Becky Samuelson experiments with a range of well-made, affordable synthetic brushes to produce a variety of effects and textures in watercolour

Product report

Becky Samuelson

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Develop your brush-handling skills

Practise watercolour techniques with a range of brushes

It is always a pleasure to test new brushes and I am delighted to put Jackson’s Raven synthetic mop brushes, Series 528, through their paces. The Raven is made from synthetic squirrel hair and is a black, short handled mop brush, beautifully balanced in the hand and available in six sizes. The largest size is No. 6 (£17.20rrp), reducing in size to No. 4 (£13.20rrp), No. 2 (£10.30rrp), No. 0 (£8rrp), No. 3/0 (£6.50rrp) and No. 10/0 (£5.60rrp). I shall be testing Nos. 4, 2, 0 and 10/0 in this report.

I initially played with the brushes making various strokes (Figure 1, below). It is difficult to gauge brush sizes from an article so I measured the length of hair from the base of the brush to the very tip, just to give you an idea. Approximately they measure: No. 4 is 3.5cm; No. 2 is 3cm; No. 0 is 2.5cm; and No. 10/0 is 2cm.

The brushes are very comfortable to use. There is a softness and fullness to the hair that mimics squirrel brushes, each brush coming to a really good point. The brushes also hold an excellent amount of paint, facilitating long continuous strokes of watercolour and felt comparable to the more expensive pure squirrel brushes with regard to release and application of paint.