Rosemary Brushes • Raymar • Sculpture • New wave
All Brush Sets
ROSEMARY Artist's Hand-Picked Sets
and
Artist's Signature Brush Sets
Chosen by leading Artists -
Based on which brushes they use themselves to create their work.
Individual Brushes - Ranges and Types
IVORY - Synthetic
This excellent work-horse brush keeps it's shape and is good to clean... A cross between the feel of Nylon and Hog Bristle, having a good spring.
Comes in a variety of shapes - the shorter haired varieties are good for impasto, and tight control of marks. The longer haired varieties carry a lot of paint and are good for laying in and general working
EVERGREEN - Synthetic
The Evergreen brushes make precise brush marks, with the short flats giving a sharp edge and the pointed rounds keeping a tight point. A slightly softer feel than Ivory.
An excellent choice for Oil and Acrylics.
Cleans very well.
ECLIPSE - Synthetic
Softer and smoother than the Ivory or Natural Hog Bristle.
Synthetic Mongoose alternative - A wonderful multi-purpose brush that blends well and holds plenty of paint. The longer haired shapes make an expressive mark.
Great for a second layer of oil paint, blending, finishing.
ULTIMATE BRISTLE - Natural Chinese Hog
Two equal amounts of best quality Chinese bristle are set opposite each other so that the natural curve of the hair is facing inwards.
This traditional Bristle has a strong loaded stroke, NOT a precise mark.
If you are looking for a tighter stroke, and a brush that holds a crisper shape, try the Ivories.
BRAVURA BRISTLE - natural hog bristle
Several diameters of the best quality hog and bristle, with an interlocked shape and form (this means the natural curvature of the bristles leans towards the central point thus not splaying out under pressure). The bristles are also drawn down further into the ferrule.
Usually the 'belly' of a brush is central to the visible length but with Bravura the belly is closer to the ferrule.
This has resulted in a totally different 'feel' to the brush when making marks. They hold a serious amount of oil paint and create a really controlled brush mark.
MASTERS CHOICE - Natural Badger
A beautiful natural hair with distinctive markings and a semi-firm stroke, each tip having the softness of velvet.
This hair is responsive, yet delicate as it touches the work. Use with oil and acrylic, ideal for adding highlights and tonal values. A very resilient hair which wears well.
RED DOT - Synthetic
A breakthrough alternative to Sable.
Makes a smooth mark, can be used for blending, glazing, and detail work.
Works beautifully in watercolor, oil & acrylic.
Must try!
Sable and Sable Blend
Ideal for watercolor and delicate work in oil.
The natural characteristics of the hair offer a good ‘belly’ for holding lots of liquid. Upon touching the paper the brush will release water similar to a fountain pen.
For oils: carries the paint with flow and precision, making it ideal for placing details.
Can be used for finishing layers, delicate layers, glazing.
SPECIAL USE
- Watercolor eradicators
- Pocket Brushes and Wallets
- Series 222 Varnish Brushes
- Tree and Texture Series 32
WATERCOLOR
See all the choices -
Sable, Red Dot, and Sable Blend
These may be items we don't normally stock, or that we have too many of!
All Brand New Rosemary Brushes!
GIFT CERTIFICATES
for the artist in your life!
Choice of
$50 - $100 - $150
Order online, and we will send you an email certificate. No expiration.
Brush Cleaning Tips - by Symi Jackson, w/ Quang Ho Video
How would you recommend cleaning your brushes?
Posted 26.11.2017
By Symi Jackson, of Rosemary & Co
We often get asked what the best way to clean your brushes is. Truthfully, there are so many different ways and it really does depend on which medium you’re using, how often you use your brushes, whether you are in a rush or whether you have time to clean them thoroughly.
In short, there’s a million and one ways, so here are some tips as a basic rule, rest assured over time you’ll find your own neat way to do things. The main thing to remember is that cleaning your brushes is an important investment both of your time and your money. The more you look after your tools, the better they will serve you.
Watercolour Brushes
Cleaning watercolour brushes is easy! Grab your brushes and head to the sink. You can hold them under the tap and let the pigment wash off them with the flow of the water. Get yourself a bar of soap and use the palm of your hand to gently wipe the brushes back and forth to ensure they are clean throughout. Squeeze the water out of the brush and reshape them. Store upright and condition them from time to time. Easy peasy.
Acrylic Brushes
You must ensure to clean your Acrylic brushes in-between each use; not doing so will allow the Acrylic paint to harden the bristles or fibres and bond them together.
We recommend Synthetic brushes over Natural Hair brushes as a general rule since they withstand the abuse of Acrylic paint and they clean more easily. You must not let the Acrylic paint dry on your brush as this is really difficult to get out. Grab a rag or kitchen towel and wipe away any excess paint from your brush to begin with; this will make the washing process faster and easier. Thoroughly rinse the brush with water and wipe the brush in your palm to get the paint out. You can use soap to speed this process and condition your brushes.
Oil Brushes
Start with wiping your brushes on a rag or paper towel. You should then wash them thoroughly with either soap or mineral spirits. You can buy odourless mineral spirits nowadays too. To clean them thoroughly you can use a dish soap (in England we call it fairy liquid), or overseas you may have Murphys Oil Soap or Dawn.
We also sell a product called Zest-It which are environmentally friendly, non-flammable, pleasant to use, biodegradable alternative to ‘turps’ and white spirit, made using the zest of citrus fruit for cleaning brushes and thinning paint, a much safer solvent for studio use.
A good tip is not to load the brush right down to the ferrule. You must make sure you clean the whole brush; not doing so will cause it to splay outwards. Oil cleans oil, so safflower & linseed oils works too. Be sure to reshape the brush once you’ve cleaned it through and a great tip by Richard Schmid is to fold card over your flats and filberts and clip a peg on them to hold them in shape.
Truthfully there’s a million and one ways. Everyone has their own way of doing things but I’ve written more specifically about our Oil Brushes.
Conclusion
No matter what works for you, ensure that you reshape your brushes to the way they first looked when you bought them, before you let them dry. If you have round brushes with caps on them, we recommend to throw those away. The protective cap we use is for transport purposes only and unless you have brilliant eyesight and a steady hand, you’ll bend back the hairs each and every time you try to get the cap back on.
Always leave your brushes somewhere they can dry completely (do not store them in an air-tight container before they are dry). Invest in a wrap or brush case to carry your brushes.
VIDEO ON BRUSEH CLEANING FROM SYMI, featuring Quang Ho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uxvfPS-3QQ&lc=UgyPYx2rRqEbVrW43SB4AaABAg