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Q. ....I notice that you have four yellows in your
limited palette, as these make up a third of the
total why do you have so many?
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A. The reason for this is due to the fact that yellow
is so
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easily influenced in mixes. A tiny touch of any blue, for example, and it is no
longer yellow but a green. Even a very yellow green
will be described as a green rather than a yellow.
Such a speedy influence is true with all other colors.The short interlude in which the hue can be
described as a type of yellow means that we need a
reasonable range for versatility.
Our four yellows, Hansa Yellow, Cadmium Yellow
Light, Yellow Ochre and Raw Sienna all bring in
their own characteristics when used as yellows and
all have their individual roles to play in mixing.
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Q. ...I get confused between the different types of
brushes. What, for example is a Filbert, and what is
a Swordliner? |
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in the Winter in Siberia and Northern China. The hairs for the finest ‘Kolinsky’ brushes coming from its tail. |
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Few artists realize that the Kolinsky is on the
endangered species list. They should! If you
wouldn't wear it, why paint with it? For this reason, and because of the method of
killing, we will only ever offer synthetic brushes.
To this end we spent many years searching for an
alternative to the animal product.
A recent break-through by a small UK company
has given the School of Color what we feel is a synthetic brush
that is as close as it gets to the most expensive‘Kolinsky’.
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A. Filberts are basically flat brushes with a
rounded tip. They will do much the same job as a
flat (washes etc.). Some artists find that they leave
a softer edge to the paint than a flat would. It is a
matter of preference really.
Sword liners (illustrated above), are also called ‘riggers’. They hold a lot of paint and are used to
give very long, very thin lines. They are sometimes
called ‘‘riggers’ because they used to be employed
by artists to depict the rigging when painting
sailing ships.
They might also be useful when painting a bowl of
spaghetti; but that’s another matter. |
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Q. ...I notice that sable brushes vary from being very
cheap to extremely expensive. Why do they vary so
much? |
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A. I often wonder about the very cheap ‘sables’
as they seem be made from almost anything.
Other descriptions can also be a little confusing; ‘Sableline’, for example, is produced from dyed Ox
hair.
Descriptions such as ‘Sable’, ‘Red Sable’ and ‘Fine Sable’ usually relate to other members of
the Weasel family than the Kolinsky’ or ‘Siberian
Weasel’.
Without a doubt the Kolinsky has long been
considered the finest of all brushes; although this
sentiment will not be shared by the animal. The male of the species (along with anything else that
steps into the trap), is ‘harvested’ |
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