BRUSHES 
We urge you to read warnings to brush buyers by clicking here.
WATERCOLOR BRUSHES
AMAZING, BUT TRUE DEPARTMENT: It takes the equivalent of six month's labor to prepare just 24 pounds of Kolinsky Sable hair suitable for Winsor & Newton's Series 7 watercolor brushes.
Since rounds are usually the watercolorist's primary tool, we'll begin by listing and rating our major lines (and annoying some well-known manufacturers in the process). Listings are more or less in order of quality, although there are some ties along the way.
THE VERY BEST ...Winsor & Newton Series 7, Princeton 7150 Series, Silver Brush Black Velvet, Silver Brush's Ruby Satin (an all-media, synthetic brush).
EXCELLENT ... Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold,
VERY GOOD .. Cotman by Winsor & Newton, Richeson 9000 Series, Princeton 4350 Series.
FAIR ... Royal Soft-Grip,
UNSUITABLE EXCEPT FOR CHILDREN (Or occasionally, special effects) ... Almost any "camel hair" round. Packaged brushes in the .99-1.99 price range. Royal "Beginner Brushes."
BRUSHES FOR OILS OR ACRYLICS
We group these together, but with two cautionary notes: (1) Never use the same brush in both mediums, and (2) While either natural-hair brushes or synthetics can be used in acrylics, our view is that when used in acrylics, synthetic brushes will last longer and be easier to clean. Some highly qualified teachers reject this stance and prefer the stiffness of hog bristle.
THE VERY BEST (All of these are synthetics)
Winsor & Newton Monarch Series Princeton Brush's Synthetic Mongoose. Princeton series 6150 (short handle) and 6200 (long handle).Ruby Satin from Silver Brush VERY GOOD
Princeton 6300 Series.Winsor & Newton's Galeria line. SIGNPAINTER BRUSHES
Computer-cut vinyl signs have put lots of pot and brush sign men out of business, but we still have Gray Squirrel Quills in sizes 0 through 12, as well as 3/8" and 1/2" squirrel flats.
SPECIALTY BRUSHES
This catch-all category includes genuinely useful brushes such as blenders of various sorts, stripers, stipplers, and others, but it also includes brushes that were developed, as far as we can see, solely for the purpose of having something different. We're well supplied with the useful varieties, and reluctantly admit to having sometimes been gulled into stocking some of the more dubious creations.
AND THE CHEAP STUFF ... YES, WE HAVE THESE TOO.
BRUSH BUYER WARNING #1
Many stores stock pre-packaged brushes only. This makes a neat display, but also picks your pocket. Packaged brushes usually carry a 5-15% higher price tag than the same brush unpackaged. We carry a few packaged brushes, but only where the brush is unavailable any other way (true mostly in low-end brushes.)
BRUSH BUYER WARNING #2
Beginners frequently say they'll buy cheap brushes to begin, then buy better ones when they get better themselves. Sadly, that won't happen. An expert may be able to overcome the shortcomings of an inferior brush; a beginner cannot. The advice we've heard from every teacher we have ever known is buy the best brushes you can afford. (We're not just trying for a bigger sale. We'll make less money selling you one good brush that lasts, than two or three cheaper ones that won't ... and which may turn you off art entirely.)
BRUSH BUYER WARNING #3
Don't buy any watercolor round without rinsing out the factory-applied sizing and testing it in water. We keep a water jar near our brushes just for that purpose. If you don't know what to look for we'll gladly show you. (This advice is good for just about any style brush, but for watercolor rounds it's critical.)