Brushes can be a complicated topic simply because there are so many of them! Where do you start? The brush aisle at the art supply store has hundreds, if not thousands, of brushes of all shapes and sizes. Without some direction it's really hard to make a decision about what to get.
Thats why I've rounded up my favorite brands and series so that you can make more informed decisions if you're going to take one of my classes. Today we'll be talking about companies and series.
Princeton brand bushes are usually a safe bet. I will include a couple of other brands down below that I also enjoy. When it comes to Princeton, I stay away from the "Value" packs and buy brushes in singles, because the quality is much better.
DISCLAIMER:
I use smooth, synthetic bristles for acrylic and mixed media. If you like rough, bristly brush strokes (which many oil painters do), these are the opposite of what you'll want.
And now, in order by price tier, let's review the brushes!
1. The Umbria 6200 series by Princeton:
Medium stiffness synthetic bristle
Responsive brush strokes
Comfortable touch handle
Good for acrylic and oil paints.
Professional Grade
$$$
2. The Select Artiste 3750 Series by Princeton
Large selection of shapes and sizes
Great for mixed media, acrylic, and watercolor.
Durable
Medium stiffness synthetic bristle
Professional Grade
$$
3. The Lauren 4350 Series by Princeton
I like these for tiny brushes/small scale brush strokes.
Watercolor and Acrylic (thin density applications)
Medium Stiffness
Professional Grade
$
4. Snap 9800 (long handle) & 9850 (short handle) by Princeton
Medium Stiffness
Acrylic and Watercolor
Student Grade - Great for the money. I can hardly tell they're not professional grade.
$
5. Zen 43 series (short handle) and 73 (long handle) by Royal & Langnickle
Multimedia brush.
Synthetic bristles
Maintains spring and fine points.
Con: Sometimes the ferrule falls off if saturated with water.
Student grade
$
6. Simply Simmons 255 Series by Daler Rowney
I buy these for large sizes - good value
Student Grade
Synthetic Bristles
$
I hope that helps! Now that you're all set, why not head over to check out some upcoming classes...
