da Vinci SILK STAR Series 806 silk painting brush, onion-shaped tip

da Vinci SILK STAR Series 806 – silk painting brush with onion-shaped tip

The SILK STAR Series 806 silk painting brush from da Vinci is designed for silk painting and for washes with watercolours and textile paints on fabric and paper. The black ox ear hairs are bound into an onion-shaped tip. The hairs are soft and highly absorbent, so the brush picks up plenty of paint and releases it evenly. Use the tip for fine lines and the belly of the brush for larger areas.

According to da Vinci, the ferrule is a so-called silver ferrule, and the wooden handle is short and polished white. The short handle sits in the hand in the classic way. Choose your size from the options.

Working with the brush

Dip the brush into the paint and lightly wipe it off on the rim of the container. Then place the tip on the stretched silk: the paint flows from the brush into the fabric and keeps spreading there. If you apply a second colour right next to it, the shades blend into one another. This creates soft gradients and abstract effects. The most common mistake is too much paint on the brush, which then runs uncontrollably out of the area. If colours are to stop at a line, mark off the area first with a gutta outline.

Choosing and caring for the brush

Series 806 comes in several sizes. The larger the brush, the more paint it holds. Use smaller sizes for details and fine lines, larger ones for areas and backgrounds. After painting, rinse the brush in lukewarm water, reshape the tip and leave it to dry lying flat. Do not leave it standing in water with the hairs pointing down, as the tip will bend.

da Vinci SILK STAR Series 806 product details

• Manufacturer: da Vinci, Series 806 SILK STAR
• Brush type: onion brush with onion-shaped tip
• Hair: black ox ear hair, soft
• Ferrule: silver ferrule
• Handle: wood, short, polished white
• Paint type: watercolours and textile paints
• Surface: paper and fabric
• Use: silk painting, washes

You will also need: silk, textile or watercolour paints, water jar, stretched silk, fabric or paper