Thursday 5 July 2018

Recipe: Lavender and vanilla britakakku with stewed summer berries and rose crème chantilly


So I've posted on my Instagram in the last week some pictures of this delicious cake that I made. Britakakku is a Finnish cake that is traditionally eaten at Midsummer, and I was reminded of it in a post by Juha Lönnberg - who has very pretty silverware and a very handsome cat - and I looked at various recipes and found I could adapt one of my own favourite cake base recipes for it easily enough. Quite a lot of folk seemed to like it on Instagram so I said I would post how I made it.

The cake is baked under a layer of meringue which gives a wonderful pairing of textures. I decided to flavour mine with lavender and vanilla, but lemon or orange zest would work well, as would a combination of honey, lime and vanilla - I've included some flavouring options right at the bottom of this post. If you want to veganise it, just use a chickpea meringue and swap butter for vegan vegetable baking spreads; for each egg yolk, you can use all manner of replacements; the milk can be switched for soy or oat milk. The cream filling can be switched for soya-based whipped cream alternatives. 

A note on assembly and storage - if you are having a gathering where you will have people over and the whole cake will be eaten the same day or next day, assemble it in full and store in an airtight container in the fridge. If not, just keep the fruit and cream separate (both will keep in the fridge in sealed jars) and wrap the cake in foil and eat it in a deconstructed manner as I did, or assemble individual portions when needed.

BRITAKAKKU 

Cake base:
250g unsalted butter, softened a little by leaving at room temperature for 30 mins
200g golden caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks (see note below)
130g plain flour ('all purpose flour' in US and Canada)
200mL milk (use Jersey milk if you want to make it really special!) 
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp dried lavender flowers suitable for baking

Meringue:
4 large egg whites (see note below)
300g golden caster sugar

Set the oven at 175°C (fan, 195°C if not fan-assisted), 385°F or gas mark 5.

Line 2 traybake tins 6" wide, 12" long and 1" deep using foil-backed baking parchment. 

Carefully separate your eggs, putting the whites into a small ceramic, glass or metal bowl that must be completely grease-free and put it out of the way in a cupboard at room temperature for 30 mins or so whilst you prepare the cake base. Beat the yolks lightly with a fork.

This is best done using a food mixer - I use a Russell Hobbs 15154 that I've had almost 10 years - a metal bowl is always best if you are making meringues - if you only have one bowl, clean it VERY well with dish washing liquid in between the cake and the meringue. Use the beater for the base and the whisk for the meringue.

1) Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of the mixer and cream them together in relatively short runs of the mixer, scraping down the material from the sides and giving it a stir with a spatula at intervals - you want it soft and fluffy. 

2) Add the egg yolks, vanilla extract and milk and mix until combined. If the mixture curdles, just add a bit of flour.

3) Add the flour and baking powder and mix until fully combined.

4) By hand, fold in the lavender using a figure-8 motion with a spatula.

5) Divide the mixture between the two traybake tins equally and don't forget to lick the bowl! 

6) After thoroughly cleaning the bowl and drying it completely, add the egg whites and whisk at a high speed until they form stiff peaks.

7) With the mixer on, add the sugar to the egg whites a spoon at a time so that it fully dissolves and you don't get crunchy bits left.

8) When the mixture holds stiff peaks (you can tip the bowl upside down and it won't fall out!) and if you rub it between finger and thumb you feel no gritty sugar, it's ready!

9) You can do this step two ways:
(a) Put the meringue into a piping bag with a 1" nozzle and pipe over ONE of the cake pans so that the cake is fully covered.
(b) Spoon it on using 2 tablespoons, starting at one edge and slowly covering the whole thing with blobs of meringue. Once covered, smooth and peak with a knife to fill any gaps.

10) Bake both trays of cake for about 30 min until a skewer dipped into each pan comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pans - ideally overnight.

STEWED SUMMER BERRIES

You could use any mix of fruit really - red currants, white currants, tayberries, loganberries and so on work really well, as do cloudberries in place of raspberries.

625g strawberries and blackberries
220g golden caster sugar
220g raspberries
150g blueberries

1) Remove the green bits from the strawberries and cut each one into 4 pieces.

2) Put the strawberries and blackberries into a saucepan with the sugar and stir a little until all of it has stuck to the damp cut fruit.

3) Heat the saucepan slowly until all of the sugar melts/dissolves into a syrup and slowly and gently poach the fruit until the strawberries pieces are glossy and soft.

4) Increase the heat until the syrup thickens a little. Remove from the heat and stir in the blueberries. Set aside to cool completely.

5) Stir the raspberries into the cooled mix. Store this in the fridge in a sealed jar - it keeps for a few days but can be frozen of course.

ROSE CRÈME CHANTILLY

You could use orange flower water instead, which would be really nice if you use the lemon variant of the cake, of course. Make sure you use a rosewater for baking, not one for cosmetic use, and ensure it is a real one - not rose flavouring or one of the alcohol or propylene glycol based ones - Marks and Spencer in the UK do an excellent one.

375mL double cream (in the USA, manufacturer's cream is the best alternative, followed by whipping cream - double cream is 48% fat, but these are only 40% and 36% respectively)
4 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tbsp rosewater

1) Put all of the ingredients into the mixer bowl and using the whisk, mix rapidly until a stiff mixture.

2) This can be piped or spooned into the cake.

ASSEMBLEY

1) Take the cake without the meringue on top and spread the top with a thin layer of the liquid from the stewed fruit. Flip the meringue-topped layer and repeat on the bottom surface. Leave to dry for 30 min. This helps stop the fillings soak into the cake.

2) Using a piping bag or a spoon, cover both cakes with cream.

3) Using a slotted spoon, cover the non-meringue cake with pieces of cooked fruit, and add a little of the syrup.

4) Put the two halves back together so that the meringue is on the top. EASY! Decorate the top with a few more pieces of cooked fruit and a little syrup.

ALTERNATIVE FLAVOURINGS

Lemon (or Orange)
Use the zest of a whole lemon (orange) in the cake base instead of lavender and replace the vanilla extract with lemon (orange) juice. Flavour the cream with orange flower water. In place of the fruit, use either a good lemon curd or a marmalade - my favourite fruit curd recipe is very easy to make.

Rose
Use 2 tbsp rosewater in the cake base instead of the vanilla extract and remove the lavender. Instead of cooked fruit, spread the cake with a rose petal jam - many of which are available.

Lime, Honey and Vanilla
Skip the lavender, add the zest of a lime. Replace the vanilla extract with lime juice. Add the seeds of a vanilla pod. Stir 1 tbsp honey (borage honey works well) to the cake mix just before adding to the tins. You can add honey to the cream in place of rosewater too, and you could replace the stewed fruit with lime curd, made using my favourite recipe.


Sunday 8 April 2018

Prima Watercolor Confections: Pigment composition

UPDATED TUE 10th APRIL 2018 - Prima have given me some more information - see the comments below in RED.

After years now of asking Prima what the pigment compositions of their Watercolor Confections watercolours are, they have provided them for me and I thought I would share them and my thoughts.

I have linked to my videos reviewing these products and links through which you can buy them - sometimes there are excellent deals to be had that are so good, even if you don't like the paints, the metal palette works out cheaper than buying one - I know a few people who have used them for that! The swatch cards in the older sets were horrid glossy stock that actually made the paints look really bad but swatched on watercolour paper, they are much better so don't be fooled if you think that! Try them on a better paper :)

As you will see, all of the palettes are based around the same set of pigments, more or less, so they will all work well together across the sets. I get very tired of hearing people say "these aren't artist quality!" about Prima's paints - they are. Fine artists can get a bit snobby and forget that art-journalling and scrapbooking and mixed media are professional artwork forms, thus, these paints are professional artist quality, but they are not necessarily fine-art suited. I think they are lovely for use in sketchbooks and they form nice limited palettes to challenge yourself with - I take a different one with me in my bag each week to sketch whatever I come across that I enjoy.

As always with non-fine-art watercolours, PW5 Lithopone will be used to extend and opacify some colours but labelling conventions do not require it to be stated. 

Anywhere I gave given a pigment without a C.I. number and in capitals e.g. "GOLD", it is a proprietary pigment or coated mica.

In 2018, some of the colours from the early sets were renamed, so I have given both names where this is the case. The numbers have not changed, just the names - the paints are still 100% the same!

The Classics
This was the first set in the series and I didn't get this one for quite some time as the colours in the other sets appealed a lot more. I have given two sets of names here - the first name for each colour is the original name, and the second one is the 2018 onwards name.
BUY ONLINE: US$18.57
BUY ONLINE: £20.79
NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
01Dove / WhitePW6 Titanium White
02Candy / PinkyPR81 Rhodamine 6G
03Rouge / RedPR112 Naphthol Red AS-D
PR170 Naphthol Red AS
04Carrot / OrangePO13 Benzidine Orange
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
05Canary / YellowPY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
06Green Apple / Green PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
07Breeze / Icy BluePB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
08Sailor / BluePB29 Ultramarine Blue
09Lavender / PurplePB81 Cobalt Tin Alumina Blue Spinel
PV23 Dioxazine Violet
10Roasted Coffee / Cocoa PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PBk9 Bone Black
11Slate / GreyPW6 Titanium White
PBk9 Bone Black
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
12Dark Night / BlackPBk9 Bone Black

Tropicals
This was the first set that I bought in the series and I like it for sketching out of doors in the summer months when you don't want to use your best paints - use cheaper ones and fill up your sketchbook! Lovely vibrant colours. I have given two sets of names here - the first name for each colour is the original name, and the second one is the 2018 onwards name.
BUY ONLINE: US$18.88
BUY ONLINE: £18.47





NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
13Grassland / Island PG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
14Plantain / CoconutPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
15Thunderstorm / Hurricane PB29 Ultramarine Blue
PB27 Prussian Blue
16Avocado / ParrotPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB27 Prussian Blue
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
17Tropicana / HibiscusPO13 Benzidine Orange
PR112 Naphthol Red AS-D
18Rainforest / PalmsPG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
19Red Parrot / PitayaPR57:1 Lithol Rubine
20North Isle / ReefPV23 Dioxazine Violet
21Sunset / PineapplePY83 Diarylide Yellow HR
22Lush / SunsetPR81 Rhodamine 6G
23Wild Berry / OceanPB27 Prussian Blue
24Cacao / TikiPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PBk9 Bone Black

Decadent Pies
This was the second set I tried and I love these colours - sooo good for sketching beach scenes or anything 'earthy'. Some beautiful, deep, soulful colours herein. I have given two sets of names here - the first name for each colour is the original name, and the second one is the 2018 onwards name.
BUY ONLINE: US$20.57
BUY ONLINE: £18.42





NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
25Frosting / White Mocha PW20 Mica
26Silver Pearl / Earl GreyPW20 Mica
PBk9 Bone Black
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
27Praline / Pischahio CreamPW20 Mica
PY83 Diarylide Yellow HR
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
Rich Gold
28Rose Petal / Guava MeringuePW20 Mica
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PO13 Benzidine Orange
Pale Gold
29Vanilla Cream / Banana Cream PY6 Titanium Dioxide
PY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
30Dark Chocolate / PecanPR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PO13 Benzidine Orange
PBk9 Bone Black
31Frappe / Peach CoblerPW6 Titanium Dioxide
PO13 Benzidine Orange
PY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
32Sweet Jam / ApplePR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
33Caramel / PumpkinPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB27 Prussian Blue
34Pistachio / KeylimePB27 Prussian Blue
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
35Blue Berry / BlackberryPB27 Prussian Blue
PBk9 Bone Black
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
36Berry Syrup / BlueberryPB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
Pastel Dreams
This was not a set that I enjoyed much at first as most colours are very opaque in nature and I found them a little heavy - but I've seen some beautiful lightweight use of them on Prima's Instagram feed with lovely dilute washes - I really need to try these out again! They are jolly ice-cream colours and I think they would be really useful for cardmakers.
BUY ONLINE: US$19.39
BUY ONLINE: £18.42





NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
37BrownPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB27 Prussian Blue
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
38ChocolatePR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PBk9 Bone Black
39CrimsonPO13 Benzidine Orange
PR112 Naphthol Red AS
40Rose PO13 Benzidine Orange
PR112 Naphthol Red AS
41LemonadePY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB27 Prussian Blue
42CitrusPY83 Diarylide Yellow HR
43BumblebeePY3 Hansa Yellow 10G
44Sea DreamPB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
45ParadisePG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
46Pool PartyPB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
47Icy SkyPB27 Prussian Blue
48Lilac RainPR81 Rhodamine 6G
Shimmering Lights
This set is full of metallics and is clearly intended to complete with the far more expensive FineTec metallic watercolours for brushed lettering. They'd be great for that or for card-making but not much use to traditional watercolourists.
BUY ONLINE: US$23.98
BUY ONLINE: £58.32 [may be cheaper at Art From The Heart]





NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
49GoldGOLD
50TwinkleGOLD/PALE GOLD
51AllureGOLD
52TreasurePB27 Prussian Blue
GOLD
53GlazePY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
54AntiquePR27 Prussian Blue
GOLD
55CopperedPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY83 Diarylide Yellow HR
PO13 Benzidine Orange
56FlarePY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
57DiscoPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
58GoldstonePO13 Benzidine Orange
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB27 Prussian Blue
59ChampagnePEARL
60ChandelierPEARL

Celestial
The set that never was. It was shipped to some reviewers in 2017 after a long delay but was never released formally though I think a few people did manage to buy sets from reviewers who had been sent it. For undisclosed reasons, it was quietly pulled by Prima. If I can get the pigment info I may add it for completeness.

NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
61Venus
62Comet
63Vega
64Aurora 
65Nebula
66Galactic
67Heavenly
68Stellar
69Luna
70Big Bang
71Nova
72Divina
Odyssey
This set was originally intended to be released with Celestial and then it was delayed and finally released. The colours are really interesting but I've yet to try it. Prima gave me two reds for 74 Rome - it is either made from PR57:1 and PV23 or PR170 and PV23, which I assume was a reformulation at some stage along the way.
BUY ONLINE: US$22.17
BUY ONLINE: £23.48


NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
73TokyoPR57:1 Lithol Rubine
PR170 Naphthol Red AS
74RomePR57:1 Lithol Rubine
OR
PR170 Naphthol Red AS
PV23 Dioxazine Violet
75AmsterdamPV23 Dioxazine Violet
PR122 Quinacridone Red
76Maui PR112 Naphthol Red AS
PO13 Benzidine Orange
77JordanPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
78CuscoPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PBk7 Lamp Black
79DubaiPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PO13 Benzidine Orange
PBk7 Lamp Black
80JamaicaPG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
81LondonPB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PB27 Prussian Blue
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
82IncaPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PO13 Benzidine Orange
83BudapestPR170 Naphthol Red AS
PO13 Benzidine Orange
PV23 Dioxazine Violet
PBk7 Lamp Black
84CalgaryPW6 Titanium White
Woodlands
One of the three sets released in early 2018 in the new packaging, this set is based around landscape colours and thus would be great for landscape sketching - though I've yet to try it myself.
BUY ONLINE: US$30.33
BUY ONLINE: £23.01



NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
85Sand RidgePY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PBk7 Lamp Black
86ShadowPBk7 Lamp Black
87CavernPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PBk7 Lamp Black
PB27 Prussian Blue
88Foxberry PR112 Naphthol Red AS
PB27 Prussian Blue
89PondPG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
90StreamPB27 Prussian Blue
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
91BearPY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
92MistPB27 Prussian Blue
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
93GreystonePBk7 Lamp Black
PY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
94DaylightPY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB27 Prussian Blue
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
95RedwoodPR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
96Deep MossPB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PB27 Prussian Blue
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
Essence
Whilst I have this set, I've yet to open it and try it. The colours are really beautiful and it could be useful for urban sketchers or cityscape painters.
BUY ONLINE: US$30.33
BUY ONLINE: TRY ART FROM THE HEART (UK)


NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
97AdorePR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PBk7 Lamp Black
98ChantPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
99EmotionPB27 Prussian Blue
PG7 Phthalocyanine Green Blue Shade
100Earth PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB27 Prussian Blue
101NamastePY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
102PonderPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PBk7 Lamp Black
103EternityPB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PB27 Prussian Blue
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
104NirvanaPB27 Prussian Blue
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
105UnitePR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PBk7 Lamp Black
106AwakePR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PY14 Arylide Yellow AAOT
107CreationPB29 Ultramarine Blue
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PR57:1 Lithol Rubine
108SerenityPY3 Hansa Yellow 10G
PB27 Prussian Blue

Complexion
This set is just a mix of colours from older sets put together to make a portrait set, so there is no point really in buying this if you already have all of the older sets, of course, but if you don't, this is a really useful portrait set. Note that some of the colours (12, 14, 24 and 31) have different names in Complexion than in their original sets as the paints in those sets have been renamed in 2018, but based on the material Prima has provided, they are the same pigment composition and they do look identical - the paints have not been changed, only the name.
BUY ONLINE: US$29.33
BUY ONLINE: £23.01


NumberPaint NamePigments and Notes
12BlackPBk9 Bone Black
14CoconutPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
24TikiPR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PBk9 Bone Black
31Peach Cobbler PW6 Titanium Dioxide
PO13 Benzidine Orange
PY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
41LemonadePY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB27 Prussian Blue
49GoldGOLD
87CavernPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PBk7 Lamp Black
PB27 Prussian Blue
91BearPY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
95RedwoodPR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB15:3 Phthalocyanine Blue Green Shade
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
98ChantPY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
101NamastePY42 Yellow Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PB29 Ultramarine Blue
105UnitePR101 Red Iron Oxide (Synthetic)
PY14 Diarylide Yellow AAOT
PR48:4 Permanent Red 2B
PBk7 Lamp Black

Friday 12 January 2018

Product Review - Jackson's brushes for acrylics and oils

Happy new year! I hope everyone had a bit of time off work and some rest and aren't finding the return to a normal routine quite as tough as I did but that's what you get for sleeping 17h a day over the break!



So, I have just posted a video in which I review the wonderful (and pretty) line of brushes for acrylic and oil from Jackson's Art Supplies. They have quite a number of different brushes and I have described them all below and included a link so that you can buy them. I also use some other products in this video, which I have also linked in case you are interested. The gold taklon brush I used in this video was from the economy line by Daler and Rowney "Simply", which are cheap and cheerful and come in multipacks - so I could not give you a normalised price for them. The Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Brush is from her short-handled set (1" flat, 3/4" flat, 3 Round, 6 Round) by Ranger.

In this video, I use cheap canvas panels - my favourite are the Jackson's one, which are quite economical but amazingly good quality compared to most "own brand" products. The heavy body paint I use is CRYLA - Daler and Rowney's professional brand. The fluid acrylic is by DecoArt Media.

To compare the brushes in terms of price and use, I've done a little table for you! You can buy these brushes using the links in the table to view each line OR you can scroll down where most of the lines have got sets you can buy very economically (many with free shipping!) - there are some really great deals INCLUDING a set that contains 1 of each of the Jackson's brushes (except for Onyx).


Vegan?LineFibre6 Flat costUses and notes
NoShiro White HogUnboiled white hog bristle£4.70bStiff and very high quality. Brief bleaching.
NoBlack HogBlack hog bristle£5.20cSofter than white hog but stiffer than black sable(e).
YesOnyxStiff mixed synthetic£5.20aShort handled, stiff, well suited to both fluid and heavy-body paints.
YesShinkuRed soft synthetic£6.20bHas good spring. Softer than hog.
YesAkoyaStiff white synthetic£6.20bDeveloped as a "vegan hog" and really delivers. Stiff.
YesProcrylAcrylic£6.30dSpringy and absorbent so can be used for v fluid washes.
Comparison brushes:
NoCRYLAMedium stiffness synthetic£9.50cSynthetic. The professional acrylic brush by Daler and Rowney.
NoMonarchFaux mongoose£12.15cStiffer than sable but softer than hog. Good snap. Winsor and Newton

FOOTNOTES
The prices given are for a 6 flat (about 1/2" or 1.25cm wide) where available but not every brand sells every shape of brush, so the full details are:
a - price for a 1/2" flat.
b - price for a 6 bright.
c - price for a 6 flat.
d - price for a 6 long flat.
e - "black sable" really means polecat ("fitch") hair.

PLEASE NOTE Jackson's offer FREE international shipping for any brush-only orders valued at £20 or more which is an absolute bargain! You can buy any of the brushes mentioned here using the links below.

Jackson's Oil and Acrylic Comparison Set
[£23.00 or US$31.59 or EUR25.90 - this set is eligible for free international shipping as long as you don't buy any non-brush products in your order]
This is a great idea - a set of 5 number 6 flat brushes in Black hog, Shiro white hog, Shinku, Akoya and Procryl, which is a great way to test out all of the different fibres (except for Onyx) economically and given you get free shipping, what's not to love? I think this would also make a great gift. Not suitable for vegans (contains hog). If you want to compare different brush shapes rather than fibres, try the Procryl set (scroll down a little).

Jackson's Shiro White Hog Set of 5 Brushes
[£15.00 or US$20.60 or EUR16.89]
I was really impressed with the quality of the white hog brushes especially when you consider the price - these are professional quality brushes at the price you might usually pay for student grade ones. This set contains 5 Shiro white hog brushes: a 4 Round, 1 Bright, 6 Bright, 2 Filbert and 8 Filbert. This would again be a great gift for an oil or acrylic artist of any level, or just a good way to try out this line. If you buy them with the set below, you can get a really good flavour of the Shiro line AND get free shipping anywhere worldwide! Not suitable for vegans (contains hog). If you are looking for a vegan alternative, look at the "Akoya" line (below).

Jackson's Shiro White Hog Set of 7 Brushes
[£39.00 or US$53.54 or EUR43.91 - this set is eligible for free international shipping as long as you don't buy any non-brush products in your order]
As I said in the blurb for the above set, the quality of Shiro for the price is fantastic. This set contains 7 Shiro white hog brushes: 1 Round, 6 Round, 12 Round, 4 Bright, 10 Bright, 6 Filbert and 12 Filbert - which makes it a REALLY useful and "complete" or well-rounded set in my view! Coupling it with the set above would leave you with a totally perfect set for any artist from beginner to pro in terms of just about all the useful brush sizes and shapes. Not suitable for vegans (contains hog). If you are looking for a vegan alternative, look at the "Akoya" line (below).

Jackson's Black Hog Set of 4 Brushes
[£15.00 or US$20.60 or EUR16.89]
This is a little less stiff than white hog and this set has 4 Black Hog brushes: 2 Round, 6 Round, 6 Flat, 8 Filbert. Coupling it with the below set would leave you with a totally perfect set for any artist from beginner to pro in terms of just about all the useful brush sizes and shapes. Not suitable for vegans (contains hog). If you are looking for a vegan alternative, look at the "Onyx" or "Procryl" lines (below).

Jackson's Black Hog Set of 7 Brushes
[£39.00 or US$53.54 or EUR43.91 - this set is eligible for free international shipping as long as you don't buy any non-brush products in your order]
Per the above set, this is a softer bristle than white hog and this set contains 7 Black Hog brushes: 2 Round, 4 Round, 10 Round, 4 Flat, 10 Flat, 6 Filbert, 10 Filbert they are worth almost £55 (US$75.50, EUR61.88) if bought individually! Not suitable for vegans (contains hog). If you are looking for a vegan alternative, look at the "Onyx" or "Procryl" lines (below).

Jackson's Shinku Red Synthetic Set of 4 Brushes
[£15.00 or US$20.60 or EUR16.89]
These are a very nice red synthetic with a lot of snap to them and the very glossy fibre means the brushes glide through the paint and gives you work a very smooth and clean look. This set contains 4 Shinku red synthetic brushes: 0 Round, 6 Round, 8 Bright, 4 Filbert. 100% vegan friendly!

Jackson's Shinku Red Synthetic Set of 9 Brushes
[£39.00 or US$53.54 or EUR43.91 - this set is eligible for free international shipping as long as you don't buy any non-brush products in your order]
These are a very nice red synthetic with a lot of snap to them and the very glossy fibre means the brushes glide through the paint and gives you work a very smooth and clean look. This set contains 9 Shinku red synthetic brushes: 0 Round, 2 Round, 6 Round, 10 Round, 4 Bright, 8 Bright, 12 Bright, 2 Filbert, 10 Filbert - this is a pretty complete selection of brushes and they are worth almost £55 (US$75.50, EUR61.88) if bought individually! 100% vegan friendly! 

Jackson's Akoya White Synthetic Bristle Set of 4 Brushes
[£15.00 or US$20.60 or EUR16.89]
A perfect vegan alternative to white hog! This set contains 4 Akoya white synthetic bristle brushes: 2 Round, 6 Round, 6 Bright, 4 Filbert, which is a nice selection to get started with, or you can buy the larger set (below) if you want a bit more flexibility - but this would make a nice gift for a student of oil or acrylic painting, particularly a vegan student or anyone else just trying to avoid using hog. 100% vegan friendly!

Jackson's Akoya White Synthetic Bristle Set of 6 Brushes
[£39.00 or US$53.54 or EUR43.91 - this set is eligible for free international shipping as long as you don't buy any non-brush products in your order]
A perfect vegan alternative to white hog! This set contains 6 Akoya white synthetic bristle brushes: 0 Round, 6 Round, 4 Bright, 12 Bright, 4 Filbert, 10 Filbert - a really useful selection and a perfect gift too! 100% vegan friendly!

Jackson's Procryl Set of 4 Brushes
[£23.50 or US$32.27 or EUR26.46 - this set is eligible for free international shipping as long as you don't buy any non-brush products in your order]
This is another great value set, again with free shipping as an option. This contains 4 Procryl brushes: a 6 Bright6 Filbert6 Long Flat and 6 Round. Again, a great way to try a new fibre out. 100% vegan friendly.