Brush brands
 

I wanted to share my experience with two brands of brushes over the years, one very high priced and one at the other end of the scale. I often believe you get what you pay for but this doesn't seem to be the case here.

About a year ago I bought a set of a dozen or more Silver brushes, which is often touted as the top brand. The sables lost hairs right from the start and I ended up throwing them out, sometimes the very first time I used them, since the stray hairs kept getting in my painting. The Silver bristle brushes seemed to be no better than other brands.

On the other hand are the synthetic brushes from http://www.Trekell.com -- very low priced, never lose hairs, a joy to paint with and they ship them to you almost immediately. Thanks to Bill Whitaker for recommending them several years ago. They've been my main source of brushes ever since then.

I wish someone "in the know" would either confirm or allay my suspicions re/ brushes.

As we know (or should realize) the art supplies market is miniscule compared with most any segment of industry or trade, so ready supply, economics and convenience dictate what filters into this niche. The problem of obtaining really good supplies is further compounded by the fact that 80% (or more) of all art supplies sold are purchased by hobbyists and casual users more concerned with price than performance. (fair enough, they're not knowledgeable enough to recognize "great" quality anyway).

Good brushes have become increasingly harder to find in the past 10-15 years since computers supplanted hand-work in production of commercial sign work especially. Comparing the makers' benchmarks in several top tier lines, I'd hazard that Silver's Grand Prix are currently being made by the same folks who were supplying Blick's Masterstroke line a few years ago. Trusted "brand names" have not been directly involved in the production of their brushes for some time now. The "names" get their brushes where they can get 'em at best advantage.

Lower priced synthetic hair brushes are more likely to be consistent good quality because it's unlikely there are more than a few mfgrs. of monofilament, and the stuff is used for everything from mosquito netting to fishing line.

Across the board, I've foundTrekell's brushes of all types to be good quality and very reasonably priced. As of this writing, their sables are superlative. (I hope that doesn't change anytime soon)

Actually I had the same disappointing experience with Silver Brush brushes, not the sables, but the white kind.They lost their shape and got very dry and stiff after a short time. I threw them out finally, feeling very guilty that I had spent so much money.

My favorite brushes turned out to be Monarchs made by Winsor & Newton. They are a synthetic that feels about halfway between sable and bristle. They are relatively soft, like sable, but more springy. I like them for smaller strokes and I use the filberts and flats. They keep their shape well if you take good care of them.

I also like the large flat brushes by Utrecht--#s 18, 11 and 10. They have a beige handle, whitish bristles and are called "Utrecht Finest Interlocked."

I haven't yet tried Trekell--thanks for the recommendation.

Michele-- Thanks for posting this! I haven't tried the Trekell, but will now. :)

Alex-- I've had several Monarchs for years now. . . Gotta admit I haven't take very good care of them-- was using them for acrylics way back when so they no longer hold a point and are sort of old and bushy. . . but they are my favorite blending/pouncing brushes. They've taken years of abuse and none of them has ever lost a hair. Can't remember what they were like when they were new though! :bewildere

Here's another vote for the Monarchs, I use the filberts mostly. They are a synthetic version of mongoose brushes, mongoose hair being used for exactly the properties you describe Alex, more springy than a sable but softer than a hog. Apparently mongoose is an endangered species now so W&N came up with a synthetic equivalent.

I did track down some real mongoose hair brushes at Cornelissen's - http://www.cornelissen.co.uk - and, although I like them too, they're generally shorter than the monarchs. I feel a bit guilty about the mongooses (mongeese?) too.

Otherwise, I've found Pro Arte to be not worth bothering with, likewise Cirrus sables. Cornelissen do their own sables and hogs along with Roberson brushes of both types, all of which I've found to be very good, they keep their shape and don't loose hairs.

Even Trekell isn't perfect. I bought a batch of sables from them a few years ago, and one of them fell off the handle - the whole thing! I patched it up with hot glue, cause it wasn't worth sending back for a replacement. Most of them have been fine, though.

Ruby Satin brushes are also very nice - for the same reason given as the Monarchs.

Gosh, I hope I didn't give the impression I thought they were. Truth is, thebest brushes now available are a sorry lot compared to what was available even 20 years ago.

I'll pass along these tips for brush care, knowing some may disagree, and others will have their own "cures".

1. After a painting session, thoroughly rinse your brushes in kerosene . Yeah, it stinks. It's also a mild solvent that is the most penetrating, and is excellent for dissolving the oils, resins and varnishes commonly used in oil painting. MS, OMS are OK, but not as penetrating, beware harsh solvents like lacquer thinner, acetone, or "hotter" solvents such as xylene or commercial reducers.

2. Immediately wash your brushes in tepid water with a good castile soap. Kirk's, or Ivory are good, I like Fels-Naptha. Some of the "special" brush soaps sold by art supply makers are also very good, especially SP's "Ugly Dog".

3. Work lather into the heel of the brush. The best way is to grab the tip of the brush hairs, and gently rotate the ferrule. This cleans paint and residues from the heel of the brush, where buildup eventually ends up splaying the hairs and ruining the action.

4. Squeeze the water from the brush, and use a thick, pasty conditioner, the kind they advertise on TV for beautiful, lustrous hair and healing split ends, and re-shape the brush to its original form.

5. Put the brushes in a jar or vase bristles-up to air-dry.

Bill whitaker advised the use of hair conditioners at his workshop in Scottsdale last April, and since then, I've found it to be really, really good for my brushes. Naturally, conditioner isn't going to do synthetic hair any good . . .

That's okay, Richard. That's not what I meant.

Escoda brushes are luscious too and appear to be of very high quality. Wish I could afford more of them.

Richard,

Thank-you again for your valuable technical information. You are a gem.

However you make me feel guilty about how I treat my brushes, I should be brought up on cruelty charges.

I am also a brush junkie. There are brushes you have not mentioned. The Raphaels.

They have a series 8772 filbert brush, which they call Kevrin. I think it is mongoose, whatever. It is not as soft as a sable, which is too floppy, and not as rough as a bristle. It can make quite a sharp edge and is really great for the more delicate facial areas. They are quite reasonable as well.

The second brush in my repertoire is the fabulous bristle series 3577. It is a short filbert. It is a straightened bristle, no curves on the end. It gives you great control on the larger areas.

For more swishy areas, I love the 3577, also a straightened bristle filbert but longer. It also has great control, but filled with paint it is great for those dashing and virtuoso effects we long for.

They are great and reliable workhorses.

I get them at the www.italianartstore.com

I was just wondering if anyone use the "Ferrari of paintbrushes" - the Da Vinci brand brushes? I came across them while travelling Down Under, and they cost a whopping 50 bucks for a large size 12 brush! :o
I wonder if they are really as good as the price hyped up to be...

I got similar information as Michelle did from Bill Whitaker years ago, and I've happily used Trekkel sables. The bristle brushes I've had from them are serviceable but tend to deform rather more than I'd expect.

In my experience Silver Brush makes good bristles--I've been using those for perhaps 5 years and have never had a problem with splaying, loss of hairs, or deformity. But I hasten to add that I've not purchased new bristles from them in a long while. Instead I've used their Ruby Satin line of synthetics--they're smooth to use, easier to clean than natural hair, and wear down very slowly.

Dunno much about da Vinci or Raphael brushes.

I was taught the same brush care tips as Rich was, btw.

I wasn't aware that DaVinci was considered the Ferrari of paint brushes. They do not seem to have an extensive line of bristles.

I have both the Silver Brush and the Raphaels. I prefer the Raphaels as they give me more control and their bristle filberts come in long and short.

I don't like the dratted curvy ends of the Silver Brushes, the Raphaels are boiled and straightened.

Try the Raphael Kevrins for skin, it is the best for that purpose that I have found.

:) Yeah, but I learned 'em even though I was in the "slow" group! ;)

Re/ Raphael . . . are those Frenchies? Several years ago, I ordered some French made brushes from NY Central, on the recommendation of a friend. They cost about half again as much as top-tier brushes I was buying at the time . . . when I received 'em, I was appalled to see that while they seemed well made, the bristles had been trimmed at the tips! They were next to useless, except perhaps for daubing paint remover, or at the lathe for a chip brush. (We're still friends, in spite of this . . .)

Good natural bristle brushes use carefully selected hairs that have "split ends", i.e., they are "flagged". The hairs have a slight natural curve, and it's the master brush-maker's craft to assemble (cup) an amount of hair properly arranging them to form the tip of the brush before tying off and hafting.

Recently, in a vainglorious quest for brushes with longer handles, I ordered some brushes represented to be hand-made (there's really no other way) in the UK in a sort of "cottage industry" situation, presumeably to ensure very high quality. Same thing . . . clipped ends.
Is this a European "thing", or what?

I've had similar experiences, Rich. I don't know why that clipping business happens but my hunch is that its because they either use a lower quality bristle, or perhaps they're using the cut ends of other bristles (the tips already having been used), or they simply don't know any better.

As I understand it, the reason why the flags are so desireable is because they add to the volume of paint the bristles will hold when the brush is charged.

That's just so, Gary. Even more, each hair is a "tool" of special shape. From the flag through the shaft, the hair tapers, which makes it possible to manipulate the brush with accuracy and tact. Trying to paint with a brush which has been clipped is like trying to drive an 18 wheeler through a BMX course.

The Raphaels are flagged
 

Here is their web-site: http://shop.raphael.fr

There is a description of their manufacture.

These brushes are not cut or clipped but in my opinion beautifully formed, at least the numbers I posted.

I like them much better than the Silver Brushes, which in my opinion are overrated.

There is a painting I did way back on unveiling's called "Alicia Rose" which I did completely with the aforementioned brushes. I would use few else, since quality and performance are paramount to me. The Kevrins are wonderful for faces as you can manipulate the stroke from the flat side to the thin edge quite beautifully. They wear like iron. I have gotten them both from NY Central and the Italian Art Store and have never had the problem you described. Very confusing.

But as they say different strokes for different folks. You have to find the brush that performs best for you. I have tried them all, even ordering brushes from Cornellisens in the UK.

Brushes
 

My two instructors recommended Robert Simmons Signet bristle filbert brushes, which I have been using for the most part. I like the way they hold and manipulate paint, but the bristles start to splay out after about 3 paintings and I am constrantly replacing them.

I also use the da vinci brushes, the series 1845 black sables are wonderful. I've had some of mine for years. They are still luscious and thick and a joy to paint with. I also use the da vinci maestro bristle brushes and like them. I also have some da vinci series 1865 brushes, they are also wonderful, I'm just not sure what they are. I'm guessing some kind of sable. The da vinci's are made in Germany.

In a pinch I use I've used some Grumbacher filberts that I've had a long time, they have held up very well.

After reading the helpful info on this post, I'm going to get away from my Robert Simmons brushes and experiment with some others.

Joan

Simmons
 

Richard said earlier that Dick Blick Masterstroke and Silverbrush Grand Prix are made by the same manufacturer. I agree and have discontinued purchasing Silverbrush Grand Prix because of their inflated price. They are exactly the same brush with different paint on the handles. The brush heads undoubtedly come from the same factory in Japan with no distinction made between which heads go to which colored handles. The handles of both brands are also exactly the same size, balance and length in all sizes.

Recently I bought 20 Trekell brushes in flats, egberts and filberts. The bristles were molded inconsistently, some curvey, others held the proper shape. The flats were good and long but lost more hairs than the other brands, as if the bristle is not glued deeply enough into the ferrule.

Incidentally Silverbrush Grand Prix Extra Long filberts are more expensive the regular size filberts but appear to wear differently. They are also less responsive than plain old Robert Simmons Signet egberts

Signet brushes
 

Hi Chris,

I'm so glad you shared your experience with Trekell brushes. From the recommendations so far, I was about to give them a try. I may still give them a try, but maybe just one or two.

I'm interested in your comments about the Robert Simmons Signet bristle brushes. I do think they're great, but they sure don't last. I have to admit though, I probably don't take as good a care of them as I should. After I use them I don't clean them immediatly, I end up putting them in the fridge for a few days, just in case I need the same brush for a "touch-up". Guess that's a bad idea.

thanks,

Joan

How do you clean your brushes, Joan? I'd be interested to know if the "Whitaker Treatment" outlined above (below?) might help, particularly applying a conditioner and shaping the brush after washing.

Disclaimer, Kris . . . since I don't know for sure I said I think they may be . . . I'm glad you concur!

I've found the Trekells a mixed bag for quality control. Some of the filberts I bought were cipped to shape, but not all of them. They are the kind of brush that one should "hi-grade", choosing the best from a big handful of 'em. For my part, they are great value, because the best of them are as good as the best I've seen from other mfgrs, and the price is incredibly attractive. They are overall very good quality, if a bit inconsistent.

The Trekells I buy (and have had very good results with) are all synthetic golden Taklons. I don't use bristle brushes too much since they are a bit of a pain to clean and leave more pronounced brush stroke marks.

Cleaning brushes
 

Hi Richard,

This is how I clean my brushes: I swish them around in paint thinner I get by the gallon from the hardware store. I do this out in the garage. (I use turpenoid when I'm indoors, I take two painting classes and both instructors insist we use odorless turp in class, so I just use this whenever I'm inside at home too.) Anyway, I swish the brushes and wipe them on a paper towel. I repeat until the brushes are clean. Then I bring them inside and use some dishwashing detergent and warm water mixed up in the palm of my hand to clean them further if necessary, which it usually is. Then about half the time I clean them with 'Old Masters' brush cleaner. Then I'm done.

I'm pretty gentle with the brushes during this process. I think my biggest problem is probably not cleaning them immediately after use.

thanks for your interest,

Joan

I'm using vegetable oil instead of thinner these days for my softer brushes. I immerse them in the oil, rubbing them gently against the special brush cleaning screen (I think it's a Bob Ross cheapie that fits into a coffee can, but it works great) to remove paint. I wipe off the excess oil on paper towels or rags, then continue cleaning the brushes with water and hand soap, as previously described. Bristle brushes may need the OMS to remove the paint better.

Misconceptions about solvents and their safety abound. Any solvent which is an aromatic hydrocarbon emits vapors into the air. Any concentration of these vapors is not healthy. This includes kerosene, MS, OMS, turpentine, and all of the "oids" and "tines". The rate of emission depends on the vapor pressure of the material, not whether one can smell it or not.
Kerosene has a considerably lower vapor pressure than OMS, in spite of its odor. Natural gas is odorless (until they add the sewer smell). So is carbon monoxide. Both will kill you quite dead if the concentration of the gas reaches a critical level.

One can understand concern for open containers of solvent in a classroom situation. If ventilation and air exchange in a studio is not adequate to compensate for a few open palette cups, it's no place to be teaching painting. One should never have open solvent containers in any studio, holding more than a spoonful or so in a palette cup. Brush cleaning should not be carried on en masse in a classroom situation, and vegetable oil is an excellent way to obviate the problem of having paint-laden brushes dry between a session and getting them home where you can do the job correctly.

Vegetable oil alone is not adequate to clean a brush thoroughly. Using oil on hog bristle brushes makes them flabby and unresponsive. It has little effect on the action of sables, cam-ox and fitch hair.

Dishwashing detergent may be good for cutting the grease in a dirty brush, but it's unnecessarily harsh and will eventually harm brush hairs. Since castile soaps are compounded with oils not dissimilar to what we're painting with, they clean brushes best. I can't overemphasize the benefit of using conditioner to re-shape a brush after washing.

I just received three "experimental" series 5026 DaVinci's, (extra long 24" handles) and now I'm not only not aware, but unconvinced . . . unless Ferraris have slipped to the quality level of a used Chevrolet while my back was turned. (!)

Once again, as I've found European-made brushes, the bristle seems to be good quality, two of the three brushes I ordered show the hairs were cupped from curving bristle, and are interlocking. Then they trim off the flags, squaring up the end of the brush, ruining the hairs !!! (dammit!)

Although the handles are "raw", they are nicely shaped, and the ferrules and crimp are above reproach. Why don't the Euros seem to understand the value of flagged hairs ??

I may attempt to rectify this problem, experimenting on the near-unusable brushes from other sources . . . more anon.

*Faint*
Good god! So Da Vinci's aren't exactly what they're hyped up to be then!

Marcus, I feel rather circumspect about "trashing" a brand on the basis of examining only three brushes, and those from a specialty series at that. I don't know where the long-handled series fits in the DaVinci system, I can only appraise what I'm looking at.

My gripe is the lack of flags resulting from trimming off the bristles. Examination shows the hairs are very likely fully flagged when cupped in the round, but perhaps they don't conform to an ideally regular shape when the ferrules are flattened, so the brushmaker trims the hair at that point?

This would be either to satisfy customers more concerned with cosmetic symmetry than what constitutes a really good brush or because they are not truly skillfully well made to retain good form when the ferrules are flattened ??

I'm expressing a personal preference. I know quite a few painters who seem unperturbed by brushes I don't like. In every other regard, they seem very nice . . . although they are not better than the best of Trekell's, nor Silver's Grand Prix (which do have nicely flagged hairs) or the W&N Rathbones I just unpacked. (made in Japan)

Re-enforcing what I've said about European-made brushes, they seem quite at par with the "top tier" brushes I've tried, presented as hand-made (there's no other way) in England, France, and Spain - all of them well-enough made, but clipped to shape. (The DaVincis' handles are stamped "Germany".)