If you’re using oil or acrylic, natural hog hair brushes are a good choice. They are naturally stiff and each bristle is split into two or three at the tip. These splits are called flags and they allow the brush to hold on to more paint and apply it evenly. Remember, hog brushes come in different shades; if they are white, you need to make sure this is natural and not bleached, which will have weakened the bristle. Hog hair comes in different in qualities. Both ranges are 100% FSC ® certified; the Birchwood used for the uniquely fashioned ergonomic handles is obtained from sustainable sources and ongoing consideration is given to the growth of responsible forest management. Blends Adhere to the following three standards of brush care and you’ll be well equipped with the knowledge to keep your prized materials in a state to produce stellar results. How to clean your brushes thoroughly and properly Two new ranges of synthetic brushes have been launched by Winsor & Newton: the Professional Watercolour Synthetic Sable brush and Artists’ Oil Synthetic Hog brushes . After rigorous artist testing, we developed an innovative synthetic bristle blend which offers the quality and performance you’d typically see in natural sable and hog brushes.

Flow Control - The color flows evenly and consistently from the point, with enough color carrying capacity in the belly of the brush to allow flowing gestural strokes.

Essential tips on stretching watercolour paper

Natural hair brushes are a good choice for working in watercolour or gouache, because they tend to be softer and more flexible than hog hair brushes. Natural hair brushes come in different varieties. Best hog has the stiffest hair, plenty of flags, allowing it to carry more colour, and is extremely resilient – so the brush keeps its working edge and shape for longer. Winsor & Newton Artists’ Hog Brushes are made with the highest quality hog. Goat brushes also have a good colour carrying capacity but tend not to release the colour as well as squirrel or sable, and have no point. Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable brushes are best suited for use with watercolour paint, but can also be used for other water-based paints such as thinned gouache. Perfect for both washes of colour and fine detail work. Most importantly, Series 7 fulfills the essential qualities that define the finest watercolor brush for artists:

Brushes come in different sizes and these sizes are given numbers. However, each number does not necessarily equate to the same size brush in different ranges, and this is particularly noticeable between English, French and Japanese sizes. Consequently, if you are choosing a brush it is important that actual brushes are compared rather than simply relying on the sizes of the brushes you currently own.With watercolour and acrylic brushes, it’s important to remove excess water, dry ferrules and handles, reshape brush heads, and rest them with the bristles facing upwards to dry off. Don’t worry if you notice a stain in your bristles – this has no effect on the performance or life of the brush. When it comes to storage, you should place the brushes in a pot or jar with the bristles facing upwards, only storing them when they are completely dry. Different media, such as watercolour or acrylic or traditional oil, require different types of brushes, and they come in four main types: If you prefer an alternative to natural hair or are on a budget, then it is worth considering synthetic brushes. Driven by innovation and our unique brush-making expertise, our synthetic brushes perform at a professional level. They can be soft or stiff; the soft brushes work well with watercolour, while the stiff brushes work best with oils. Synthetic brushes often have an excellent point and can carry colour very well. Winsor & Newton offers a wide range of synthetic brushes including Monarch Brushes, Cotman Brushes and Galeria Brushes. Brushes are some of the most essential artists’ tools, so it’s imperative they’re properly looked after – allowing them to perform to their highest potential. Over time, taking care of your brushes can save you time and money. Good quality brushes, such as those in our iconic Series 7 range, can last a lifetime if treated well.

Sable and synthetic blends such as Sceptre Gold II provide a performance that is close to sable at a price that is close to synthetic. Head shape and size Watercolour brushes are delicate, and strong soap may damage the bristles by removing natural oils. Keep your water warm, but not hot, as hot water may cause any remaining paint to clot. Sable brushes maintain a perfect point, allowing for great control, and are excellent for precision marks. Sable hair strands are conical, springy, and covered in tiny scales. The combination of the three factors increases the brush’s surface area and allows it to soak up a lot of colour . Sable brushes are very high quality, with the best – such as Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes – handmade from the tip of the tail of the Siberian kolinsky sable. If you’ve been working with oils, use a rag to wipe away as much colour as possible from your brush. Then rinse any remaining colour using Winsor & Newton Artists’ White Spirit or Brush Cleaner. Next, as you would when cleaning your hands, create a lather and rinse the brush under warm, not hot, water until the water runs clear of colour and soap.

How to clean your brushes thoroughly and properly

Squirrel brushes carry colour very well because they can hold a lot of water. They are very good as mop and wash brushes, as they do not point as well as sable. When pigment particles build up at the base of the brush, it pushes hairs apart and stops the point from forming. To avoid this, wipe your watercolour brush clean with a lint-free rag and rinse it under running water. Then, using mild soap and cool water, swirl the soapy brush in the palm of your hand and rinse. Repeat the washing and rinsing process until the waters run clear. Handle length varies as well. If you are working in oil, alkyd or acrylic you may often find yourself painting at a distance from your surface, so a long-handled brush would be best. If you are a watercolourist then it is likely you will work closer to your painting, making a shorter handle a good choice. Cost Walk into any artists’ store and the sheer number of brushes on display can seem overwhelming at first. Should you choose natural or synthetic fibres? Which head shape is most suitable? Is it best to go for the most expensive? Fear not: by exploring these questions just a little more you can narrow down the number of choices you need to make and find the right tool for the job. Hair type