Update on those great brushes



My favorite Rosemary Brushes all lined up

I've posted before - here - about the very exciting/super affordable brushes from Rosemary & Co. It's been several months and two orders and it's high time I provided a real review. Lately, nearly all my painting has been with 4 or 5 of the Rosemary and Co brushes.

Love 
Mongoose Long Filbert, series 278, in size 8. For larger areas of painting and glazing with soft edges, this is my favorite. It's thick enough in the belly to hold up with thick paints. Is amazing for glazing. Soft, soft edges to this one. It's the top one in the photo and I'm ordering the size 12 next.

Ebony Short Flat in size 8. This is a great brush for laying in an underpainting and for glazing areas on small to medium paintings. Why so great? Because it's soft but holds it's own with the paint, doesn't collapse or splay and is thick enough to really handle well. You can scrub in areas with this, scumble, glaze, draw. The works. I'm ordering a bigger size for bigger glazing.

Ivory Filbert in size 6. This brush holds a sharp edge with oil paint and in my experience, never splays. I also have the filbert in size 4 and the short flat in a couple of sizes. All are good and really, really affordable.

2011 update: all of my Ivory brushes are leaving my studio. They splay with oil paints loaded with medium. Very annoying. But good news: Rosemary's Chunking bristle brushes are awesome.

Like
Mongoose Long Flat, series 279 in size 6. This one is simply lovely for stroking on a scumble or floating a glaze over paint layers. It doesn't hold up well with heavier paints but is good for glazing.

Red Sable Blend 1" Series 767 with beaver tail handle. I use this a lot but still don't love it. But when I'm glazing a field on a 48" wide painting, it's what I've got because it's my largest brush for glazing. At some point it will splay and the glaze will be a bit streaky but until I find a better, thicker wide brush for glazing I keep turning to this one.

Tolerate
Mongoose Long Flat, series 279 in size 12. Yes, this is a big mongoose brush but at that width and length, it's a bit whispy. I think if it were thicker in the belly or if I'd gotten the short flat I'd like this better. I use it for some glazing but it can't handle thick paint and splays out right away with a liquin glaze. But yet I use it from time to time.

Getting Rid Of
Shiraz Flat. For oils it splays. Like a big fat floppy comb. I plan to give this to a friend who paints with acrylics because it just doesn't hold up with oils.

Note: the catalog is still free! Click here to order it. The photos are life size so you know what  you're getting.

PS: the brush on the bottom is another favorite black sable brush by Da Vinci. It's a great size - 14. About the same size as the Rosemary Ebony Short Flat in 8, right next to it.

Comments

Mary Byrom said…
Wish I'd read this post earlier. I just had to order new brushes and these look great!
July 14, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Lisa McShane said…
Hi Mary - thanks for stopping by! I'm pondering my next order now.
July 14, 2010 at 1:15 PM
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