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Paintbrushes Sable vs synthetic


FrankJ

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Couple of my fine point paint brushes (Golden Maple name on stick) are losing the odd hairs and I think I may need to replace some soon. I use acrylic paint only.

I did a search on the forum to see what brushes were being recommended and notice some folk saying they were using sable for acrylic paints.

 

Correct me please if I'm wrong but I'm sure I read somewhere either on BM or elsewhere that sable brushes were not so good for acrylics and synthetic would be the better choice for acrylics paints.

 

Which is your preferred brush to avoid brush strokes, sable or synthetic? 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, I'm a bit late to the party on this one, but maybe you're getting ready to replace the replacement brushes? 😃

 

I'm a bit of a brush collector, with an embarrassingly large hoard now, most of which are still pretty serviceable.

 

I use synthetic brushes for oils and metallics. They destroy sable! I usually buy Winsor and Newton Cotmans, but I'll probably try something different when my current ones give up the ghost. 

 

I have various stiff natural hair brushes for things like drybrushing and placing basing materials on miniature bases. No particular preference, just a good selection of shapes and sizes I've picked up over the years.

 

I have a few hybrid brushes, mixing natural and synthetic fibers. They're slightly stiffer than sable, which can be useful in some circumstances.

 

Most of my brushes are sable, they're all used exclusively with acrylic paints. There are quite pronounced differences between manufacturers and even between types of brush in individual manufacturers lines. You definitely get what you're paying for- cheap sable isn't much better than regular hair brushes, but the 'premium' manufacturers are having a laugh with their pricing! An Artis Opus size 1 retails at just shy of £13, a W&N No 7 should be over £15. That's just paying for the name! Some on line stores, like Ken Bromley, offer substantial discounts Link but brand names are asking silly money. Luckily, here in the UK we have plenty of brush manufacturers. I'm partial to Pro Arte, but I'm really enjoying some Rosemary & Co brushes I bought recently. The Series 22 and the Series 441 are an absolute delight, for slightly different reasons. The former is full bodied (similar to Raphael's much more expensive 8404), the latter is slightly longer, with a touch less spring. Both come to excellent points. 

 

To avoid brush strokes I'd follow the wise words of our Lord and Savior Duncan Rhodes- apply two thin coats! 😁 Sable is softer than synthetic, with a much more controlled flow of paint. Use the largest brush you're comfortable with, maybe consider buying (or making) a wet palette, keep the paint well mixed and diluted, apply thin layers and take your time. That should do the trick.

 

I get much better results with sable than synthetic because (to me) it feels softer and follows the surface of a figure better. Synthetic brushes always seem to be fighting against me, they're too stiff and the paint flow is faster and less controlled. Mileage varies though- many painters swear by synthetics and there are some that mimic sable's feel. If you're in the UK that link takes you to the watercolour section of KB's site. Those brushes are ideal for painting with acrylics, it's worth trying out a few different brands to see what suits you best and the prices they charge are reasonable enough to take the sting out of experimenting.

 

I hope some of that helps!   

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I use sable except when I need stippling and then I go for something stiffer like ox, I am no fan of synthetic brushes finding them lifeless and prone to mis-shaping and melting with certain thinners.

 

I only use enamel, lacquers and oil paints. No water based paint if that is what you mean by "acrylic".

 

My sables of choice are those made by A.S.Handover, especially their series 99, 66 and 33 water colour sables. They have an excellent and extensive range of all things brush, at reasonable prices.

 

A.S.Handover

Edited by dromia
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