Escoda Artist Brushes!

We held an Escoda Brush Making demo on Thursday and we want to share what we learned!

The Escoda family has been making artist brushes--by hand--since 1933 and Ricard Escoda was gracious enough to show us how it is done! We learned a lot about different kinds of hairs that are used to make brushes and about the history of the company! Read below to learn more about the Escoda brushes we carry!


Prado Tame Gold Fiber brushes are made with synthetic fibers that are very similar to sable hair. The synthetic fibers imitate the properties (color, spring, and the ability to absorb liquids) that artists look for in a sable brush. Escoda takes this similarity even further by using a combination of three different diameters and three lengths of fibers to create a brush with the same brushstroke result as one made with natural sable hair.


Opera Takatsu Fiber brushes are made with synthetic hair that is tough, yet soft to create a good brushstroke for works in oil and acrylic.

Modernista Tadami Fiber brushes are made with a synthetic version of mongoose hair that looks and feels very natural. These brushes respond well to brushstrokes and have a good spring. They are especially good for acrylic and oil painting.

Optimo Kolinsky Sable brushes are made with a perfect combination of the best male and female sable hairs available. Kolinsky Sable hairs (named for the Kolinsky mink found in Siberia from which the hair is taken) are widely recognized as one of the best types of hair for watercolor due to its softness and natural spring. Acrylic and oil painters use them to paint portraits or to add final details to a piece. These brushes are expensive and should be treated as a treasured tool.

Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable brushes are made with the best Kolinsky male sable hair available, which comes from the Tajmyr region in northern Siberia. Kolinsky Sable hair is widely recognized as one of the best types of hair for watercolor due to its softness and natural spring. This particular kind of Kolinsky Sable points perfectly and has an extraordinary capacity to retain liquids. These brushes are expensive and should be treated as a treasured tool. (Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable brushes also come in travel brush form!)

Arco Badger hair brushes are expecially soft and feature long, elastic hairs that are especially suitable for fan-shaped brushes. In fact, the fan brush is the only brush shape made in Escoda's Arco Badger line.

Clasico White Bristle brushes are made with hog bristles from the Chinese city of Chungking which are widely recognized as the highest quality bristles. The natural stiffness of the bristles make this brush perfect for oil paintings and good for acrylics.

Natural Chungking Bristle brushes are made with Chungking hog bristles in their natural color. They were designed to be used in decorative painting, but have become popular for use with oils and acrylics. They come in both short handle and long handle varieties.