Review: Winsor & Newton Synthetic Sable Watercolour Brush

Winsor & Newton Synthetic Sable Brush is a new watercolour brush released recently.

This is a short handle wooden brush with a central dip.

You can hold the brush closer or further away from the ferrule comfortably.

The Birchwood body is coated with this matte texture that's nice to hold.

Here's a side by side comparison with two other synthetic watercolour brushes I have: Escoda Versatil (top) and Da Vinci Casaneo (middle).

The Winsor & Newton synthetic brush is not available in pocket brush format, but it's available in these different shapes:

• Mop (bushy end)
• Quill (sharp point)
• One Stroke (filbert)
• Round
• Pointed round
• Rigger
• Wash (flat)

The one I bought is a size #8 round brush. It's easy to point this into a sharp tip and the hair has good springy-ness and can return to shape easily.

The hair is about the same size as a #7 WN series 7 kolinsky sable brush which I also have (shown above) and am not happy with.

A Kolinsky sable round brush will have more belly and hence able to hold slightly more water.

From left to right columns: Winsor & Newton, Da Vinci Casaneo, Escoda Versatil.

The WN synthetic brush is able to hold slightly more water compared to the Da Vinci Casaneo which is a brush I really like. Escoda Versatil is just not as good as the WN and Da Vinci.

My experience with painting with the WN synthetic brush is good. The brush holds a good amount of water, has a sharp tip that's useful for painting details and can go back to its shape easily. When painting, I don't think of the brush at all, and that's what a good tool is all about.

This brush is also significantly cheaper compared the WN series 7 kolinsky brush. In terms of value for money, the WN synthetic watercolour brush is a much better buy. It's a brush I can recommend easily to anyone.

Availability

You can find the Winsor & Newton Synthetic Sable brush and more reviews at Jackson's Art (UK) and Blick Art Materials (US).