{"id":4516,"date":"2015-01-18T14:47:40","date_gmt":"2015-01-18T19:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=4516"},"modified":"2015-03-28T07:43:00","modified_gmt":"2015-03-28T11:43:00","slug":"oil-brush-reference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/oil-brush-reference\/","title":{"rendered":"Oil brush reference"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wrote about oil brushes before<\/a> and it’s a good topic to expand. This post is a companion to my Oil Paint Brand r<\/a>eference and, like that post, I’ll update this one as I get new material.<\/p>\n

When I started out, my sole criteria for buying brushes was price. Like most in my position, I told myself that it didn’t matter that I could only afford the cheapest material. Well, it does<\/em> matter. Good tools will not transform bad artists into good ones, but good artists can do wonders with good tools, and do it more efficiently. A good set of brushes is one of your most important acquisitions.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>In the Studio Oct. 14 2012<\/span><\/a><\/div>

When it comes to art supplies price is not always a reliable guide, as anyone familiar with the boutique prices artists have to pay knows, but the old adage applies here–you get what you pay for. The good news is that the most expensive brushes–premium sables–are not as important for oils as they are for watercolor.<\/p>\n

Synthetic brushes<\/strong>. Synthetic brushes are mainly marketed to the acrylic user. Oil brushes are commonly grouped with acrylic brushes but, other than the consistency of the paint, the two have little in common. Acrylic brushes are not subject to thinners, siccatives, varnishes and other things that shorten a bush’s lifespan. Strong solvents like turpentine and oil of spike can damage or even ruin some synthetics. You can’t assume that brushes designed for acrylics are suitable for oils.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Stephen Pentak at Bonfoey<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Synthetic brushes are in most respects inferior to natural brushes. Premium synthetic is an oxymoron. This is especially true for sable-replacement synthetics. I’ve yet to see one that out performs even mediocre natural sables. But because synthetic brushes are cheap, they can be good substitutes for large-size bristle brushes. I have an assortment of large synthetic brushes that I use for glazing and scumbling large areas.<\/p>\n

Natural Sable<\/strong>.  I use sable rounds for details that are too fine for the hogs. Rough canvas and thinners are murder on sable brushes, so I never buy premium sables for oil. Besides,what represents fine detail in oils is not the same as fine detail in watercolors, so there is no need for expensive sables. Save your money for that deluxe watercolor sable that, with proper care, will last for years. The only sables I use are rounds. I use bristle brushes where I would need a flat or filbert.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Cleveland Museum of Art Staff Exhibition<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Natural Bristle<\/strong>. Natural bristle brushes are the best brush type for oils. Hog bristle brushes are excellent for all but the finest detail. Because of of the viscous nature of oil paint, hogs perform better than comparable sables. Even if money was no object, I would choose the hogs over the sables in most instances. I use flats for the vast majority of work, followed by brights, and then filberts. I use bristle rounds infrequently. Of course, these are just my proclivities and you might do wonders using nothing but rounds.<\/p>\n

Blenders and fan brushes<\/strong>. I don’t use them.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Smooth Move—Smooth Painting Surfaces<\/span><\/a><\/div>

 <\/p>\n

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\"My<\/a>
My brushes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Read more<\/span>In the Studio—10\/28\/12<\/span><\/a><\/div>

 <\/p>\n

Brush Care.<\/strong> Oil painting is tough on brushes. I always buy several brushes of the same size and type. This spreads the work around and the brushes last longer. Although I use solvents to paint (turpentine and mineral spirits), I NEVER soak the brushes in solvents. At the end of each day, I wipe the excess paint from the brushes with a rag, and then briefly dip them in a jar of mineral spirits. I keep a jar of paint thinner with a rag at the bottom for this purpose. Then I wash them in oil soap before putting them away. The oil soap cleans and conditions the brushes.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Hurricane Sandy<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Strategy.<\/strong> If you are on a really tight budget, I suggest: 2 each of sizes 2, and 4, and 1 size 6 natural bristle; 1 size 2 sable; 1 size 8+ synthetic. TAKE CARE OF YOUR BRUSHES.<\/p>\n

Natural bristle brush reference<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I will update the information as I get new material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Manufacturer<\/strong><\/td>\nComments<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Winsor Newton<\/td>\n Excellent performer; keeps shape very well; very rugged. Excellent value. A-<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trekell Hog bristle 400<\/td>\n Excellent performer; keeps shape fair; above average lifespan. B+<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Isabey 6087<\/td>\nTop performance; holds shape well; rugged. Slightly more expensive (10%-20%) than Winsor Newton none performs better. A<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pearl<\/td>\nMy brushes are old, back from when Pearl was a leader in supplies. The fact they are still usable might be seen as a testament to their quality, but that is misleading. I use them infrequently, so they get less wear than others. Average performer; loses shape, fragile. D<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Escoda 4528<\/td>\nExcellent performer, keeps shape, fragile. B-<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manet 227 A<\/td>\nExcellent performer; cannot hold shape; average lifespan. C<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creative Mark Pro Stroke 77B<\/td>\nAverage performance degrades rapidly due to below-average durability. Because of their cheap price (#4’s can be found for less than $2) these brushes can represent a decent value for those on a budget. D<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Read more<\/span>Thumbs-up: van Ruisdael; Thumbs-down: Renoir<\/span><\/a><\/div>

 <\/p>\n

Sable brush reference<\/h3>\n

This reference covers sable brushes for oil painting<\/em>. Because the detail-painting requirements are less strenuous for oil than watercolor, and because of the lifespan-reducing environment, high-end watercolor brushes are inappropriate for oil painting and are not covered by this reference. Although some of the brushes reviewed here are designed for watercolors, their modest price makes them acceptable for oils. I have not used any of the designed-for-watercolor brushes in this review for watercolor painting. (I keep a separate set of brushes for watercolor.) This means that an A-rated brush here might only be a B or C for watercolors.<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Robert Smith<\/span><\/a><\/div>

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Manufacturer<\/strong><\/td>\n Comments<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rembrandt Pure Kolinsky<\/td>\nUseless. Even though they are cheap, you can get better performing synthetic brushes even cheaper than this poor excuse for a brush. Short handle. Avoid. F<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creative Mark Rhapsody Kolinsky Sable<\/td>\nExcellent value. Performs well and keeps its shape but does not hold up. If you buy these brushes, make sure you get multiples of each size to increase their lifespan. Short handle.  C<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creative Mark ‘pure sable’ Pro Stroke 49R<\/td>\nDespite being cheap, still manages to be a waste of money. Quality control is non-existent. None of the bellies of the 6 size 2’s I bought were the same size. Inferior quality and poor performer. Avoid. F<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trekell Kolinsky Sable 7000<\/td>\nExcellent value. None of the modestly priced brushes under consideration perform better, and they are rugged. Short handle.  A. My top choice<\/strong>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Old Holland Kolinsky sable 7001<\/td>\nExcellent performer, keeps shape, and rugged too, but not better in any way than the cheaper Trekell, except they are long handled.  A<\/strong>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blick Master Sable<\/td>\nKeeps its shape but is a mediocre performer, fragile. Short handle.  Cheap. D<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pearl 13R Red sable<\/td>\nMy sables from Pearl are old (so they are reasonably rugged), but an average performer and loses shape. Long handle.  C<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Russian-made sables<\/td>\nI’ve bought brushes marketed as ‘Russian-made sables’ at different times and from different vendors. The actual manufacturer is obscure. Their only identifying marking is the distinctive logo, which you can see in the accompanying photo. In addition to the logo, the brushes have long, mahogany handles. Performance is good; they are full-bodied but retain their shape, but have only average lifespans. They are in the $10-$20 price range, which is considerably more than the other sable brushes discussed here. If you want a long-handled sable, they represent value, especially in sizes 4 and above. B<\/strong>\n

\"Logo<\/a>
Logo of Russian-made sables<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Read more<\/span>Dayton Art Institute—Fail<\/span><\/a><\/div>

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read more<\/span>Mary Cassatt and the Feminine Ideal in 19th-Century Paris<\/span><\/a><\/div>

About the reference: I know that you, a reader of discernment and judgement, understand without having to be explicitly told that the views I express are my opinion<\/em>. Therefore, I do not have to preface every statement with “In my opinion…” or “In my humble opinion…” My opinions, such as they are, are unbiased; I do not receive any considerations from any manufacturer or supplier.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I wrote about oil brushes before and it’s a good topic to expand. This post is a companion to my Oil Paint Brand reference and, like that post, I’ll update this one as I get new material. When I started out, my sole criteria for buying brushes was price. Like most in my position, I told myself that it didn’t matter that I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":4529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208,46,24,1],"tags":[225,224,227],"class_list":["post-4516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-materials","category-reviews","category-shop_talk","category-uncategorized","tag-bristle-brushes","tag-oil-brushes","tag-sable-brushes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/brushes.jpg?fit=500%2C750&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12417,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2023\/06\/how-to-save-your-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":4516,"position":0},"title":"How to save your brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"June 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Many oil painters keep their brushes upside down in turpentine or thinner. This practice is horrible; it's the worst thing you can do to your brushes. In defense of painters who do this, I used to do the same thing because it's what I was taught. I was taught that\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/oil-pot-2.jpg?fit=720%2C701&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/oil-pot-2.jpg?fit=720%2C701&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/oil-pot-2.jpg?fit=720%2C701&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/oil-pot-2.jpg?fit=720%2C701&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4625,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/oil-brush-update-13015\/","url_meta":{"origin":4516,"position":1},"title":"Oil brush update 1\/30\/15","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I've bought brushes marketed as 'Russian-made sables' at different times and from different vendors. The actual manufacturer is obscure. Their only identifying marking is the distinctive logo, which you can see in the accompanying photo. In addition to the logo, the brushes have long, mahogany handles. They are excellent brushes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Russian-made, long-handle sable brush","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/sable-russia.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4635,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/brush-reference-update-13115\/","url_meta":{"origin":4516,"position":2},"title":"Brush reference update 1\/31\/15","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 31, 2015","format":"status","excerpt":"I've updated my oil brush reference with a review of\u00a0Creative Mark Pro Stroke 77B bristle brushes. In a word: mediocre (but cheap).","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9442,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2021\/04\/sable-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":4516,"position":3},"title":"Sable brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"April 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Sable brushes are the best. There's no debate about this. Sure, there are some use cases where the benefits of sable are irrelevant. The fine control provided by sables is lost on large-format oil paintings, for example. So on large paintings, why go to the expense? And--oh boy!--sable brushes are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/cheap-brushes.gif?fit=800%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/cheap-brushes.gif?fit=800%2C496&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/cheap-brushes.gif?fit=800%2C496&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/cheap-brushes.gif?fit=800%2C496&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5679,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/01\/synthetic-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":4516,"position":4},"title":"Synthetic brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u00a0wrote about my antipathy toward synthetic brushes. This photo illustrates the\u00a0point I made in the linked post. The four synthetic brushes on the left are old and misshapen. \u00a0In my experience, synthetics quickly lose their shape and become\u00a0good for little\u00a0other\u00a0than effects or glazes. The best thing about them, by far,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/old-brushes.jpg?fit=600%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/old-brushes.jpg?fit=600%2C627&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/old-brushes.jpg?fit=600%2C627&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4612,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/oil-brush-brand-reference-update-12415\/","url_meta":{"origin":4516,"position":5},"title":"Oil brush brand reference update 1\/24\/15","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 24, 2015","format":"status","excerpt":"I bought a selection of long-handle 'pure sable' brushes from Creative Mark; their Pro Stroke 49R series, and added them to my Oil Brush Reference. In a word: avoid.","rel":"","context":"In "materials"","block_context":{"text":"materials","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/materials\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-1aQ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}