Robert's Paint Brushes

My Paint Brushes and their Care

Rosemary & Co. brushes I use with my paintings and courses.

These are the brushes I use due to my indirect painting method and the level of detail that I am trying to create in my paintings. I find the softer brushes to work better with my technique, and I love the results of softer hairs. These may or may not be the brushes for you. I always encourage my students to try out one or two brushes from a brush maker, style, hair type, and even handle length before buying too many and finding out you don't like the action or results of the brushes.

If I could ask a small favor, when ordering from Rosemary & Co please enter ROBERTCALDWELL in the "Apply Affiliate Code" during your checkout process. This will help them to see sales of their brushes directed from my website, thanks!

Happy painting!

-Robert

Introductory Course Brushes

For introductory courses, I use all Rosemary & Co Eclipse Synthetic brushes; I do this to keep the initial cost down for students who are just starting their journey to learn to paint.

From the Rosemary & Co catalog - The synthetic range is made to mimic natural mongoose at a lower price. A softer synthetic which is nice for Alla Prima and blending. Perfect in Oils and Acrylics.

Click on the items below to be directed to the Rosemary & Company website, then add the items to your cart.

#6 Eclipse filbert, long handle
#12 Eclipse filbert, long handle
#4 Eclipse round, short handle
#7 Eclipse round, short handle
⅜" Mundy Mops, short handle (I would suggest two of these)
½" Mundy Mops, short handle (I would suggest two of these)

Brushes that I use

Below are the brushes that I use when working on my paintings; I have tried to group them in the manner of how I use them.

Click on the items below to be directed to the Rosemary & Company website, then add the items to your cart.

Blocking in Tonal and Underpainting layers

I try to keep my brushes large at this stage and ones that will take a little bit more abuse than the smaller sable brushes do.

Overpainting Layer and Details

I use these for blocking in larger areas

I use these for blocking in larger areas and to help create subtle blending in those larger areas as I am applying the paint. The longer length and the badger blend brush have a springy characteristic that I find helpful when blending large subtle areas where I don't want to see my brushwork, like a sky with no clouds.

Please note, Pure Kolinsky Sable Ban - If you live in the USA, it has a ban on importing this hair, and until the next worldwide meeting in Geneva, the ban remains in situ. I have provided the alternative Pure Red Sable brush links next to the Kolinsky Sable.

The following brushes are my "Go-to" brushes; they are the ones that I find most often in my hand while painting. The #4 pointed round is the brush I do most of my painting with, its point is excellent for details, and the belly holds a lot of paint.

For the rare occasion that the Series 8 pointed round can't give the detail I need, I have two brushes in the Series 22 line. These brushes are slightly longer and slimmer than the Series 8, giving me a better point but less paint in the belly.

Blending! I use several different brushes for this, and it depends on what type of blending I am trying to create. I find that I am using large softer brushes with larger areas and with small areas, a short and little stiffer of a brush. Then there are the times that I want to knock my brushwork back a little, and I find that a large, really soft brush gently stroking the surface of the surface is perfect for that. Rosemary & Co. has all of these brushes!

All around excellent blending brush, and I own many of these!

For smaller areas of blending requiring a bit more stiffness

Great for knocking back brushwork and blending large areas

Paint Brush Care

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