Cheap Art Brushes
There’s a huge difference between cheap and inexpensive. Cheap art brushes aren’t crappy brushes. They are inexpensive.
Definitions
Cheap – poorly made with poor quality materials.
Inexpensive – Good quality at a moderate price.
On a recent trip to a local art center in Louisville, KY, Preston Art Center, I found some of my favorite brushes that have always had a very reasonable price and were discounted to $2.69 each. I was shocked and felt like I was stealing.
The brushes are Royal Langnickel soft grip brushes. I bought some several years ago at the recommendation of a teacher and I loved them. I like long handled brushes better so then I ordered the soft grip with long handles.
When I saw them in Preston Art Center for $2.69 each I immediately started making my selections.
Cheap art brushes are usually just that. Cheap and not responsive. I never get the results I’m looking for with a CHEAP art brush.
How To Tell If A Brush Is Cheap or Inexpensive
- What is the weight of the brush? If it’s very light it’s probably cheap.
- Does it feel good in your hand?
- Is it part of a pack and all the handles of all the brushes in the pack don’t match. Back away for a pack of brushes like that. They are cheap.
- Do the bristles start out with a crisp edge. You won’t be able to return them to that crisp edge if they don’t start out that way.
- Does the ferrule, the metal part, have a good crimp in it. If it’s too loose the bristles will soon fall out and it’s a cheap brush.
Since I’ve used Royal Langnickel soft grip brushes before and love them, I knew what I was getting and what a bargain these were. Even at their full price on Dick Blick Art Supplies, I think they are a steal.
The short handled brushes like the ones I just purchased are usually under $4 each. I’ll share a link if you’d like to shop. Click HERE to shop for brushes.
I have some Rosemary & Co brushes from Great Britain and I have these Royal Langnickel brushes and I use them both but I may use the Royal Langnickel brushes more. They have held up well and I’ve been using several of them for 4-5 years.
You never know what you’re going to find in your local art store but I encourage you to go in and meet the owners and the people who work there. They are a wealth of knowledge and as artists, we should embrace and take advantage of that.
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