Which brand of oil painting brush is best?

[CLS Portrait Artist]

In your experience which brand of oil painting brush is the best quality - especially important, in my opinion, are bristle brushes that will keep their shape and not splay apart.

[lotusguy]

I think you will find that the one you like to use is the best. I'm particularly fond of using a 2" trim painting bristle brush that cost me $.75, and one sable that was over $25.

Brushes tend to change their shape because of the way they are used...

Just the opinion of one old fool,
TTFN,
Dennis

[gunzorro]

I like Silver and Richeson mainly. Richeson hog seem a little softer. Both are excellent.

[Calamity]

Personally, I prefer my Stevenson brushes - they're not on the poll, but I just wanted to mention them.

[CLS Portrait Artist]

Many artists here on Wet Canvas have highly recommended Silver Brush Grand Prix brushes. John Howard Sanden also recommends them, and so I purchased a few.

This week I painted with them and was very disappointed that the bristle hairs separated and I couldn't get them back into shape. I ended up cutting two hairs off one of the brushes. Needless to say I will not purchase any brushes made by Silver Brush in the future.

[LGHumphrey]

Hi Calamity, Stevenson says "We import our brushes from long-established manufacturers in England, France, and Germany." Does Stevenson put its own name on these brushes? I wonder what they really are. The surprise is that they don't mention China.

[Calamity]

Hey Lawrence,

All I know is that their hog bristle filberts (love 'em) are made in France for them. The brushes have the 'Stevenson' logo stamped on them, but I've no idea what the names of the companies are that make their brushes. Had to go grab a brush to take a look-see, and this is printed on one side of the brushes : 'Manet-Soies Pures - France'. My knowledge of the French language stinks (it's been many a moon since Grade 8 French Class), so perhaps a more enlightened soul could tell you what this pertains to.

Take care,
Stefi

[DanielO]

I like Trekell (www.trekell.com) and Silver Grand Prix

[keenart]

I use the Winsor & Newton Rathbone.

[soap]

I am still a newbie with oils, so my brushes haven't had much wear and tear yet but I love the W&N Monarch brush I've got - it can take loads of punishment. Just gotten Escoda Mongoose (Tadami I think) and that seems similarly nice.
For hog/bristle I found so far my very old W&N Winton brush keeps its shape better than my brand new Escoda which is already loosing its shape after a couple of paintings/cleanings.
So I vote W&N but there's no years of experience here!
Da Vinci I find hit-or-miss: some are great and some loose their shape immediately.

[Daniel_OB]

To me the best are Isabey Fat Filbert and Mongoosy and W&N Serie-7. However they are not so comon brushes (&&& sake).

[Orph]

Stefi: Had to go grab a brush to take a look-see, and this is printed on one side of the brushes : 'Manet-Soies Pures - France'. My knowledge of the French language stinks (it's been many a moon since Grade 8 French Class), so perhaps a more enlightened soul could tell you what this pertains to.

Asked my hubby what Manet-Soies Pures-France means:
Manet (brand?) Soies (is) Pures (Pure) France (France or French)

"Manet is pure French"

Manet might be spelled MONET?

Been a long time since he has spoken french also, but looked up some of the words in french dictionary. Everything in it, except MANET.
Orph

[LGHumphrey]

Manet must be that particular line of brushes. Soies Pures means "Pure Silks."

I bought some nice long hogsbristles about 5 months ago with the art shop's name on them but they were represented as being made by Escoda. Alas, they're now tiny stubs. Probably weren't Escodas.

[CLS Portrait Artist]

Originally Posted by Orph

Stefi: Had to go grab a brush to take a look-see, and this is printed on one side of the brushes : 'Manet-Soies Pures - France'. My knowledge of the French language stinks (it's been many a moon since Grade 8 French Class), so perhaps a more enlightened soul could tell you what this pertains to.

Asked my hubby what Manet-Soies Pures-France means:
Manet (brand?) Soies (is) Pures (Pure) France (France or French)

"Manet is pure French"

Manet might be spelled MONET?

Been a long time since he has spoken french also, but looked up some of the words in french dictionary. Everything in it, except MANET.
Orph

Hi Orph,

The Manet line of brushes are named after the French impressionist painter, Édouard Manet.

Cindy

[Scorpio]

Hi, CLS,

I had exactly the same experience with the Silver Grand Prix. My friend bought a set at the same time I did, and she felt the same. At first I thought I might be hard on brushes, but my friend had had some thirty year old brushes that still looked great. My history did not go back that far, but none of my brushes disintegrated the way the Grand Prix's did.

I called Silver, and the woman that answered (obviously the owners wife) said "I've never had such a call!" As if there were never any complaints about their brushes. I was quite polite, by the way. She told me she thought "my technique was not suitable for Grand Prix."

Needless to say, no more Grand Prix for me. There was quite a discussion about a similar issue on a Portrait forum on another site. The consensus was that some manufacturers are using lesser quality bristles in their brushes than in years past.

Emilie