Escoda Brushes for Oils and Ink

We were recently looking over a list of customer reviews when our eyes were caught by an ecstatic series of comments about Escoda brushes, which described the Escoda Optimo range as ‘shockingly good’ and asserted that the Escoda Natural Hog range ‘would be a great deal at twice the cost’. The comments were made by Nathan Meier, an American painter who very kindly agreed to share images of his work made with Escoda brushes from the Clasico, Modernista, Optimo and Natural Hog ranges.

Escoda Brushes for Oil and Ink

Words by Nathan Meier

Escoda is a special, family run business based in Barcelona. They have been making brushes by hand since 1933, and their brushes are second to none. Although I’ve used Escoda brushes for over a decade, it is only recently that I’ve fallen deeply in love with them. From their synthetics to their natural bristle lines, they have impressed me like no other manufacturer. I truly cannot recommend them enough. Great tools do not necessarily produce great art, but working with the best materials is always to the artist’s advantage.

As an oil painter, I prefer Escoda’s Clasico Chungking bristle and Natural Hog brushes. They are incredibly well made, hold a lot of paint and are very durable – I still use some that are ten years old, albeit a bit worn around the edges. The Natural Hog brushes are outrageously good value, which has allowed me to significantly grow my collection. I cannot find as good a deal here in the States, so I get all my brushes from Jackson’s online store.

Escoda also offers a brilliant synthetic Mongoose line of brushes. Their Modernista series has quickly become one of my favourites. I realised straight away that these brushes were special. In fact, I prefer them to actual Mongoose brushes because they hold their shape better and have superior spring. The brushstrokes I have been able to achieve with the Modernistas have changed everything for me as a painter, making me wonder how I ever got by without them. Again, Jackson’s offers them for a fraction of what I’d pay at the cheapest online mega stores in America.

More recently, I purchased a set of Escoda Optimo Kolinsky Sable brushes and was again dumbfounded by the results I got with them – I have been using them to draw with ink on Arches watercolour paper. These brushes hold a tremendous amount of paint or ink and create stunning lines. Even with a size 6 (the largest in the set of five), I was able to make the most delicate strokes. I’m absolutely thrilled with these brushes and will definitely be purchasing more.

About Nathan Meier

Nathan Meier is an American painter and filmmaker who lives and works in Los Angeles. He recently completed a feature-length documentary film called Logan’s Syndrome, which centres on the life of disabled artist, Logan Madsen. Meier works for the School of Film/Video at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where he received a BFA in 2005.

Further Reading

Inside the Sketchbook of Evie Hatch

Everything You Need to Know About Oil Painting Paper

Understanding Brush Shape Names, Hair and Applications

A Guide to Inks

Shop Escoda brushes on jacksonsart.com