Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Miniature Short Handle Sable Brushes

Series 7 is the world's finest water colour brush. The standards of quality for this brush were set in 1866, when Her Majesty Queen Victoria gave orders that Winsor & Newton should produce the very finest water colour brushes in her favourite size; the No.7.  

Today, Series 7 is manufactured from only the finest pure Kolinsky Sable hair, in rust-proof, seamless nickel plated ferrules with black polished handles.

Series 7 uses only the highest quality raw materials and enjoys hand made manufacture by brush makers with years of experience. For larger sizes, each brush is packed into an individual box with a tag included to indicate the name of the Series 7 brush maker who made that particular brush.

Most importantly, Series 7 fulfils the essential qualities that define the finest water colour brush for artists:

Point - the brush comes to a crisp point which is maintained during use.

Snap & Spring - the brush snaps crisply back into shape with the right degree of spring to allow the artist superior control between the brush and painting surface.

Flow Control - The colour flows evenly and consistently from the point, with enough colour carrying capacity in the belly of the brush to allow flowing gestural strokes.

For artists who appreciate exquisite quality and longevity, there is no other brush than the Series 7. Today, just as in 1866, the Series 7 is made for those who understand that the quality of the brush will be reflected in the quality of their work.

Choosing the right brush is important and Winsor & Newton have over 150 years of brush making experience. It is this experience which enables them to provide a number of brushes that are ideal for water colour painting.

Water colour brushes are designed to control the flow of colour. The perfect brush will have a fine point, the ability to hold and evenly control colour and should be able to spring back into shape after every stroke.

As Gouache colour has the same properties as water colour, all water colour brushes are interchangeable with Gouache and the same brush characteristics apply.

We provide a variety of high-quality brushes made from different types of hair to help you achieve different effects.

Every water colour brush in the world should do three important things. It's how well these things are done that separates the best from the rest. Here are the three benchmarks that every water colour brush aspires to:

• A great point - The brush should come to a crisp point, an excellent brush will hold that point during use allowing the artist to create edges and fine detail.
• Perfect 'snap' or spring - The brush should spring crisply back into shape during use. The right degree of spring allows the artist to have control with an element of ‘give and take' between the brush and the surface.
• Even flow control - The colour should flow evenly and consistently from the point of the brush and there should be capacity within the belly of the brush to allow the artist to lay down flowing, gestural strokes of colour.

Water colour brushes are generally made from two types of hair:

Sable 
There are different grades of sable hair, but the very best are the Kolinsky sable from Siberia. The finest Kolinsky is a soft, golden-brown colour that darkens at the tip.

The finest hairs come from the tip of the tail of the male Kolinsky, hairs from other parts of the sable pelt are used in lesser quality brushes. Second quality hairs are much shorter and less "springy" than their counterparts, however they are a little more affordable and still provide a high quality brush.

Synthetic 
Made from superior synthetic filaments, the advantage of these brushes is their affordability synthetic brushes are a first choice for many artists.