Recognizing the importance of good brushes for watercolours, years ago I purchased not one but two series of quality Kolinski sable round brushes. The first series was from Winsor Newton and known as "Series 7". A couple of years later, there was a sale of Escoda brushes at a local art supply store and I couldn't resist. Both of these are known to be of high quality and had beautiful points and an extraordinary capacity to retain water.
However, over the years, both sets of brushes lost their points, thereby limiting their use. This occured for two possible reasons. Mostly, I tend to paint on rough paper which I now know damages the tip. Secondly, I always use the brushes to rewet the paint which also reduces the point of the brushes. What a disappointment.
During these past holidays, I became more and more frustrated with the challenges of painting smaller details with these brushes and I realized that I was falling back on smaller synthetic brushes more and more. I decided to purchase some new brushes.
However, since I cannot spend much time on computers (due to my concussion - see last week's blog) to conduct some proper research, I blindly ordered a couple of brushes and purchased some at a local art supply store. I am now experimenting with three types of brushes. One of them has a mix of natural and synthetic fibers. The other two are fully synthetic. Although I really enjoy work with their points, I do miss the capacity of my Kolinsky hair brushes to retain water. I'm enjoying two brands. The first is an Escoda brush of mixed hairs and the other is a Princeton synthetic.
I've almost completed my next painting. There is a lot of texture and rust in it and is for my antique exhibit in a year. You'll see it next week.
Have a great week,
Danielle
However, over the years, both sets of brushes lost their points, thereby limiting their use. This occured for two possible reasons. Mostly, I tend to paint on rough paper which I now know damages the tip. Secondly, I always use the brushes to rewet the paint which also reduces the point of the brushes. What a disappointment.
During these past holidays, I became more and more frustrated with the challenges of painting smaller details with these brushes and I realized that I was falling back on smaller synthetic brushes more and more. I decided to purchase some new brushes.
However, since I cannot spend much time on computers (due to my concussion - see last week's blog) to conduct some proper research, I blindly ordered a couple of brushes and purchased some at a local art supply store. I am now experimenting with three types of brushes. One of them has a mix of natural and synthetic fibers. The other two are fully synthetic. Although I really enjoy work with their points, I do miss the capacity of my Kolinsky hair brushes to retain water. I'm enjoying two brands. The first is an Escoda brush of mixed hairs and the other is a Princeton synthetic.
When selecting a particular hair or fiber one needs to look at performance, resilience and cost. In terms of performance, a brush should be able to hold a good amount of paint or water in its belly, be able to maintain a fine point, and distribute the medium smoothly and evenly on the surface. The brush should spring back to it's proper shape after each use and be able to maintain that shape for as long as possible. Finally, it's important to consider how much you're willing to pay because some brushes are very expensive and depending on your aims, you may not need them.
The following painting was completed with my new brushes. The new points came in handy with all the circle shapes. However, the reduced ability to hold lots of water was a challenge, especially since this painting is 18" X 36". The leaves are large and the brushes didn't hold enough water for my liking.
Have a great week,
Danielle
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