About the Ultimate Bristle Filbert

The Ultimate Bristle Filbert is Rosemary & Co's flagship natural bristle filbert — handmade in England using carefully selected natural bristle set in a double interlock construction. Two equal amounts of hair are placed opposite each other with the natural curve facing forward, giving the brush a confident, loaded stroke with real spring and character.

This is an expressive brush, not a precision instrument. It's built for painters who want visible texture, organic marks, and a stroke that carries energy across the canvas. The filbert shape — that rounded, slightly tapered flat — blends the coverage of a flat with a softer edge, making it a favourite for portrait painters, landscape artists, and anyone working in oils or heavy-body acrylics where brush character matters.

The bristle offers medium-firm spring with a deliberately textured, grainy release. It holds its shape under heavy paint and loads well for strong directional strokes. Compared to synthetic filberts, expect more splay and more texture — that's by design. If you prefer a cleaner, more controlled edge, Rosemary & Co's Ivory Filberts (synthetic) are worth considering. If you want raw, painterly marks with real bristle character, this is the one.

Best For

Medium

Oil — the natural bristle's firm spring and textured release are perfectly suited to oil painting. The brush loads well with heavy paint and holds its shape through long strokes.

Acrylic — works well with heavy-body acrylics where you want organic, grainy marks. Be mindful of cleaning promptly — acrylic dries fast and is much harder on natural bristle than oil.

Technique & Use Case

Portrait painting — the filbert's soft edge is made for skin tones and figurative transitions

Landscapes & still life — organic marks with real brush character

Blocking in — loads paint and covers ground efficiently

Blending & glazing — the rounded edge softens transitions without hard lines

Expressive brushwork — texture-forward strokes where the brush's mark is part of the painting

What This Brush Is Not Ideal For

🔸 Tight, precise marks — natural bristle splays more than synthetic. If you need crisp, predictable edges, a synthetic filbert will serve you better.

🔸 Smooth blending — these brushes leave texture by design. For glassy-smooth blending, synthetic or sable brushes are a better match.

🔸 Easy cleanup — natural bristle is harder to clean than synthetic, especially with acrylics. A good brush soap is essential.

Sizes in This Series

Short handle: sizes 0–14 | Long handle: sizes 0–16

Size	Diameter (mm)	Brush Length (mm)	Best For
0	4.0	11.5	Detail work, small-scale blending
1	5.5	13.3	Detail work, portraits (small scale)
2	6.2	15.5	General painting, glazing, portraits
3	7.5	18.5	General painting, blending, transitions
4	9.5	22.5	Blocking in, landscapes, basecoating
5	10.6	23.8	Blocking in, broader blending, still life
6	12.1	25.6	Broad strokes, landscapes, texture work
7	13.8	27.7	Broad strokes, heavy coverage, expressive work
8	14.8	30.5	Large-scale blocking, impasto, bold texture
10	19.5	34.1	Large canvases, broad coverage, expressive marks
12	23.5	38.6	Large canvases, heavy blocking, underpainting
14	29.7	43.7	Very large work, murals, broad underpainting
16	34.2	46.7	Very large work, murals, scene-scale blocking

Brush sizes are not standardised across brands. A Size 4 in this series may differ from a Size 4 in another brand. Dimensions shown are from the manufacturer's published size chart. Short handle available in sizes 0–14; long handle available in sizes 0–16.

Care & Maintenance

Natural bristle brushes are hard-wearing but reward proper care. A well-maintained filbert will last for years — protect your investment with good habits from day one.

Cleaning

During painting: Wipe excess paint regularly. With acrylics, never let paint dry in the bristles — once cured it's nearly impossible to remove.

After painting: Wash thoroughly with a dedicated brush soap, then reshape the filbert edge with your fingers before leaving to dry. We recommend The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver — we stock it and it works brilliantly with natural hair brushes.

Storage

Dry the brush fully before storing upright or flat. A brush roll or protective tube helps maintain the filbert profile over time. Never store with the bristles compressed or bent.

What Not to Do

🚫 Don't leave the brush soaking in water or solvent — it damages the bristles and loosens the ferrule

🚫 Don't let acrylic paint dry in the bristles — clean promptly after every session

🚫 Don't scrub aggressively enough to deform the filbert edge — these brushes are firm, not indestructible

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