Review: Winsor & Newton Synthetic Sable Watercolour Brush

[@nicholascaldwell6079]

I must say this is the most impressive performance I've ever seen from a synthetic. My own use has born out the observation you've made in the past that synthetics usually dump most of their paint payload in the first stroke, but this does appear to work a lot better!

[@MichaelaDrechselova]

I loved the: "There are no surprises when it comes to painting-- Ups! too much red." 😄 Thank you for the review, Teoh. Much appreciated, as always. 😊

[@user-bi6eg1lo7v]

As a beginner artist shopping for watercolor brushes, I found this video review very helpful---thank you!

[@OneTrueWord1988]

Hi Teoh! Thank you for this review. I only buy synthetic brushes, so I am interested in the performance of this brush. You always provide such excellent reviews, and cover all the questions I have. Great job! 😊👍

[@gnostie]

Good thing I saw this review before buying. Was thinking of size 8, now see that 6 would be better for my use. Thank you so much for the thorough as always review!

[@ohbli_oh]

Yay you liked the brush I suggested you review. 😁 I have 6 of them now and use them more than any other brush ever.

[@wendychampness1901]

Thanks 🙏. Regrettably, I had purchased a Series 7 Sable and was disappointed that it failed to return to a point. Shortly after receiving the brush, I saw your review in which you commented extensively on that very “point”! Darn, that brush had cost a lot! It has sat unused.

[@teohyc]

I’m using it more as a mop brush. 😂

[@wendychampness1901]

@@teohyc Great tip! Thank you 😊

[@lorincinar]

Thank you for reviewing this brush Teoh, I wasn't sure if it was worth it or not before.

[@LeesChannel]

5:18 "...there are no surprises when it comes to painting... Oops! Too much red." 😂

[@carlamariestudios]

Your voice and vidoes are so relaxing.

[@cisp360]

My experience with the da Vinci Casaneo is that their quills are AMAZING. I got two quills and they both have needle sharp tips. However, the round I got is really really bad, too bad that I believe I have got a defective one. Well, guess I will have to buy this WN brush.

[@jangjs_sktchr]

I hope a good synthetic brush which can replace natural brush will be developed soon.

[@teohyc]

This is good, and Da Vinci Casaneo is very good. www.parkablogs.com/content/review-da-vinci-casaneo-watercolour-brush

[@jangjs_sktchr]

@@teohyc Oh. thanks for your comment.

[@OneTrueWord1988]

@agh Hi! Where do you purchase those brushes? I haven't heard of them. Thanks! 😊💐

[@Deedster56]

Another excellent review, Teoh! I’m definitely sold on this one 😁

[@painovoimaton]

That is rather impressive for synthetic! I am very interested.

[@viviannguyen1147]

As a vegan, this is exactly the video I've been waiting for! Thank you! I'll put this brush on my list to get.

[@rhythmn5757]

Loving this brush! Bought the round and pointed and yes its so much better and cheaper compared to the wn 7series sable!

[@Unfiltered_Art]

I love those brushes!! the best synthetic brushes I have.

[@sherbearpatson884]

Thank you for a informative review , I need a good mop brush made from sable , the difference is amazing in real sable brushes I agree they hold more water therefore spread very much more evenly on the paper

[@shayron44]

Looks like a nice brush. May add it to my collection. Thanks for the review.

[@gl7011]

Hi Teoh, I really enjoyed this video. What kind of lens are you using? It's amazing how close up you are able to get when filming but still maintain sharp clear video quality. Can you share the link to the camera and lens you are using for this video? Thanks

[@teohyc]

I'm using Panasonic GH4 with Olympus 12-50mm (with macro function).

[@PaulaBean]

I tried natural hair brushes, but I prefer the synthetic ones. The natural hair brush feels like I'm painting with a wet cat's tail ;-)

[@koskey06]

What color and brand is that orange that u always use?? I love how warm yet brite it is.

[@jasonmullins6638]

I'd say Daniel Smiths Transparent Pyrrol Orange

[@joeblankenship377]

"There are no surprises when painting, Woops!"

[@grannieannie1371]

😂

[@tv-bb6vg]

I have the Escoda Versatil, that I bought based on various reviews...I simply don't like it at all - it's like the texture of the hairs changed very quickly, like they became stiffer and retain even less water than when brand new. I now use it ....for gouache.

[@jasonmullins6638]

So, Nov. 2022, are you still using this synthetic? Haven't found any synthetic better? Thanks!

[@teohyc]

Da Vinci Casaneo is currently the best synthetic, at least from my limited knowledge.

[@sd8544]

Purchased 3 last week from a local store . Awesome performance and it does make a difference in the coloring of sketches. Can't find these on internet. Any reliable sources Teoh for US residents ?

[@teohyc]

Try Dick Blick or Jackson's Art UK (free shipping for brushes above £20) bit.ly/jacksonsart-uk

[@z.z.1205]

How good is the brush compared to the silver black velvet brushes? I recently saw you use them quite iften.

[@teohyc]

Silver Black Velvet is slightly softer but has less hair so holds less water.

[@DS-zj2on]

Best review on these!

[@LowKey_izildura]

Casaneo is made to mimic squirrel, not sable

[@cisp360]

Well, if it holds a good point, lot of water, and is snappy, I would call it a sable.

[@LowKey_izildura]

@@cisp360 actually yes, I don`t know why siberian weasel hair is called sable.. but that`s how it is. It is snappy, unlike squirrel. Casaneo is squirrel imitation so I wouldn`t call it snappy, but it is less flimsy than real squirrel and I sure love that brush. But this W&N one seems appealing now ))

[@cisp360]

@@LowKey_izildura I already ordered some. I will carefully compare them and let you know.

[@LowKey_izildura]

@@cisp360 thank you, that`s so kind of you))

[@cisp360]

@@LowKey_izildura ok, so the brushes has arrived and I test them against my other brushes. Here is the result. Teoh was correct, this brush is quite good. It is just as good as my pure kolinsky. It is slightly stiffer but just slightly. The way it releases paint is exactly the same as my Rosemary Pure Kolinsky. It holds the same amount of water as the kolinsky. However, it doesn't has a belly like my kolinsky. Compared to my Casaneo, it is slightly stiffer and just ever so slightly more snappy, which is to say they are the same. I think I like the Casaneo quills more than these WN synthetic sables, but I hate the Casaneo rounds. If you have not owned a Casaneo quill, I would get one. If you paint big, get a quill size 4. My Casaneo quill size 4 is just crazy good. It holds a sharp point sharper than my sable and ton of water. I did a test and my Casaneo size 4 can cover a little more than half a 9x12 sheet. The WN synthetic round size 12 can only cover a quarter of the same sheet of paper. It makes sense though because the WN is about a half smaller. I also had a Princeton Aqua Elite, and it is very very good too. It is even stiffer and more snappy than these WN and it holds a lot of color too. Because of its stiffness it does not feel like true sable, a feeling that I really like to paint with. There is one thing that earns the Princeton Aqua Elite the top place is the sharpness of their pointed rounds. I have never seen anything this needle sharp as this Princeton Aqua Elite. And because of its stiffness, I really love it for drawing. It has replaced my brush pens for drawing. It has also replace all of my rigger for hair-line strokes.

[@kartikproduction13]

When I first find out your channel, I was beginning to learn about line quality and I was like this dude dosen't know how to draw line quality is so bad than I figure out that this is his art style 😊😊.

[@cisp360]

Haha, you are funny. In fact, I believe his art has been improved a lot.

[@kartikproduction13]

@@cisp360 yes it is 😁

[@ifraaa]

Love from India 💗

[@carolchapel779]

Is this the same WN brush that you returned a while back?

[@teohyc]

That was the Series 7 sable brush and it's still quite lousy after months of using it. So this synthetic one is surprisingly better

[@jia01510]

1:09 That mop brush looks like a cosmetic brush 😂

[@trondbirkeland8094]

I bought the new synthetic number 16 round brush, but am utterly disappointed with it. It is OK for washes, but does not hold a point. It hollows out and splits when wet. Water carrying capacity is good. Maybe the smaller sizes are better? The new synthetics are absurdly high priced at many vendors, about the same as the sable with similar handles. £70 for a size ten synthetic? When people see the price they will and should go for Escoda or Rosemarys instead. Bought mine at PenStore at a more sane price, but still... I like how it looks, but not how it works. Is it worth it?

[@cisp360]

Hi, I realized that the prices are significantly different from different stores. For example, I saw one size 12 for around $70 on Ken Bromley while a brush of the same size I bought from Dick Blick is only about $20. When I saw that $70 for a synthetic brush of size 12, I was like what the hell. Sorry you had bad experience with your purchase. It seems like a defect to me. I would return it for another one. (I had the same experience with one of my casaneo brush too).

[@liveincolor3793]

Nice

[@ilricettario]

Have tried synthetic sable many years ago, absolutely no comparison to the real thing. Perhaps technology has moved on since then but I doubt if I will be changing anything very soon.

[@teohyc]

Some of the recent synthetics are really good. e.g. Da Vinci Casaneo and this WN. Although it is still not like the real thing

[@socratesthecabdriver]

Sold

[@peterangel6463]

Can these be used for oil paint?

[@peteinuk]

Get something much cheaper and hardier for oil - pig bristles - you would ruin your brush.

[@teohyc]

Watercolour (soft) brushes are not meant to be used with oil.

[@nicholascaldwell6079]

@@peteinuk don't leave the brush sitting in solvent and it should be perfectly fine. Synthetic fibres largely aren't affected by the chemistry of oil paint itself or its mediums.

[@nicholascaldwell6079]

@@teohyc it depends on the technique. Finely detailed or highly realist work is often executed with sable brushes.