This is a recording from our conversation with Symi Jackson of Rosemary & Co from September 11th, 2024. In this demo, Symi discussed everything from the technical aspects of brush-making to their range of brush shapes and sizes while Maria demonstrated a range of brush strokes for each one—see scans of her sketchbook pages below. Symi shared some behind-the-scenes stories and answered questions from folks who joined our demo live. Finally, Symi and Maria shared their “desert island brush picks,” a cute way to say “favorites!”
Symi
• R13 Pocket Sable Blend Pointed Size 8
• R24 Eradicator
Maria
Our brush of choice is always a Rosemary & Co brush. They’re beautifully made in the UK by a small but dedicated team of artisans, and the quality is always top-notch. Rosemary & Co travel brushes have a detachable handle that doubles as a cap to cover the brush head and protect the bristles: a perfect design for painting on-the-go and stowing in your Art Toolkit!
About Rosemary & Co
Rosemary has been making brushes for 40 years, and hopes that her passion for art shines through in [their] products. From offering workshops to creating brushes for a range of media, Rosemary & Co have made their mark in the UK and worldwide. Learn about workshops on location here and more about their business on their website and on social media.
If you’re trying to work out which brush is right for you, here are some ways we use each of the brushes we stock.
Please note: This list is updated from our original post in 2022 to include the R3, R22, R29, and R30, but the video is the original.
Travel Brushes
R3 Red Dot Large Mop: This brush creates both smooth washes with its broad side and fine details with its point.
R4 Red Dot One Stroke: The Red Dot synthetic sable fibers are absorbent and springy, making this square brush ideal for long brush strokes and smooth blending.
R10 Golden Synthetic Pointed: This is an all-around fantastic brush! The springy tip allows for painting details, but it’s still absorbent enough to be used for washes.
R12 Sable/Nylon Dagger: Daggers can take a little practice, but once you’ve mastered them, they are an incredibly versatile brush. Use the tip for painting long lines, or hold it at an angle to get dry-brush texture.
R13 Pocket Sable Blend Pointed Size 8: Though we prefer to stock synthetic fibers when possible, we know that sable is still the favorite material of so many of you. This sable blend offers all the qualities you would expect from sable, but with a little added spring from the synthetics.
R16 Sable/Nylon Dagger: Just as impressive as the small pocket dagger, only much bigger!
R19 Red Dot Pointed Round Size 12: There is something so exciting about working with a big brush. Made from Red Dot fibers, the R19 won’t let you get bogged down in details, instead providing a big hit of color for your larger paintings.
R22 Pocket Red Dot Rigger Size 6: This long, thin brush creates a beautiful range of expressive marks from delicate, continuous lines or fine details such as grasses and tree branches. Explore twisting it on the paper, pushing it down, lightly lifting it, and playing with dry-brush techniques for various textures and calligraphic marks.
R24 Eradicator: This little miracle brush wipes out unwanted brush marks and creates fun textures. We like to use it to add grass or wood textures, as well as to eradicate.
R26 Pocket Red Dot Pointed Round Size 4: This tiny brush is excellent for detail work or if you like painting small!
R29 Red Dot Domed Filbert Size 4: A flat head and domed tip help create rounded shapes of flower petals and foliage with more precision and control.
R30 Red Dot Domed Filbert Size 8: Similar to the R29, the R30 is great for exploring larger washes and painting bigger petals and leaves.
Browse all 12 of our travel brushes, as well as water brush offerings, on our Brushes page.
