Winsor & Newton has been making brushes for over 100 years and over this time, the scale of both the range and the output of artists' brushes has increased many-fold to meet the demands of discriminating artists all over the world.

Winsor & Newton brushes continue to be hand-made, using high grade materials such as:

Brush Making Materials: Either natural hair, natural bristle, or synthetic fibres intended to simulate the working characteristics of the first two. Bristle and hair are similar in many respects except that (i) hair has a single, individual point, while bristle has a number of natural tips called "flags"; and (ii) bristle is less flexible but more durable, making it particularly suited to oil painting. Bristle brushes wear well when used on comparatively coarse surfaces commonly used for oil painting and the "flags' hold considerably more paint.

Ferrules: Should be strong, corrosion-resistant, and seamless. Consistency is important as the size of the brush head is determined by the diameter of the ferrule at the point the hair emerges.

Handles: The perfect brush handle is a mixture of weight, shape, balance and comfort, all of which vary according to the size and function of the brush.