Monza® is one of the most unique brush series manufactured by Silver Brush Limited. Originally created to cater to world-class decorative artists like Debbie Cole, these brushes are now well-loved by a wide variety of painters within the artistic community.
What originally drew decorative artists to Monza® is its short-length-out synthetic mongoose filaments. The shorter length of the filament allows for tighter control over your strokes and the amount of paint you lay down. In addition, the synthetic filaments are extremely durable meaning artists can paint on nearly any surface they desire without fear of ruining their brush.
Monza® is known for its fantastic endurance, which is why oil painters like Maria Chernobrovkina love to use it for plein air paintings in harsh winter landscapes similar to the one pictured below. Lesser brushes would quickly be damaged in oil paints due to the harsher chemicals involved but Monza® holds up to even the most rigorous treatment. Just make sure to clean it with an odorless solvent when removing oil paint from the filaments!
Although acrylic and oil painters have been using Monza® for over 20 years, more recently it has become popular for gouache as well. Tina Druce-Hoffman, an artist known for her gouache paintings, says: “Many fantastic things can be said about the Monza® synthetic mongoose brushes. Aside from the filament’s phenomenal ability to spring back, they hold gouache remarkably well. They are fantastic at retaining their shape over long years of rugged use. Unlike some brands, theses filberts have a gentle dome and shorter filament which tends to offer multiple levels of control to the user. Their brights create sharp edges and thin lines. Whether I am working on florals or out plein air painting, I always find myself reaching for my trusty Silver Monza® filbert size #12 first.”
Monza® can be used for a variety of techniques including blending, double loading color, layering, wet-in-wet techniques, stroke work and so much more. A gentle scrub can lift color to create clouds or remove missteps. No matter which medium you are using, Monza® maintains its chiseled edge and sharp point when wet.
If you want to try out Monza® for yourself, visit our Store Locator to find a retailer near you or check out our list of online resellers and have the brushes delivered instead!
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