I have only used the Neptunes…like Brian I love my #18. It’s my go-to brush no matter what size I’m working, since it comes to a lovely point.

What’s most important to you in a brush? Water capacity? springiness?

I have both, but not in those sizes. I have Neptune rounds in sizes 4, 8, and 12. I have a Perla in size 8. Keep in mind that larger brushes don’t fit well into normal paint wells, meaning you’ll have to take paint with the tip of the brush rather than the side, which can wear down the point. You’ll either have to use fresh paint, paint that has been thoroughly wetted before use, very large wells, or a separate brush for transferring paint from the well to the palette.

Neptune
Pros:
* Holds a ton of water and paint- Not only can you put down a lot of paint at once, but dry brush lasts forever
* Decent point, especially in the larger sizes
* Handle is well-balanced and feels good in the hand

Cons:
* Very limp, the brush gets “squished” when you make a stroke
* Smaller sizes won’t come to a point when they’re fully loaded with paint or water, so you have to roll them on paper towel to get a good point

Perla
Pros:
* Holds water and paint well, doesn’t dump it all at once
* Very good point
* Brush springs back into its shape when lifted from the paper
* Points constantly, even when fully loaded with water or paint
* Handle is very nice (though I personally dislike the color)

Cons:
* Doesn’t hold as much water or paint as Neptune
* White tip will stain (this doesn’t affect the performance of the brush; I use it to tell if I’ve let the paint get too close to the ferrule)
* Sizes run small
* More expensive than other brushes of the same diameter

The deciding factor is whether or not you like soft brushes.

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Virgil, what’s the difference in performance between a quill and a regular round? I thought the only difference was that the quill ferrule was less likely to shed.

Quill 4: 10 x 38 mm – $17.97
Quill 6: 11 x 37 mm – $21.97
Quill 8: 13 x 40 mm – $27.47

Round 16: 10 x 36 mm – $12.97
Round 18: 11 x 40 mm – $15.97
Round 20: 13 x 40 mm – $19.97

(Pics and prices from Dick Blick)

I don’t see that much of a difference, except in price.

N asked, “…Virgil, what’s the difference in performance between a quill and a regular round? I thought the only difference was that the quill ferrule was less likely to shed…”

It’s a good question. I have found quills, especially natural fiber ones, to be like wine or beer–they’re an acquired taste because they handle differently and give some distinctive results as compared to similar sized rounds. Just my experience–others may differ on this.

Quills (sometimes called quill mops or simply mops), were initially made from squirrel hair I believe. Squirrel is the most absorbent of the natural brush fibers (even more than sable, ox, etc.), carrying a greater load of water and paint than any other comparably sized fiber, natural or synthetic.

If you look at the photo of the quills you will see that they also have a relative larger “belly”, compared to “slimmer” rounds, thus adding to the carrying capacity of the brush.

Brush size numbers for quills do not correspond to similar numbers for rounds–quills have their own numbering classification, as your photo shows.

Squirrel is an extremely limp fiber, and to use effectively in a quill the brush must be kept highly loaded. When loaded it can be used just as effectively at the sharp point for marks and details, as from the side of the belly for a large application. When partially loaded or nearly empty, however, even a slight pressure will cause the brush fibers to go limp and remain with the fibers nearly horizontal. Thus, to work the brush effectively it must be kept well-loaded (unless one is seeking “dry brush” strokes).

For me at least, I find best results holding the quill much more vertically perpendicular to the face of the paper (so that there will be maximum water-paint transfer from brush to the paper), whereas rounds can be held effectively at a more acute angle. Others may have found other preferred working positions–I’m really not sure how common this is for all artists.

Quills are very useful for loose, expressionistic strokes and well-suited for Chinese style work. Quills point extremely well (when loaded), and the broad “belly” can discharge amazing large amounts of paint for those large passages. Because loaded quills have so much paint and water, a carefully experienced pressure is needed in order to prevent the brush from discharging more water-paint than desired.

Artificial fiber quills are closer to using large artificial fiber rounds, in that their artificial fibers are stiffer than squirrel, but they hold less water and paint. There are also a bit more flexible in how they must be held since their fibers are stiffer. It may just be me, but I find the artificial fiber quills easier to learn to use since they are more similar to artificial fiber rounds then their squirrel fiber cousins.

I have both natural squirrel and artificial fiber quills and like them both. They are often my “go-to” brush for starting work in large passages and for more spontaneous applications.

Hope this helps.

Sling brushes,
Virgil

Own both. Always grab my neptune

Both the Perla & Prado are soft brushes, but slightly different…the softest of the two is the Perla, I think, but both have a great snap with the Prado perhaps being the ‘snappiest’.

Another very affordable brush that I have loved is the Silver Black Velvet Jumbo Round – a blend of squirrel and black synthetic fibers, made in Japan. It is the brush that Soon Y. Warren uses for her fabulous background washes; very soft & sable-like but springy, not at all floppy, and comes to (& holds) a great point. Mine is the med., which is about like the 16 or 18 Neptune in size.

I agree with Virgil’s wisdom regarding a blended mop being easier to learn to handle than a pure squirrel mop, esp. since there is a difference between those, too. But from what I am gleaning from your posts, the jumbo mop sounds like it might also be close to what you are looking for:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/silver-brush-black-velvet-jumbo-round-series-3025/

Whatever you decide on will be perfect, I’m sure… Brushes really are sooo personal. And so much fun to get a new one, or two! I am excited to see what you finally choose!

I think Neptunes and Perlas make a great combination – Neptunes for looser work, Perlas for details. Lately I’ve been using a #14 Neptune for my paintings. I’ll then go in with a size 6 Perla for the finishing details. Neptunes are very squirrel like – soft, floppy, and juicy. To me they feel luxurious to paint with. Not a practical point, but they’re also just pretty to look at! Perlas are quite stiff in comparison – they almost feel more like an acrylic brush. They do have nice flow, sharp points, and take quite a bit of abuse. I have tried many different synthetics, and Perlas and Neptunes so far have been my favorites. On occasion I’ll use a sable brush I have, when I need a brush with controlled water flow, but I could probably do all my paintings with just a large Neptune round and smallish Perla round. If you look at Zbukvic and Castagnet’s approach, they paint with large squirrel brushes then go in with smaller stiff synthetics for details as well.

The Neptune Quills are also wonderful, if you’re a quill painter, or want to give quills a try – I’d recommend the #6. IMO the size difference between the 3 Neptune Quills is not significant enough to buy all 3 brushes, I think the #6 would be sufficient. The thing with Quills is people tend to love them or find they don’t like using them. I think a Neptune Quill’s a good place to start if you want to experiment with this type brush. If you’re considering a #20 round, you might want to consider the quill, since the bristles come out to about the same size.

I have tried a 3/4″ Neptune Oval, and didn’t like it – I found the end too fluffy, which I didn’t like for details. I have a 3/4″ Black Velvet Oval wash which I like much better – I could do details much better with this brush. In the US, you can get either one of these brushes for about $20 – some people find they love Cat’s Tongue brushes, and prefer them to Quills.

At the end of the day, brushes are very personal things – just experiment with what you can afford. Many artists go through a lot of experimentation before settling on a few supplies they use most of the time. I’ve tried all sorts of brushes, and keep coming back to rounds, and like I said earlier, a large Neptune round and a smaller Perla’s sufficient for me. In a few years, I may change my mind, but that’s part of the fun.