The 7 Brands of Watercolor Brushes I Have Tried: A Watercolor Brush Review - Learn with Sandra J

[@petergamble6318]

"Long ones don't work because I keep hitting my face" - best line I've heard all day (I do it from time to time). Thanks for the video, I only buy synthetics now and almost always quills. Princeton Neptune and AquaElite are excellent for the price. Raphael Softaqua and Da Vinci Casaneo are my faves. Escoda Ultimo is in the mail!

[@dandobrowolski5818]

It's my understand that the sable brushes are made from hair that is a "byproduct" of the fur industry that raises sable for their pelts. The fur companies don't use the tails. which are discarded, and then sold to paint brush makers. The paint brush makers themselves do not kill any animals when making their brushes...they are using a byproduct of a completely different industry. That may not make much difference in your thinking...but it is a significant distinction....they are not killing the animals just to make paint brushes so you can paint a picture...if the paint brush makers did not use the hair for their brushes, the tails would be wasted and the fur industry in Siberia would still go on. Secondly these animals are farm raised...much like chicken, cows, pigs and sheep (which we get wool from). I'm not really trying to change your mind about your brushes....do what makes you feel good about yourself, but it would be a shame and wasteful to not use perfectly fine sable brushes, that have already been made. But ill be happy to take them off your hands, if you want to donate them. :)

[@lisadale7605]

Yes, and in addition, micro-plastics are poisoning and killing fish, animals, the earth and us. Synthetic brushes likely cause more harm. btw: this isn't a real sable anyway, it's a Russian weasel: a pest to farmers, killed if the world were artless.

[@Dinky_Bunny]

Thank you for sharing this! It's such a common misconception artists have about sable and how it's collected for brush making. This is a case of waste not want not. Generations before us would use the entire animal and leave nothing to waste. Something we have seem to have forgotten in the past few decades. Boycotting sable brushes wouldn't even put a small dent in the fur trade. I also did some research and found that the U.S. is the only country that lists sable as endangered. In China they are still considered a nuisance animal and have huge populations in the wild. Thanks again for sharing this. It may be a personal choice each artist has to make but it should be an educated choice nonetheless.

[@alisonhendry2928]

Thank you for this information. This makes me feel so much better about my sable brushes. I am not fond of the fur industry and eat a plant based diet, but for the tails to go to waste is a shame when boycotting would not stop the trade anyway. I feel a little less guilty now…

[@UJB123]

Yep. Thanks. It’s sensationalism spurred to evoke emotions; like most misinformation. It isn’t the brush makers.

[@aremedyproject9569]

The Silver Black Velvet brushes are a blend of squirrel hair and synthetic. The Anna Mason ones are no doubt sable, probably Kolinsky.

[@helened.5720]

The Anna Mason brushes are synthetic.

[@Renilou2]

@@helened.5720 She has both real Sable and synthetic available. I have Anna Masons 1st set of brushes and yes they are Sable. She now sells the synthetic ones and has been for a long time. Same with Billy Showell. Her 1st was sable but has since switched to Synthetics for the sake of the animals.

[@Renilou2]

Yes. Its interesting that so many people do not realize this. Even Denise Sodan was using them for a while.

[@martinanelsonartandpsychol6478]

I fully agree with you on the cosmotop spin. I’m a not very experienced painter and I thought it might be just me. But it’s very helpful to hear the same thing from somebody’s so experienced.

[@RebeccaNolenauthor]

No one comments about synthetic brushes being plastic (vinyl is plastic) and plastic is made from petroleum. Also, think about all the microscopic plastic fibers that break off and become part of the food chain. Hmmmm.

[@SandraJSchultz]

I know. Maybe the solution is to paint with our fingers. As I'm aging I do seem to be reverting!! :)))

[@Renilou2]

Yes, i think of this often. Have to stop using so much plastics! So why is our detergents, canned goods, beverages in plastics now? Didn't used to be in my day. Its causing more havoc than plastics that are kept and used for a very long time.

[@spiritsjoy]

I understand about the sables and i also have a few, but, now that you have them, use them, or they really did die for nothing. Let that little critter be your spirit animal and create the best work you can. Oh, and the name of the brush is a rigger or liner brush.

[@Renilou2]

So fun to watch Sandra! I love hearing others take on [products.The Silver Black Velvet are a real Squirrel hair mix with Synthetic. They trap squirrels too. Sad, I love Squirrels. I gave all my Princeton Neptune's away because I hated them. I ordered a lot and none had the best point and too soft. I have some sables also when I 1st started out years ago and rarely use them but do on occasion. Their death cannot be in vain so I use them. A couple real Sable quills that are good. I also will never buy another Sable hair brush. I have the Cosmotop spin too and I got rid of it. LOL! The Princeton Elite brushes are my go too now but still reach for my 1st , inexpensive Princeton, Heritage often. Don't worry. They don't kill the pig just for the hair. But when they go to market, to be slaughtered, they harvest everything they can from the animal, that's killed for the meat.

[@SandraJSchultz]

I'm glad to hear you are thinking about how your brushes are made. As artists, we have a responsibility to more than ourselves. I have begun to work much more in oils than watercolor these days but what I have found is a complete turn around from the days when I was chasing after the elusive brushes that would make me a better artist. These days (except for those first animal hair brushes I ignorantly bought), I use very cheap brushes, and I use them for both oil and watercolor. My brush collection is quite embarrassing, but now I just reach for Royal Langnickel Zen multimedia brushes, which sell for just a few dollars each. I love them for oils, and the rounds have a nice point for details. The more brush miles I put in the more I realize that nothing is going to make me a better artist except time.

[@UJB123]

Some people eat squirrels.

[@ReinhildeLenaers]

I enjoyed this video very much! I learned a little about brushes and I had a good laugh as well. Thank you for brightening my day ;-)

[@stephenwelham]

Your Neptune wash brushes on smaller paintings use them for skys only and premixed washes for your sky you can also drop in sixe these brushes and they work very well Try a panting with an 1.5 flat. Then try a painting with an 1.5” a3/4” flat then a number three rigger I learn water colour with these three sizes and the Irish artists book water colour paint box and after the 9 lessons in the book I sold my first water colour using his limited palette of 8 colours

[@SandraJSchultz]

Excellent advise! I now paint almost exclusively with flats!😁

[@kashbash9645]

Michael’s has Royal & Langnickel. Fabulous and under $13 for a set of five!!!

[@IridescentJen]

i thought i was crazy for not getting along with the cosmotop. i'm only a year or two into watercolor and bought a small selection of good brushes people raved about after doing loads of reading and research. and i keep picking it up to work with it and i'm always frustrated. i thought it was me just not being skilled enough (though i get along well with some cheapy brushes from the craft store way better than that cosmotop). i'm now going to just put it away and STOP the madness, so thank you for honest review. :)

[@Renilou2]

I got rid of mine. Awful brush! I was already too spoiled by using Princeton Heritage.

[@windsurfingphd]

I have Rosemary rounds and daggers, I do like them. I try to avoid most squirrel brushes, including Princeton Neptune, and most Silver Brush Black Velvet because they are limpy! They stay limpy in the middle of painting unless I immerse the brush in water and reload. You were trying Black Velvet #6 and flat (1/2"??). They seem springy. Are they still springy? Princeton Elite is a good brush. This line has a quill which holds quite a bit of water and much springier compared to Neptune. Perhaps this may be a good brush for washes in small medium you are using. I want to try Escoda Ultimo Mop because they are supposed to be better than Elite. What do you think?

[@SandraJSchultz]

Hi Windsurfer. I haven't had good luck with any of the Princeton Neptune's except for the largest rounds. Yes. I agree they are too mushy. I do still like my silver flats. However I have started oil painting much more than watercolor now so they aren't getting much use. People always have their favorite brands and that's great but I have learned that what suits an artist one day may not cut it the next (well almost). It is fun to try new materials! So I say if you are interested in a brush try it!

[@windsurfingphd]

@@SandraJSchultz Hi Sandra, the Neptunes are designed only for glazing in watercolor if you are trying to avoid lifting the existing paint. You can sell them to me if you don't like them :-))

[@jefffawver3389]

Thank you for sharing this information helped a lot.great video.

[@Charbythedesert]

I like the Silver Black velvet line too. Try out the Escoda Versatil rounds for something billed as a synthetic Kolinsky. Lovely sharp point and a delight to paint with. Find myself reaching for them often.

[@SandraJSchultz]

Thanks for the recommendation Char Pane. I will definitely check out Escoda Versatil. I had not heard of them until now.

[@marlenaamalfitano2727]

I have the same problem with long handles. I like Silver black belt and Mimick kolinsky. I don't like nNeptunes, too compound

[@BB-nz5sk]

Wow - I love your honesty. I live in a 400 square foot apartment. I have a desk that I use for work. Then after 5-6pm I remove my work things and it becomes my art "studio". So I totally understand not having a lot of room. Much less trying to figure out where to store my supplies. I agree about the karma aspect. The more we learn about animals the more horrified I am of what has been done to them in the name of science much less art. You probably remember the days when you could buy an actual rabbit's foot on a key chain. OMG - why was this ever okay?

[@karenhoward303]

I love the Escoda Versatils also. Lovely brushes. I like the smaller sizes of Silver Black Velvet brushes, however, the 1&1/2 inch I bought has no spring to it. It gets limp quickly. Don't care for that one.

[@sommernacht8967]

I dont like the DaVinci Cosmotop too. But try the Casaneo Line, specially the 498 Series. The size 2 is one of my favorites.

[@gnostie]

I am looking for information on OVAL brushes, including Cosmotop and whoever else produces them in good quality. Any input appreicated.

[@indigodande4345]

Try not to feel bad about animal products you already purchased its better to use them and not let them go to waste that being said like when I was first getting started I had no idea about them being animal sourced. It took a bit for the lightbulb to come on.

[@reginaldforthright805]

If you’re concerned about it, you could always repent by using brushes made from human hair, preferably your own.

[@lindathaxton1994]

I don’t like the Cosmo top spin brushes either - no point. Trader Joe’s 👍😁. Thank you for sharing

[@predragdjokic3761]

I use Da Vinci Cosmotops and honestly if you paint like you showed here pressing way to much on the paper no wonder they don't hold point its not squirrel hair to bent while being pressed on paper...They are for detail work even the larger sizes of brush like 10 12 14 ,not for large washes and covering a lot of area.Honestly you picked the wrong brush for your style that is why the spins are not working for you my opinion maybe am wrong but.And if you compare the Da Vinci Cosmotop to the kolinsky brushes that you have that are priced 3 to 5 times more then spins no wonder that you don't like spins ofc that the kolinsky sable performs way better then any syntetics...For that money that are price of Da Vinci Cosmotops you can't find better synthetic brush on the market maybe Winsor & Newton is in the same range the rest are not...Roubloff has brushes that perform like squirrel hair but hold 1/3 of amount of water compared to natural hair witch is understandable and they are very well priced i think that is 1F10 name of what i use and they are pretty decent and hold awesome point for syntetics until you go the the size 10 witch performs more like mop then classic round...

[@MrDebbiedudah]

Silver brushes have animal hair in them too although they are really great brushes. Rosemary & Co. is in England and also make wonderful brushes and thanks to your recommendations I will now try some of their man made hair brushes as I hate using the animal hair too but it really isn't easy to find good cruelty free brushes so thank you.

[@SandraJSchultz]

Awww man. That's pretty devastating. I guess I didn't read the description of the silver brushes. Thanks for letting me know. I won't be buying anymore! Please let us know how you like the Rosemary &Co brushes! Sandra J

[@hmichael228]

@@SandraJSchultz they use quirrel hair and a new type of synthetic filament called Risslon

[@charliebaker1427]

@@SandraJSchultz the silver brushes are a synthetic and squirrel hair brush line

[@charliebaker1427]

lmao cruelty free of course you people exist in the art community

[@ciannacoleman5125]

Not to start an argument since I don’t have a strong opinion either way: but from a “sustainability” standpoint wouldn’t it be better to make brushes from animal fur than synthetic? If the animals are raised for that purpose and treated decently (haven’t done research so can’t say if they are, just a hypothetical) then killing them for the brushes isn’t really cruel is it? Much like if you raised rabbits as livestock. The synthetic brushes in the grand scheme of things are not “eco-friendly” right?

[@cocoroach_ok]

For sable brush especially, they didn't treat these animal that good. It's really cruel. But I don't know how significant art supplies business compare to other business that even more damaging like fashion. Probably not so much, since our pigments also depends on other bigger business like what's happend with Quin Gold pigment because car paint business didn't demand this pigment anymore. Also carbon footprint from these farms are alot. But faux fur/synthetic brush is also damaging because it's plastic. Think about what would happend when these synthetic brush falling apart, it will cause microplastic issue. But maybe some brushes are biodegradable, I'm not sure. In the end, I just buy good quality and cheap brush, and try to keep maintain it for at least several years

[@heisenberg6921]

Of course they are rised!!!...few countries still killiing !!....

[@reginaldforthright805]

Guys, there’s a simple solution you’re all ignoring - make your own brushes using human hair.

[@eevee1791]

I had no clue they killed the whole animal to get hairs… im glad all the brushes i have are synthetic

[@grannieannie1371]

They don't. The animals are killed for the fur trade and the tails would be thrown away but brush makers use the tails to make brushes.

[@lindathaxton1994]

Thank you for NOT using animal hair brushes & thank you for sharing your likes & dislikes in brushes 🙏

[@jennw6809]

Don't you hate it when you get two of the same thing in your cart by accident? I have even done this in stores. Why do I have two tubes of dioxazine violet LOL????

[@charliebaker1427]

i like my grumbacher goldenedge and my silver black velvets i use both often

[@bobbylibertini]

Actually, those animals used to make the brushes are raised in captivity- and just like cows, if people stop buying natural hair brushes or beef...these animals would likely go extinct, because there are few places left where there remains enough of their natural environment to support them in the wild- so the humane thing to do is to actually buy animal products. Seriously, how is it any worse than them getting eaten by predators in the wild? I LOVE animals...but this whole 'don't use animal products' thing is really unrealistic, and a product of the minds (however well-intentioned) of people who have never really thought it through).

[@Renilou2]

In Russia, most are still trapped the old fashioned way.

[@bobbylibertini]

@@Renilou2 Ah, so that's why the Russians make the best Kolinsky sable watercolor brushes!

[@lindathaxton1994]

You know Silver Black Velvet brushes use a combination of animal & synthetic bristles. Nice brushes but I don’t buy them anymore 🥲

[@koto3754]

You are cool sandra :) keep it up

[@paulaverger4129]

They’re in England

[@nettiemoss324]

Rosemary & Co are in the UK - Yorkshire. Apparently the US have now banned Kolinsky imports - so once gone they won't be for sale - this as due to the cruelty involved: thank you for caring about the animals. Another synthetic range I find really good is the Raphael brand.

[@AmandaMG6]

The red dot series is dreamy! ♥️

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

Try escoda fake kolinsky...worth the price and just refrain from pushing the paint onto paper rather than pulling. I have had mine for a very ,very long time. When they first came out. Is as nice as ever. My first watercolor class was with an Austrian schooled..then Italy, and her first class was devoted to caring for brushes. I still use a 55 year old wash brush( squirrel or sable...not sure )..that I even used to paint a series of pained windows at a large restraunt after her class ( without any taping...just pulled the bead of paint)...lol...sometimes an artist has to do stuff for $$$. Will be interested in your there videos.

[@GarbauxM]

would rather see them paint not just listen to someone talk about them :/

[@heisenberg6921]

Who tells sable are kiilled in order to get hairs???!!....maybe China does that, but not all countries !!

[@reginaldforthright805]

Germany for sure does. I mean they are nazis so what would you expect.

[@SheXyShellyMarie]

It would seem that someone who is so concerned about what your brushes are made of, that you would do more research before you buy.

[@SandraJSchultz]

Hahaha! Thanks for the comment SheXy Shelly. Yes, I agree. The day that I lost robot status (long long ago in a galaxy far far away), and became a simple human was a very bad day!

[@lindas7801]

don't watch youtube if you are such an excellent researcher

[@Georgeolddrones]

Wot crap is this video 😂