Showing posts with label brushes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brushes. Show all posts

8/18/2024

Liquitex Freestyle Professional Large-Scale Brush, Paddle 2-inch

This range of paddle brushes is quite expensive, so I was delighted to see this 2in paddle brush heavily discounted during Prime Day. I had high expectations due to the brand and the price tag, and I was not disappointed. The paddle is quite light, easy to handle and moves naturally with  the movement of my hand. The hairs are not too stiff or too soft, so the brush does not deform but it is flexible enough. This paddle works wonderfully for blending colours and for spreading paint uniformly. I use it with acrylic paint and it  washes easily with water and beauty soap. A great brush, but expensive.

7/25/2024

MEEDEN 12-piece Artist Acrylic Paint Brushes Set

The box contains  flat, fan, angler, round, liner and filbert brushes in different sizes.  
 
I love Meeden products. All the art supplies and brushes I've purchased from them in the past have been both affordable and great quality. I bought this brush set not only because of the brand and its affordability, but also because it has a good selection of small/detail brushes and a 1-inch mottler.
 
Despite what the description page says, this package I got didn't come with a carrying case, just the cardboard holding packaging, which is disappointing. Unlike my other Meeden brushes, these brushes are a bit of a downgrade re handle quality. This tends to break open if kept in water for long periods of time, yet only one of them broke open. The taklon fibres are, on the contrary, excellent -- soft, flexible, easy to wash and low maintenance. 
 
Not professional quality but good quality overall, and they do the job if you're on a budget.

2/23/2024

12/04/2023

Zhu Ting 12-piece Flat Art Paint Brush Set

This is a great set of expensive-looking flat nylon hair brushes perfect for acrylic paint. The variety of sizes is great, but I miss one or two larger brushes. They are great quality. The bristles don't deform despite me leaving the brushes in water for days or using them with acrylic paint, gesso or matte medium.  The handle seems not to stain as quickly or badly as other brushes I own. They clean easily with hand soap under running water even when the paint is a bit dry on the bristles. They are great value for money as well. The only downside is that these brushes are on the small side, and a bit smaller than other brushes with the same sizing (see my photos).

11/17/2023

Stargazer Small Eye Shadow brush no. 5

I bought this eye makeup brush heavily discounted in one of those rare crazy sales. I thought it was too long to be used comfortably to apply eye-shadow so I stored it. After sitting unused in my drawers for several months, I decided to use it as painting brush and it's perfect for that. 
 
The brush is great for acrylic painting and water soluble media, and I have used it with mate gel without problem. It recovers its shape easily if washed with gentle beauty bar soap and conditioning bar when really dirty; if used with gesso or mate medium, wash immediately after use. This brush was never designed to be in water jars for hours or be used with paints. However, the ferrule and the handle haven't deteriorated or come apart; the bristles are still in pretty good condition despite the mistreat as well. 

1/21/2023

Laciteny Artist Detail Paint Brushes Set-12 Pcs

This brush set has a good mix of small size brushes with different nib shapes. The handle is very ergonomic and the overall size of the brushes is perfect for my hands, so I enjoy working with them. The filaments are good quality, and they don't lose colour or shape when I use strong colours or after washing them.

My two main issues with these brushes are:
1- The ferrule tends to separate from the handle after little use; it seems it was poorly glued or pressure stuck, so I have to secure them with insulating tape when that happens. It wasn't because of this, my rating would be higher.
2- The selection includes sizes that I don't necessarily consider detailed brushes, like those over size 2. These bigger small brushes are quite common and easily found and included in any cheap set. This being the case, I would have loved the set to include only sizes that go from 2 down, and nothing above size 2.

Good price for the set and they brushes look expensive.

27 Feb 2023 UPDATE
The black coat that covers the handle comes easily if you wash the brush after use or leave it in water for a while as crackles the paint and exposes the woody part. Not happy about that. I had to use insulating tape to cover it. A star removed because I don't use these brushes too much and they deteriorate rapidly after barely any use.

9/11/2022

Meeden Flat Paint Brushes Set Short Handle, 7-Piece

I've had this set for a few months already and use all the brushes on a weekly basis. This set has a good selection of flat sizes. I especially love the two smallest ones, but all of them are good. The flat shape is wonderful for most painting purposes. I tend to leave the brushes in water for a long time, and the handle and ferrule haven't been affected or deteriorated. The synthetic hair perfectly stands all the acrylic paints I use (heavy body, flow and high flow) and the hair recovers its shape easily once it is cleaned. I clean them with hand soap and water under the tap when they're really stained, and they wash beautifully. The only downside is that the hairs are not as flexible as I'd like to, but, for the price, they're great and beautifully designed.

9/07/2022

Comiart Clay Silicon Color Shapers Brushes Size 6

I'm most disappointed with these paint shappers. I wasn't expecting these to be top notch quality for the price, for sure. Truth to be told, the silicon nibs and metal ferrule parts are OK.
They allow me to experiment with different brush strokes and techniques and are helping me make my mind about those that I 'd d like purchased good quality. I also like that each brush has a different coloured handle.

However, the handles come off easily even before using them, all of them, as they are screw-like but not really screwed as per my photo. They can be put in easily, but I have to take care that they don't come off when I'm painting. So I'll have to glue them or cover the joints with insulating tape.

UPDATE 14/10/22
What I said above still stands. However, I put insulating tape around the ferrule, in the part that connects to the handle, and this has made the trick. I keep the brushes in water for quite a while and no issue. For the rest, I use these brushes all the time, almost on a daily basis, with acrylics, adhesives and different mediums and they're great. I hope they fix the handles-tip connection because they are great for the rest. I've added an extra star to my rating.

5/20/2022

Sayeec 6 Watercolour Brush Set

I've never used water brushes before, so I decided to start with something simple and affordable and bought this set.

These brushes are light and easy to use. The set has a good variety of brush tips sizes and the barrels are super-easy to fill in; I put them underneath the tap and they fill in a microsecond.

The tips get stained with strong colours, but are also easily washable and return, almost, to their original colour once you clean them.

The water top open to the left and not to the right, which is the opposite of most screw-opening systems.

My only concern with this pack is the two biggest brushes tend to leak. I think because I press them harder as they're thicker, but ain't sure. I've started to press them less and I I see that that's working better. Yet, these two biggest brushes don't work as natural as the others, which I use without having to think how much pressure put on.

This set is perfect for beginners like me, as it is easy to use and a great alternative to normal brushes for watercolour or water-based acrylics and pastels.

5/08/2022

Meeden 5-Piece Painting Knife Set

I've never used painting knives before, so my review cannot take into account any professional knives out there or make any comparison. However, I've used these knives extensively in the last weeks and I think they're perfect for beginners.

GREAT
> Good looking set, with a beautiful wood handle that looks elegant and expensive.
> Flexible stainless steel metal that I can safely bend and use in different ways.
> Easy to clean under water or with average cleaning wipes.
> Lightweight.
> The mix of shapes allows me to create different textures and shapes on paper and are also ideal to make painting marks.
> Great value for money when I bought them.

OK
The golden letters on the handle are cheaply made so the gold leaf is already peeling after less than a month in my hands.

4/24/2022

Dugato Artist Watercolor Long-Handle Paint Mop Brushes 13pcs Set

This is a decent set of mop brushes in a great variety of sizes and at a great price (when I purchased the product, now the price has doubled up). The brushes have a very long handle, something I love, they look expensive and come with a plastic nib capsule.The bristles are flexible and nice and work well with acrylic and watercolours. They clean well, and so far the bristles haven't fallen or deteriorated.

DOWNSIDES
> The paint covering the brush handle of the brush peels off easily after not much use so it exposes the timber, and this is a way for the brush to get ruined.
> The protective capsule won't fit once the brush has been used even if you squeeze it, and even if you are able to do it some bristle strains get out and damage the nib.
> Just one type of brush in this set.
> I would say they're OK, not good quality.

2/12/2022

DS DISTINCTIVE STYLE 20-Piece Round Foam Brush Set, 4 sizes

This a very generous package of round foams in different sizes, each set packaged individually. The handles are made of wood not plastic, something that I love. The different sizes are great to work on different kinds of projects. Quality is average and the small foam items get damaged rapidly when used, as I do, with stencils and ink. On the other hand, if you want to use them for painting and/or spreading medium/gesso/ModPodge on paper, they are fine. So, it depends what you use them for. Overall, this is a nice product, with a good selection of sizes and well packaged, but it deteriorates rapidly if used with ink over stencils.