Brushes

Synthetic Brushes, Natural Fibre Brushes, Sets, Palette Knives, Shapers, Rollers, Foam & Sponges, Brush Cleaning & Accessories

Murray’s stocks a wide range of brushes to suit every need and budget. From the humble student quality bristle brush to professional artist’s brush in natural fibres, we have a tool to suit your application and every kind of mark making. Of course, many of our brushes may be used interchangeably across a range of mediums and tasks. Whether you are priming a canvas or adding the final detail, we stock individual brushes and accessories that cater to the needs of:
• artists, sign writers, ticket writers, model painters (down to 20/0 brushes) calligraphers, urban sketchers, travellers, folk artists, students, crafters, kids and more.

Brush Sets

Getting started or trying new medium? Packs of brushes of varied sizes and shapes are an economical option and come in collections suitable for a range of mediums such as watercolour, oil painting, acrylic and mixed media.

Individual Brush Range

On our wall of brushes will find brushes for different mark making purposes and shapes such as mops, stipplers, blenders, rakes, round, flat, fan, filbert, rake, liner/riggers, mini liner, angle shader, and dagger brushes. Knowing which brush to choose doesn’t have to be a challenge. Our helpful staff can offer advice to help you find the correct shape, bristle and handle for your application or desired technique.

In recent times, access to sable (animal fur) has become more limited, and we have sourced a variety of alternatives to meet your painting needs. As pure sable brushes become less available, the blended and synthetic substitutes are becoming more sophisticated.

Our extensive individual brush range includes the following styles in a range of sizes:

Taklon Brushes
This versatile, synthetic brush is a great allrounder, suitable for inks, acrylic, watercolour and oils. An alternative to animal hair, we have a range of taklon brushes available in a long list of sizes and shapes including: Flat, Round, Rigger, Liner, Mini Liner, Filbert, Fan, Angle Shader, Dagger, Flat Comb, Filbert Comb. Visit our brush wall in store to peruse our selection and find the perfect taklon brush for you.

Princeton Neptune
“When we set out to create a synthetic version of squirrel, we developed a brush that may actually outperform the natural version. Neptune™ is our softest and thirstiest synthetic brush, delivering oceans of colour. Experts in natural hair have been incredulous that this is actually synthetic”. * Excellent for watercolour.

Princeton Catalyst
The first synthetic to replicate the flags of natural bristle. Excellent for oils & heavy body acrylic. “With the Catalyst™ Polytip feature, the tip of every individual hair has been split to replicate the natural flags on the finest natural bristle. These brushes can hold a higher volume of paint while providing a smoother application.” *

Princeton Velvetouch
Best quality for Mixed Media including oil, acrylic, watercolour and gouache.

Princeton Snap
Excellent Value. Great for Acrylic & watercolour.

Synthetic Bristle
Choose from Neef Bristle brushes and a wide selection of shapes and sizes of student quality synthetic bristle brushes.

Neef Synthetic Blends
• Saboline Mini Mop – a type of ox hair designed to resemble red sable. A good brush with good liquid retention and a springy soft hair similar to the natural sable brushes at a fraction of the cost.
• Flat Squirrel Mix - Squirrel retains lots of water and when combined with taklon it makes a perfectly affordable watercolour brush.
• Mop Synthetic

Natural Brushes
• Art Spectrum Hog Hair Series in Angle Chisel, Fan, Bright, Round, Filbert, Flat.
• Neef Round Sable, Oval Wash Camel Hair, Goat Hake.
• Selection of Chinese brushes such as Goat Hair and round Weasel for Calligraphy.

*Information courtesy of Princeton

Brush Alternatives

When it comes to painting, a brush is not the only option to apply paint, manipulate techniques and create texture. Alternative tools such as water-brushes, palette knifes, rollers, shapers, foam and sponges are also available.

What is a water brush?
Also called portable or refillable brushes, water brushes have a reservoir in the handle that allows it to be filled with liquid, usually water, which flows down through the bristles when in use. Popular with artists and calligraphers, it can be used like a traditional brush by controlling pressure to achieve different effects. Use with water to blend colours when working with water soluble medium like watercolour or watercolour pencils. Perfect for a portable alternative to a traditional paintbrush, blot the tip between colours to prevent colour mixing.

What is a shaper?
A shaper is a versatile tool is designed similarly to a brush that features a non-absorbent, shaped tip instead of bristles. It allows the user to move paint around easily, blend, lift and carve into wet paint, apply pastel and even sculpt clay.

Brush Accessories & Cleaning

Keep your brushes in great working order with brush cleaning solutions, brush stands and travel cases. Did you know we stock a wide selection of paint palettes, suitable for every paint type. See our Palette product page for more information or visit us in store to see our range. Brush accessories that may be handy to have include:

wooden boxes & pencil tins
paint brush rolls and zipped wallets
bamboo matts
pencil cases
expandable brush holder
collapsible brush cup
metal brush washers
“The Masters” Brush cleaner and preserver
wide range of palettes

Although we do not have an online store, we are happy to help you over the phone.

We can deliver or post your items or put them aside in-store for collection.