What is a Quill Brush?
May 26, 2023I made this mistake when I first bought a quill watercolor brush. Quill brushes have a plastic sleeve held together by wire that helps hold all the hair fibers together. I assumed the plastic was part of the packaging and I tried to cut it off! Oops! Well, I didn't ruin my brush, but it’s a bit pokey when I hold it now. But it doesn’t stop me from painting, and let me tell you how much I love it.
(See that little piece of plastic I started to cut? eek!)
Quill brushes are similar to mop brushes in that they can hold quite a bit of water, but the difference is that quill brushes come to a fine point for detail. So you can work with large wet washes, but still use the tip for tiny details, like carving out the petal detail in this peony flower painting.
I am using a size 6, Quill by Princeton Neptune Series. This series contains synthetic hair, which actually works just as well as natural hair brushes. When the brush is wet, it’s very soft. So if you like that feel (as opposed to a firm synthetic round), it doesn’t have that ‘snap’ some artists like. I prefer working in soft wet washes and a more expressive style of painting, so this brush suits my style well.
So if you are wondering what a quill brush is and how to use it, I recommend this one when it goes on sale at Blicks or Amazon.
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