karpouzian
New member
Where is the best/cheapest place to buy kolinsky sable brushes (with s&h figured into the cost)?
(I'm in the US)
(I'm in the US)
Cheapest Kolinsky Sable Brushes>?
- Thread starter karpouzian
- Start date
QuietiManes
New member
Somewhere online, with a sale going will be the best price. Sometimes stores have ebay shops that sell for a little less than their brick and mortar locations or their online shops, so check that too, when you find a decent price.
Generally Dick Blick's is good, Rosemary and Co, etc...the same places mentioned a thousand times every time a brush is mentioned...it really depends which brush you're looking at. You can get the "unknown" sables for a fraction of the cost of the "known" brands, even at the local art stores.
Generally Dick Blick's is good, Rosemary and Co, etc...the same places mentioned a thousand times every time a brush is mentioned...it really depends which brush you're looking at. You can get the "unknown" sables for a fraction of the cost of the "known" brands, even at the local art stores.
Einion
New member
Rather than answering directly do you know what you're looking for in terms of feel and performance?
The word Kolinsky on the brush handle doesn't tell you for sure what the brush will be like, partly because it's a natural product so it of course varies but there are different styles of brush making as well which leads to a surprising range in the size, shape and springiness of the brushhead.
Einion
The word Kolinsky on the brush handle doesn't tell you for sure what the brush will be like, partly because it's a natural product so it of course varies but there are different styles of brush making as well which leads to a surprising range in the size, shape and springiness of the brushhead.
Einion
What Einion said.
One of my teachers went so far as to say one should always test every brush before buying it. Art supply stores often have a little pad of paper for testing the pens they sell, and just like that he recommended wetting the brush and testing its flexibility and handling on the paper.
I'm not sure art supply stores were ever very happy with that policy, and it's an awful lot to ask in these days of brushes glued for transport (that is, a water soluble glue holds the brush to a rigid shape).
You also won't find "cheap" and "kolinsky" together, in general. The cheaper brushes tend to be made of weaker, more brittle hairs, or stinted on the amount of hair used or the quality of the glue holding them in the ferrule.
That said, Raphael makes a pretty good kolinsky brush.
One of my teachers went so far as to say one should always test every brush before buying it. Art supply stores often have a little pad of paper for testing the pens they sell, and just like that he recommended wetting the brush and testing its flexibility and handling on the paper.
I'm not sure art supply stores were ever very happy with that policy, and it's an awful lot to ask in these days of brushes glued for transport (that is, a water soluble glue holds the brush to a rigid shape).
You also won't find "cheap" and "kolinsky" together, in general. The cheaper brushes tend to be made of weaker, more brittle hairs, or stinted on the amount of hair used or the quality of the glue holding them in the ferrule.
That said, Raphael makes a pretty good kolinsky brush.
Bloodhowl
New member
Check Dick Blick. They carry three of the four most recommended brush manufacturers I've seen in these forums (the only one I didn't find was Rosemary & Co). Actual prices of the brushes are reasonable, not sure what they are charging shipping wise. You want sizes generally ranging from 1 to 3/0 (000), Actual sizes rely on personal preference and individual technique. Some people are capable of painting all aspects of the mini with just one brush, others use a full range: a 1, a 1/0 (0), 2/0 (00), and 3/0 (000). It has been stated in several other threads that some manufacturers may have some issues with quality. If you can go to a store and inspect it before purchase, it is highly recommend you do so.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/raphael-kolinsky-red-sable-fine-pointed-round-series-8404/
http://www.dickblick.com/products/winsor-and-newton-series-7-kolinsky-sable-pointed-round/
http://www.dickblick.com/products/da-vinci-maestro-kolinsky-brushes/
http://www.dickblick.com/products/raphael-kolinsky-red-sable-fine-pointed-round-series-8404/
http://www.dickblick.com/products/winsor-and-newton-series-7-kolinsky-sable-pointed-round/
http://www.dickblick.com/products/da-vinci-maestro-kolinsky-brushes/
karpouzian
New member
All right, I caved... I had a $10 gift card for Amazon, and found a W&N series 7 size 0 for about 14 bucks shipped, so I bought it... I'll let the forums know the results...
Dragonsreach
Super Moderator
Not the cheapest of prices over here, but a gift card is a gift card.
Jbickley00
New member
The best way to buy. Series 7 brushes is through blick, they have a set that works out to 11 or so bucks a brush, and it includes a number 3 and 4.
