Evaluation of Jackson’s Procryl Brushes
Jackson’s Procryl Brushes are designed for skilled oil and acrylic painters. Made with acrylic fibres and an extended matte black deal with, they’re reasonably springy and absorbent. On this evaluate, painter Chris Longridge assessments the Lengthy Flat Collection of Jackson’s Procryl Brushes, and shares his ideas.
Evaluation of Jackson’s Procryl Brushes – Lengthy Flat Collection
by Chris Longridge
There are three very important parts in any painter’s toolkit – pigment, help and brushes – and the final may simply be a very powerful. Simply as engineers demand precision from their instruments, painters needs to be no much less demanding of theirs.
This implies we’re in Goldilocks territory: some brushes are too wonderful, some are too stiff, some are too free – only a few are excellent. However to come back again to our engineering analogy, the difficulty isn’t all the time unhealthy instruments a lot as selecting the correct one for the job. Lucian Freud famously switched from sable to hog-hair brushes within the Fifties; the distinction in fashion is self-evident, and solely achieved by mastery of a brand new device. (It in all probability helped that Freud was actually, actually good too.)
I paint largely in oils, typically acrylics, and for causes I’ve by no means understood, I’m very sparing with the paint – it all the time goes on dry and flat, irrespective of how a lot I take pleasure in impasto in different individuals’s work. Hog hair, then, is just too clumsy for me, sable too weedy. Each are needed of their proper place, however for nearly my complete life I’ve used artificial brushes. Which brings me to Jackson’s Procryl Brushes.
Designed with acrylic painters in thoughts, artificial brushes at their greatest mix the bounce and resilience of (sometimes long-handled) stiff brushes with the graceful draw of a sable. I favour flat-ended for the precision they provide – I like a tough line – and for the variability inherent of their mark-making.
Jackson’s Procryl Brushes – Lengthy Flat Collection have been new to me, and stunned me with their versatility. Lengthy deal with: verify. I can solely love a short-handled brush for super-fine work. And talking of the deal with, the end was clean and satiny. This was fascinating, because it prompt a firmer grip, however really I can’t say it made a noticeable distinction in the long run.
The diameter of the deal with was acceptable to the width of the ferrule, which meant the brushes have been appropriate each for broad strokes and precision work – neither too fiddly nor too chunky within the hand. The fibres have been softer than I’m used to (I normally use Professional Arte Sterling Acrylix), which inspired me to work thinner than typical, however the bristles weren’t too wonderful to face as much as a little bit of tough therapy. I didn’t have to select up any free hairs from the portray floor, anyway.
They held the pigment superbly, although being finer that they had a bent to tangle barely and lose type when working with stodgier pigment. The darkness of the hairs meant additionally that I wasn’t all the time assured of the color that I used to be about to use in comparison with a white-bristle brush. However as I stated earlier than: it’s a query of the correct device for the job. In the event you don’t need to splash out on a fifty-part menagerie of unique brushes, then they’re an honest compromise for a slimmed-down package – good for making use of a wash in addition to dabbing a deliberate brushstroke, and really moderately priced.
Supplies
Jackson’s Skilled Oil Color:
Jackson’s Procryl Brushes:
Jackson’s Single Premium Cotton Canvas Artwork Board
Jackson’s Adjustable Artist Apron in Gray
About Chris Longridge
Chris Longridge is an artist based mostly in Kent. He works primarily in oils and explores the constraints and alternatives afforded by paint in a post-digital atmosphere, notably relating to portraiture and the determine.
Additional Studying
The Growth of Artificial Brushes
What Makes Jackson’s Artificial Brush Fibres Particular?
Understanding Brush Form Names, Hair and Functions
Paul Bell Portray Video
Store Jackson’s Procryl Brushes on jacksonsart.com
