Sadie Valeri Atelier Direct Method Brush Set

"With a good paintbrush, you should be able to imagine the stroke you want to make, load the brush with paint, and apply the stroke successfully without struggling with the brush. This is how Rosemary brushes work: From mind to canvas, their brushes simply execute the thought, which is why I use them and recommend them to all my students.

Rosemary's Masters Choice, Series 278 brushes achieve the perfect balance between being soft enough to load the bristles with paint, but firm enough to control the stroke with a bit of snap, which is why they are the primary brushes I use for my Direct and Alla Prima paintings. I love their Chungking Series 2045 brushes for how they hold up to scrubbing an under-painting, but with far more refinement and durability than your basic supply-store bristle brush. And the Hog Domed Round Series 3077 are perfect for when you want a bit of stiff splay for applying variegated texture effects.

For finer, smaller, and more controlled Indirect paintings, Rosemary's Red Dot Collection is a very affordable way to work with brushes that perform with the same quality as real sables.

Rosemary brushes last far longer than most. I have several "workhorse" brushes I have been using regularly for nearly a decade, and they still look new. I take very good care of my brushes, but even so, inferior brushes simply wear out sooner no matter how careful you are. 

For a complete demonstration of how I create a wide variety of oil paint effects using all of my favorite Rosemary brushes, my affordable online course "Glazing and Scumbling" shares all my tricks and techniques for creating more depth and texture in your painting surfaces: click here.

My best tips for keeping brushes like new?
Dip your clean brushes in a citrus-based natural brush cleaner and leave it in the brush between sessions (but be sure to wash it out before you start painting!) Also: Pay attention to your palette surface! It should be as smooth as glass, so if you use a wooden palette like I do, buy one with a superior finish (I use New Wave palettes), or build up a nice glassy surface on a basic wood palette by rubbing your leftover paint into it with oil after every painting session, instead of using solvent to clean it (I do this with my portable pochade box palette). Your brushes will love you! Nothing destroys a brush faster than a bad palette." Sadie Valeri, 2022

Visit Sadie's website: www.sadievaleriatelier.com

Follow Sadie on Instagram: /sadievaleri

Watch Sadie's video on brush cleaning advice here.

BRUSH TYPE / SERIES	SIZE
SERIES 279 MASTERS CHOICE LONG FLATS	2	4.5	17.8
SERIES 279 MASTERS CHOICE LONG FLATS	4	8.3	20.4
SERIES 279 MASTERS CHOICE LONG FLATS	8	16.3	28.2
SERIES 278. MASTERS CHOICE LONG FILBERTS	2	4.5	17.3
SERIES 278. MASTERS CHOICE LONG FILBERTS	4	7.6	20.2
SERIES 278. MASTERS CHOICE LONG FILBERTS	8	14.8	28.4
SERIES 3077 HOG DOMED ROUNDS	4	2.65	14.5
SERIES 3077 HOG DOMED ROUNDS	8	5.1	18.5
SERIES 2045 CHUNGKING FILBERT	4	9.5	22.5
SERIES 2045 CHUNGKING FILBERT	10	19.5	34.1
RED DOT DOMED FILBERT	4	4.5	9.25
RED DOT DOMED FILBERT	6	5.3	11.4

All measurements shown in mm.