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Basic set of lettering brushes.

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Julio Cesar Germano
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 1:14 pm
Location: Maringá - PR - Brazil
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Basic set of lettering brushes.

Post by Julio Cesar Germano »

Hey there,

I bought the Gold Leaf techniques by Kent H Smith and I'm looking to work my way through it. So I need to get me some quality brushes to get started.
However, lettering brushes are really hard to come by here in Brazil. I want to buy a basic set of brushes to get started with sign-painting and the countless choices of brand, hair, length and type available at the letterheads sign supply shop is quite overwhelming.

I sifted through the forum and found topics for reference, but there are just to many to fashion up a concise list.
Any help would be of great use.
Thanks in advance,
Julio Cesar.
I've started calligraphy as a hobby a couple of years ago and, from there, stumbled upon
the wonderful world of lost arts - pinstriping, chalkboard art, hand-lettering and sign making.

From Brazil.

Julio Cesar
John Studden
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:40 am

Re: Basic set of lettering brushes.

Post by John Studden »

Julio, go to the www.wrightsoflymm.co.uk website look under brushes at the series 1315 pure sable chisel writers. they sell a set I think it's 0-6 + 9 for the sizes they come in a nice tin box, these are great for gold work & a good all round brush, you will not be disappointed, hope this helps.......
John Studden
Valencia Signs, California
Lee Littlewood
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Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 2:36 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Basic set of lettering brushes.

Post by Lee Littlewood »

Julio, look at Dick Blick. they used to be a signpainter's supply house, now they are much more about artist supplies but over in a corner they have a few lettering brushes (often called "quills" because the hair is held in a bird quill or, nowadays, a plastic tube)
http://www.dickblick.com/products/luco- ... ies-95-rd/

These look to be "brown hair" brushes, more what American signpainters would use for lettering on glass. Studden is English trained, and the English love their red sable brushes, but in my (American) training we only used red sable for showcard (tempera) work, not for oil-based paints.
Squirrel hair is softer than sable, so it is more forgiving if you're not very confident. Squirrel comes in two varieties: brown hair and grey hair (you can see the difference when they are side-by-side). The grey is stiffer than the brown. Stiffer hairs have more "snap" to them, and on a good day when everything is right, a stiffer brush will practically make the letters by itself. But being old and out of practice I mostly use the browns, they don't talk back. and they are soft, so they lay paint better on glass.
Also, the English used to use pointed brushes, where American quills were always flat-topped. I assume that a pointed brush works differently from a 'chisel tipped' brush. Blick seems to have a lot of pointed quills - maybe for watercolor painters? Look carefully at photos if you order online.

The kind of paint you use would also affect your brush choice - heavier paint requires a stiffer brush. 1Shot can be thinned to flow well from any squirrel brush, and would probably be used a bit thicker with a sable.
One quick note - Blick has it backward on their "quill" page: they say, "Use a squirrel quill with water based paints and a badger quill with oil based paints." I dunno about the badger hair, but squirrel hair will swell up and become useless if it gets in water. Red sable, to its credit, can work in oil or in water (but you'd have to wash the brush out very carefully if you wanted to go from one to the other).

I think a set of quills would be something like #2, #4, #6, #10. If you feel reckless, a big one like a #16 can be great now and then, but the prices go up fast. "Gold Leaf Techniques" describes how to clean and oil your brushes; do it.

good luck, have fun
where am i? Now, when i need me...
Doug Bernhardt
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Re: Basic set of lettering brushes.

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

I like Lee look to the brown haired brushes although I do have a set of sables Studden refers to. The brown quills are soft and easy to use and more available than the grey which are/were more responsive and "springy" Have had problems finding the Raphael's I was used to and am about to order a few Mack 189 series. Have to try those out after seeing a few in a friends kit a few weeks ago.
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Leo Calleros
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Re: Basic set of lettering brushes.

Post by Leo Calleros »

The new Mack brown quills are actually pretty darn good now. Compared to what they had 5 years ago. Also, the Scharff ones are great, go to artbrush.com and the 2100 and 2110 brown quills are real nice but pretty much all their brushes for sign pain ting with enamel are pretty good.

I have had the best luck with French Masters brushes. Coastairbrush.com and xcaliberart.com carry them.
Doug Bernhardt
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Re: Basic set of lettering brushes.

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

French masters have also been really good but when I get to the smaller sizes, like number 4 which is really good with how I work the hair is too short and just doesn't suit me. Good luck with which ever you choose.
Julio Cesar Germano
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 1:14 pm
Location: Maringá - PR - Brazil
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Re: Basic set of lettering brushes.

Post by Julio Cesar Germano »

Thank you all for the great advice and kind suggestions.
I will look into the mentioned sources and will save money for a new set as soon as I can.

Sorry for the late response

Wishing all the best of luck in all endeavours,

Julio Cesar
I've started calligraphy as a hobby a couple of years ago and, from there, stumbled upon
the wonderful world of lost arts - pinstriping, chalkboard art, hand-lettering and sign making.

From Brazil.

Julio Cesar
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