Product Information

Angular

Bright

Fan

Filbert

Flat

Hake

Highliner

Mop

Mottler and Spalter

One-Stroke

Oval Wash

Quill

Round

Sash

Script

Square Wash

Angular

Description and Usage

Flat ferrule, short-length hairs, set with longer hairs at one end. Useful for precise strokes, and for lines and curves, with thick or heavy color.

Media

watercolor
acrylic
decorative

Fiber

bristle
synthetic

Bright

Description and Usage

Flat ferrule, short-length hairs, usually set in a long handle. Width and length of brush head is about equal. Useful for short, controlled strokes, and with thick or heavy color.

Media

oil
acrylic
decorative

Fiber

sable
synthetic mongoose
bristle
badger
synthetic

Fan

Description and Usage

Flat ferrule, spread hairs. Natural hair is more suitable for soft blending, and synthetic works well for textural effects. Useful for smoothing and blending, special effects, and textures.

Media

oil
acrylic
decorative

Fiber

bristle
badger
synthetic

Filbert

Description and Usage

Thick, flat ferrule and oval-shaped medium to long hairs. Long handles. Natural hair is more suitable for blending because the hairs hold together when wet. With its soft rounded edges, the filbert is suitable for blending and figurative work.

Media

oil
acrylic
decorative

Fiber

sable
synthetic mongoose
bristle
badger
synthetic

Flat

Description and Usage

Flat ferrule, square-ended, with medium to long hairs. Provides lots of color capacity and easy maneuverability. Use for bold, sweeping strokes, or on edge for fine lines. Use heavier filling for heavier paint.

Media

all
media

Fiber

sable
synthetic mongoose
bristle
badger
synthetic

Hake

Description and Usage

A hake brush is a wash brush on a long flat handle. It is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media.

Media

watercolor

Fiber

squirrel
goat
ox
bristle
synthetic

Highliner

Description and Usage

Also known as an outliner. Round ferrule, square-ended brush, with extra-long hairs and a short handle. Large color-carrying capacity. Useful for delicate lettering, outlining, and long continuous strokes.

Media

ink
sign paint

Fiber

sable
squirrel
synthetic

Mop

Description and Usage

A mop is a round, full version of the wash brush, made of soft, absorbent natural hair or synthetic fiber. It is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media.

Media

watercolor

Fiber

squirrel
synthetic

Mottler and Spalter

Description and Usage

Mottlers and Spalters are large, flat brushes with long or short handles and long or short bristles. Available in both natural hair and synthetic varieties, they are used for faux finishing techniques, murals, washes, varnishing, and priming. These brushes hold a large amount of paint and cover large surfaces.

Media

watercolor
acrylic
oil
decorative

Fiber

bristle
squirrel
pony
badger
synthetic

One Stroke

Description and Usage

Flat ferrule, square-ended medium to long hairs. Short handles. Large color-carrying capacity. Useful for painting block letters in a single stroke.

Media

oil
ink
decorative
sign paint

Fiber

sable
squirrel
ox
synthetic

Oval Wash

Description and Usage

Wash brushes come in a variety of shapes. The oval wash has rounded hairs, flat ferrules, and produces a soft edge, with no point. A wash brush is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media.

Media

watercolor

Fiber

squirrel
ox
bristle
synthetic

Quill

Description and Usage

Combines the advantages of an elongated point with a large mid-section for extra color capacity, perfect for large watercolor washes. The head and handle are hand-tied with brass wires onto a natural wood handle.

Media

ink
sign paint
watercolor

Fiber

sable
squirrel
synthetic

Round

Description and Usage

Round ferrule, round or pointed tip. Useful for details, washes, fills, and thin to thick lines. A pointed round is used for fine detail. A detailer is a pointed round with very short hair.

Media

all media

Fiber

all hair
synthetic

Sash

Description and Usage

The long handles and tapered bristles in the sash brush are perfect for detailed work on large paintings, and also for delicate decorative painting.

Media

oil
acrylic
decorative

Fiber

bristle

Script/Liner

Description and Usage

Pointed, narrow brush with very long hair. Liners are shorter and narrower. Short handles, round ferrules. Large color-carrying capacity. Useful for delicate lettering, highlighting, outlining, and long continuous strokes.

Media

watercolor
decorative
ink
sign paint

Fiber

sable
ox
synthetic

Square Wash

Description and Usage

Wash brushes come in a variety of shapes. The square wash brush can produce strokes of varying shapes and widths, and often has a short, "flat-footed" handle for scraping, burnishing, and separating watercolor paper from blocks. A wash brush is useful for laying in large areas of water or color, for wetting the surface, and for absorbing excess media.

Media

watercolor

Fiber

squirrel
ox
bristle
synthetic

Synthetic

Badger Hair

Camel Hair

Hog Bristle

Kolinsky Sable

Ox Hair

Pony Hair

Red Sable

Sabeline

Squirrel Hair

Synthetic

Description and Usage

Synthetic brushes are man-made of either nylon or polyester filaments. They can be tapered, tipped, flagged, abraded, or etched to increase color-carrying ability. Often, synthetic filaments are dyed and baked to make them softer and more absorbent. The common name for this filament is "Taklon." Synthetic brushes have several distinct advantages over natural hair brushes. These advantages include durability, cleaning ease, and the ability to better withstand the caustic nature of paints (particularly acrylics) and solvents.

Media

all

Badger

Description and Usage

Traditionally used to blend oil paint on canvas, Badger hair comes from various areas of the world and is more readily available than most animal hair, although the quality varies greatly. Badger hair is thickest at the point, and relatively thin at the root, so it has a distinctive "bushy" appearance.

Media

oil

Camel

Description and Usage

Camel hair does not actually come from camels. Rather, it is found in watercolor and lettering brushes and usually is composed of squirrel, goat, ox, pony, or a blend of several hairs, depending on the desired softness and intended cost of the brush.

Media

lettering
tempera
watercolor

Hog Bristle

Description and Usage

Hog Bristle is obtained from hogs in several areas of the world, the most desired variety coming from China. Bristle is unlike any other natural hair in that it forms a V-shaped split or "flag" at the tip and tends to have a natural curve. A brush with "interlocked" bristles, with the curves formed inward to the ferrule, has a natural resistance to fraying and spreads medium to thick paints smoothly and evenly. A selection of pure hog bristle brushes is recommended for oil and acrylic painting, as an alternative to softer hairs.

Media

acrylic
oil

Kolinsky Sable

Description and Usage

Kolinsky Sable is not actually sable, but comes from the tail of a species of mink that is a member of the weasel family found in Siberia and northeastern China. Because of its strength, spring, and ability to retain its shape (or “snap”), it is considered the finest fiber for watercolor and oil brushes. It also holds a very fine point or edge. Kolinsky is considered to be a professional grade of brush hair, and if properly cared for, will last for many years.

Media

oil
watercolor

Ox

Description and Usage

The best quality Ox hair comes from the ears of either cattle or oxen. It has a very strong body with a silken texture, is very resilient, and has good "snap," but lacks a fine tip. Therefore, it is most useful in medium-grade wash brushes or flat-shaped brushes. Frequently, ox hair is blended with other natural hair to increase the resiliency of a brush.

Media

lettering
watercolor

Pony

Description and Usage

Pony is a soft hair derived from mature animals that are at least two years old. It is primarily used for scholastic-grade brushes, but often blended with other hairs in inexpensive watercolor and touch-up brushes.

Media

acrylic
scholastic
tempera
watercolor

Red Sable

Description and Usage

Red Sable is obtained from any member of the weasel family with "red" hair, not from sable. It is found in a variety of brush styles for a variety of media, with quality and characteristics varying greatly. High-quality pure Red Sable is a good alternative to the more expensive Kolinsky, with similar performance and durability. Often, weasel hair is blended with ox hair to make a more economical brush, but the fine point is sacrificed.

Media

oil
watercolor

Sabeline

Description and Usage

Sabeline is actually select, light-colored ox hair dyed to resemble red sable. Lettering and watercolor brushes often mix Sabeline with Sable to lower the cost of a brush.

Media

lettering
watercolor

Squirrel

Description and Usage

Gray Squirrel (Talayoutky), most highly in demand for lettering and quill brushes, is native to Russia and is usually in short supply. Brown Squirrel (Kazan) is more readily available, and is used primarily for medium-quality and scholastic watercolor brushes. A very fine, thin hair taken from squirrel tails, it points as well as Kolinsky, but has very little "snap" because it is not very resilient. It works best with liquid paints and inks.

Media

lettering
watercolor