I am answering all my student's questions about brushes in a blog post - where to buy them from and which ones are best.
If anyone knows me well enough I have an addiction to purchasing brushes which makes me the perfect candidate to help my students select the best ones! We are not handpicking the most expensive brushes we have on offer but showcasing a range of best value to best investment for specific techniques. This is based on my own experience and preference - I love a short flat/long flat brush as I can block in quickly and also get refined lines without keep switching brushes.
First of all 'Natural brushes' are made from natural hair - whether it's pig hair, badger hair or even the tail hair from a Siberian weasel. Traditionally these natural hairs are better for painting as the structure of the hairs under a microscope has small holes in them which hold more paint - they also have their own characteristic (soft/springy) which is perfect for different techniques.
'Synthetic brushes' are made from Nylon and are generally more affordable - with advancements in technology which have resulted in them to outperform their natural counterparts. I personally use both, together in the same painting to perform specific techniques.
Natural Hog Hair Brushes provide course, scratchy marks that hold a huge body of paint (increases brush mark retention which means you can see each mark the artist has made - this is vital to show confidence in your painting) - making it easier to paint wet-on-wet and also to get more three-dimensional marks for highlights.
Synthetic brushes create beautiful softness - gliding over the canvas to reduce the texture of the mark. These are a must for blending and refinement - highlights/detail.
So first of all where do you purchase them from... I mainly purchase brushes from Jacksons Art Supplies as I can buy all my supplies in one place (paint/turpentine).
I mainly use pro arte brushes (which you can buy from lots of places) or Jackson's own brand brushes between the 'black hogs' and 'akoya white' synthetic brushes. You can select from these ranges whether you want pointed, round, flat and filbert. As I mentioned previously I always select 'bright series' or 'long flat series' as these are flat brushes which I personally prefer.
If you are purchasing brushes in singles do not buy every single brush in the range - you will not notice the difference between a #3 and #4 in size. I usually purchase them in steps such as 0,2,4,6,8,10,12. Over time I usually get settled on a brush I use continuously and purchase more of the same size brush - this means I can use the same #2 brush for different colours without cleaning all the time.
Jacksons has a great range at a great price point for professional brushes at an affordable price. Rosemary and Co brushes are handmade and offer superior quality but are more expensive - they also have a huge range of brushes which can sometimes be difficult to select.
SETS
See below for recommended brushes I use from these suppliers.
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