I am a huge fan of Lindsay the Frugal Crafter, from whom I have learned so much about art and art supplies for the past several years. I also believe in supporting artists, so when I saw that she has a collaboration with Craftamo, I put the brush set on my wish list. My husband gifted it to me on my birthday a week ago and I have used the brushes enough to give some feedback. Read on for my honest review of the Lindsay Weirich X Craftamo brush set.
The Packaging
I am a sucker for nice packaging, and the box with magnetic closure and Lindsay’s art work did not disappoint.
The brushes were well cushioned inside, and each came in a protective cover. So far, so good!
I carefully and gently cleaned the brushes before using them, but unfortunately, the 1″ flat wash was shedding badly. I lost at least 8-9 bristles before I even used it. 🙁
The shedding continued even when I did the first painting with the brush. However, after losing about 12 bristles, it did not shed any more and I was able to use the brush to do large washes. Thankfully, the flat wash brush was the only one that shed. I experienced no problems at all with the other five brushes.
Craftamo Lindsay Weirich Brush Set Review: The Selection
The brushes in the Craftamo Lindsay Weirich Brush Set:
Flat – Size 1”
Cat’s Tongue – Size ½”
Round – Size 12 & 8
Dagger – Size ⅜”
Rigger – Size 1
When I watched Lindsay explain why she picked the 6 brushes and their sizes, I thought she was very smart and considerate. Unless you are completely new to watercolour, you likely have the staples like the round 2 and 6, so she opted for the larger sizes, and included the 1″ flat, cat’s tongue and dagger which many beginners may not already own. The rigger brush is also very handy for fine lines.
I already have a Princeton Neptune 1″ Square Wash brush, and I find that Lindsay’s flat brush holds almost as much water, despite the bristles being taklon and not as absorbent as Neptune’s synthetic squirrel hair. The taklon gives me a bit more control as opposed to a super soft brush like the Neptune brush.
I love Princeton brushes, especially the Aqua Elite line, and I know that it is a very personal preference when it comes to how much snap and how soft you want your brushes. Having a little bit of variety in size and bristle type is great for my collection.
Lindsay Weirich X Craftamo Brush Set Review
Although the Craftamo X Lindsay Weirich Brush Set did not claim to be professional brushes, I find them to perform just as good as my Princeton brushes. I have a Silver Golden Natural blend 1/4″ dagger striper brush and I much prefer the Craftamo one. I know they are of different sizes, but the bristles on the Craftamo dagger brush were much better and hold so much water.
Cat’s Tongue Brush Newbie!
I have never used a cat’s tongue brush before, so this was my first time using one. Lindsay has a video of how to use all 6 of the brushes in case you want to learn too. You can also check out Kristy Rice’s video, which I followed along for the drills and build muscle memory.
I used the dagger and cat’s tongue brushes to do quick loose florals. They worked well. I was accustomed to using my rounds for everything, but I am glad for this set to broaden my horizon a bit! 🙂
Back To The Rounds
I realized that I have not really been using the rounds, since they are more familiar to me. I decided to use the two rounds for this painting. The size 12 is very big, even Lindsay said it’s probably closer to a 16 instead of 12. The 12 is made with synthetic squirrel hair so it holds a lot of water, while the 8 has taklon bristles, and has more snap.
I followed Let’s Make Art’s tutorial and painted “Foxy Fox” using the two rounds and the cat’s tongue. The texture on the fur is intentional and achieved by adding salt and rubbing it.
Craftamo X Lindsay Weirich Brush Set: Shop or Drop?
Despite the shedding with the flat brush, the Craftamo X Lindsay Weirich brush set reviewed very well. For the brush sizes and quality, you are getting good bang for your buck. My Princeton Neptune Square Wash 1″ brush cost me CAD$25 (discounted price), and the larger brush like the 12 (which is more like a 16) would have cost me a good $30 here. Each brush works very well and is beautifully made. Furthermore, except for the rigger, these are pretty juicy brushes!
By the way, this set of brushes* is limited stock; once it is sold out they will not be making more. You may not need this set, but I am glad I have it.
*I am not affiliated with or sponsored by Lindsay or Craftamo for this review. The set was purchased by my husband and all views expressed here are my own.
