Watercolour is such a lovely medium to use and a key element to enjoying it is the interaction between the artist and the brush, a brush that feels right in the hand gives confidence and should help us achieve more pleasing results. Synthetic watercolour brushes have improved so much in recent years and I’ve found myself using them more and more. So, I felt excited when Ken Bromley’s asked me to evaluate the performance of the new watercolour brush range from Panart.

Panart’s Smart Looking Brushes

Panart are an Indian based art supplies manufacturer known for innovative design and materials. They have a rigorous Research & Development process and state of the art manufacturing equipment. They hand-finish their brushes and they undergo stringent quality checks. Panart has a commitment to producing equipment responsibly and sustainably. It also has ‘The Green Product Certification’, which for me personally ticks all the boxes.

I tried out the Synthetic Sable Round in a size 20 and a Flat in size 20. Featuring matte bronze handles and a matte black ferrule, they have a nice contemporary look and feel great in the hand. The other brush was a Synthetic Squirrel Mop in size 12. Metallic blue paint coats the mop brush, which features a traditional nickel-plated brass ferrule. It possesses the same quality eye appeal as the other brushes, with a perfectly balanced weight for a mop.

Series 1101 Synthetic Sable Round

First off I tried the Round size 20 to paint a little character sketch. With a longish handle and long fibres, the brush feels a little bit like a Chinese Brush and is easy to control. The synthetic hairs are soft but have a nice spring to them and keep hold of the pigment well. I was able to block in broad areas easily and still have enough pigment left to make more precise detailed marks with the point.

The Panart Series 1101 Synthetic Sable Round brushes are available in a wide range of sizes starting from a size 2 and going right up to a size 20.

Series 1121 Synthetic Sable Flat

Like the other two brushes the flat feels well balanced in the hand. The hairs have a fine edge at the top when wet and are a touch short of 2cm wide. It’s ideal for paintings where you need to make angular marks with sharp edges. Additionally, when used on wet paper it can also cover large areas quickly. I created this simple scene mainly using this brush. I fed colour wet-in-wet into the sky with diagonal strokes, allowing the water to diffuse the defined marks it makes. At the bottom I painted onto dry paper with quick horizontal strokes to skip across the textured surface to create the effect of glimmer on the water. I added only a few finishing touches with the round size 20.

Panart Series 1121 Synthetic Sable Flat brushes are available in a wide range of sizes.

Series 1181 Synthetic Squirrel Mop

Finally I tried the Mop brush which has a shorter handle than the other two. It felt very comfortable and seemed to encourage me to hold at the end and be more expressive with it. The hairs are softer and hold the pigment well, creating a bulb shape with a really fine point. It’s a brush that gives the feeling of being able to complete a painting without needing to change brushes. Washes are effortless and I was able to press and shape the hairs to make more organic marks. The point is perfect for small details too – making this brush a great all-rounder and ideal for beginners. Compared to natural hair mop brushes, Pan Art’s synthetic version is great value for money too.

Panart Series 1181 Synthetic Squirrel Mop brushes are available in two sizes.

Conclusion

Panart has done a great job in creating the feel of natural haired brushes with these synthetic versions. I’ve really enjoyed using them. I’ve been able to paint in my accustomed style right from the moment I first picked them up. I’ve even conducted a couple of demonstrations using them, and they generated substantial interest. A few members of the group were enthusiastically exploring the Ken Bromley website to place orders, so it’s clear that I’m not the only one who’s been impressed by them!