{"id":8738,"date":"2020-03-16T12:13:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T16:13:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/?p=8738"},"modified":"2020-03-17T08:09:18","modified_gmt":"2020-03-17T12:09:18","slug":"not-all-synthetic-brushes-are-awful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2020\/03\/not-all-synthetic-brushes-are-awful\/","title":{"rendered":"Not all synthetic brushes are awful"},"content":{"rendered":"

I heap abuse on synthetic brushes. But some synthetics are not too bad–for oils. I haven’t found any synthetics that can replace sables for watercolor painting. Not even close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These synthetic rounds from Winsor and Newton are OK. Monarch brushes are made from “synthetic mongoose fibers,” whatever that might be. Winsor Newton claims that they are more durable than natural mongoose, which in my experience is accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

They handle OK as well. They are too stiff for fine or close work but for broad work, they handle as well as my high-end bristle rounds from Isabey. Actually, they might handle a little better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For medium to large passages, these brushes are serviceable. What is medium size? The 3 brushes in the photo are 10s, which is certainly medium. In general, medium starts at size 6. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more<\/span>Oil Paint Brand Ratings<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Is the performance upgrade enough to change from natural bristles? When the Monarchs’ prices are significantly lower than the bristles, the Monarchs are an easy choice. When the prices are similar, the choice is not so clear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Blick, size 8 Monarchs are $12.68<\/a>; the comparable Isabey is $12.88. The size 12s are $17.13 for W&N, and $23.66 for Isabey. (No Isabey 10s are listed.) If I was buying a 12, I would unhesitatingly choose the Monarch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Read more<\/span>White Paint--in Praise of Lead<\/span><\/a><\/div>

Here’s a painting that is seeing a lot of Monarch brushwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see from my palette that I mix tones as I need them. The only premade colors I use these days are 3 values of gray and 3 values of burnt sienna. The premade colors provide me with a color-mixing headstart. I used to prepare more tones but these colors provide enough of a boost that I don’t need any others. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I heap abuse on synthetic brushes. But some synthetics are not too bad–for oils. I haven’t found any synthetics that can replace sables for watercolor painting. Not even close. These synthetic rounds from Winsor and Newton are OK. Monarch brushes are made from “synthetic mongoose fibers,” whatever that might be. Winsor Newton claims that they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":8735,"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":[208,24,113,343],"tags":[224],"class_list":["post-8738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-materials","category-shop_talk","category-tips_tricks","category-turpentine-diaries","tag-oil-brushes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2020-3-16-a.jpg?fit=1200%2C1506&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5679,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/01\/synthetic-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":8738,"position":0},"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":4452,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2014\/12\/oil-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":8738,"position":1},"title":"Oil brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a lot of oil brushes, as can be seen in the accompanying photo. I have another much smaller group for watercolor. I NEVER use my watercolor brushes for oil painting. Watercolor brushes are more expensive and should, with proper care, last a long time. Some of my watercolor\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\/2014\/12\/brushes1.jpg?fit=600%2C526&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/brushes1.jpg?fit=600%2C526&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/brushes1.jpg?fit=600%2C526&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4516,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2015\/01\/oil-brush-reference\/","url_meta":{"origin":8738,"position":2},"title":"Oil brush reference","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"January 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I wrote about oil brushes before\u00a0and it's a good topic to expand. This post is a companion to my\u00a0Oil Paint Brand reference\u00a0and, like that post, I'll update this one as I get\u00a0new material. When I started out, my sole criteria for\u00a0buying brushes was price. Like most in my\u00a0position, I told\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\/2015\/01\/brushes.jpg?fit=500%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8620,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2019\/11\/trekell-fails\/","url_meta":{"origin":8738,"position":3},"title":"Trekell fails","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"November 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Lately, I've been spammed a lot by the independent brush manufacturer, Trekell. Oil paint is murder on sable brushes so Trekell's decent quality sables coupled with modest prices led me to past purchases. I have over 20 of their brushes. I also like their linseed oil soap. Readers of my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Grumpy review"","block_context":{"text":"Grumpy review","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/grumpy-review\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/terkell-1.jpg?fit=600%2C301&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/terkell-1.jpg?fit=600%2C301&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/terkell-1.jpg?fit=600%2C301&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13928,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2025\/06\/princeton-monarch-brushes\/","url_meta":{"origin":8738,"position":4},"title":"Princeton Monarch brushes","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"June 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I routinely disparage synthetic brushes. I've written about this topic several times on this blog. My collection of synthetics quickly resembles the brushes in this photo\u2014mishapen hulks with limited usefulness.\u00a0 My opinion began to change several years ago when I used some synthetics that stood up to the beating from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Grumpy review"","block_context":{"text":"Grumpy review","link":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/category\/grumpy-review\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250602_092517.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6594,"url":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/2016\/12\/studio-journal-122816\/","url_meta":{"origin":8738,"position":5},"title":"Studio journal 12\/28\/16","author":"Tom Hudson","date":"December 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Euclid Avenue #1 took up my time today. \u00a0Euclid Avenue #1 is part of the Playhouse Square series. \u00a0Push-pull. I've disdained synthetic brushes in the past, but I finally found a model that behaves decently: Escoda\u00a0Primera. \u00a0The\u00a0Escoda\u00a0Primera model, like all synthetics, is rugged. \u00a0It handles well for a synthetic; not\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\/12\/studio-2016-12-28.jpg?fit=800%2C815&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/studio-2016-12-28.jpg?fit=800%2C815&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/studio-2016-12-28.jpg?fit=800%2C815&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/studio-2016-12-28.jpg?fit=800%2C815&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Gw6F-2gW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8738","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=8738"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8738\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomasparkerhudson.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}