kolinsky Sable Mop, exactly the same brush. This ranges from size 1 to 12 with the 12 costing £420! I have a size 1 ABS that cost around £50, the dearest brush I've bought. It is very large, more than double the size of the Connisseur size 16 round. I wouldn't recommend it unless you know exactly what they are like and what you wish to do with it. You can get a good wash brush for a fraction of that price. I wish I'd bought the smallest size 0. I rarely use it.  I do use the Da Vinci Artissimo 44, available in three sizes from Jacksons and others. It isn't in the latest printed catalogue but I expect is still available on the web. Many products are now only listed on the web due to the need to keep the printed version within bounds. 

I'm very grateful for John for giving us  the benefit of his  experience with these brushes. Thanks John. Comments and additional information welcome. I plan to do a future piece on sable brushes and have been accumulating material.