However, I became aware of the Escoda Versatil range of synthetic watercolour brushes around the beginning of the summer, and read some good things about them. When I found that Ken Bromley had started to stock them, I had to try one for myself. I chose a No. 10 round (short handle version). Could it be as good as others had said?
Despite being imported from Spain, it came as a surprise that the Ken Bromley price is less than the No. 10 round in the Pro Arte flagship Prolene Plus range. The Versatil brush appears to be well-made, and looks superb with a bright nickel? ferrule contrasting with what seems to be a highly varnished wooden handle with a black lacquered end. (I love the wood grain effect.) The hairs are usually the giveaway on a synthetic brush, but Escoda have taken the game to a new level and these really do look (and point) like animal hairs -- with a fatter belly and exquisite pointed tip.
The proof comes in the painting, and I found the Versatil brush a delight to use. By varying the pressure, I could paint thick, juicy strokes, or very fine lines. The brush did not display the familiar synthetic characteristic of being reluctant to start, and then delivering too much paint: it handled very much like a brush made with natural hairs. I was actually not worrying about the capability of the brush and was simply enjoying making marks on the paper. Bravo!
I have always liked the idea of synthetic brushes, but as a long-time user of natural hair brushes, I felt that 100 percent synthetics didn't quite deliver the experience I wanted. With the Escoda Versatil, this may have changed! (I now await the response from Daley-Rowney and Pro Arte with interest...)
No comments:
Post a Comment