Creative Mark: Synthetic Brushes That Punch Above Their Price

Creative Mark is not really a retailer in the traditional sense. It is a brush brand distributed primarily through Jerry's Artarama and available on Amazon and Target. There is no standalone Creative Mark store. The brand's value proposition is simple: make synthetic brushes that mimic natural hair performance at a fraction of the cost. For the most part, they succeed.

The Mimik line is the flagship, and it has expanded significantly since its original sable-replication focus. The range now includes Mimik Squirrel, Mimik Hog, and the Ebony Splendor series, covering watercolour, oil, and acrylic painters. If you have ever balked at paying £80 for a genuine kolinsky sable brush, Creative Mark wants your attention.

The Mimik Line: What Actually Performs

Mimik Squirrel (Watercolour)

The Mimik Squirrel brushes are designed to replicate squirrel and kolinsky sable hair for watercolour. The synthetic blend holds a significant amount of water, which matters for large washes. The set of 12 includes Filbert 1/2", Flat Wash 3/4", Rigger size 2, Round sizes 2/4/8/12, Fan size 4, Script Liner size 8, Washmate 2", Oval Wash 3/4", and Jumbo Wash Small. That is a comprehensive watercolour toolkit in one purchase.

The brushes feature blue-grey stained wooden handles with matte nickel-plated brass ferrules. The build quality is solid for the price point. The synthetic fibres do not hold quite as much water as genuine squirrel, and the snap is slightly different, but the performance gap is narrower than the price gap. A genuine squirrel wash brush can cost £60 to £120. A Mimik Squirrel set of 12 costs less than a single premium natural hair brush.

Mimik Hog (Oil and Acrylic)

The Mimik Hog line replaces natural hog bristle with synthetic filaments for oil and acrylic painters. The claim is that these brushes outperform natural hog bristle, and in some respects they do. The synthetic filaments are easier to clean, do not absorb paint in the way natural hair does, and maintain their shape through heavy use. The nickel-plated brass ferrules with black electroplated finish and long lacquered wood handles feel professional.

The trade-off is that synthetic hog bristle lacks the natural split-end flagging that gives natural hog bristle its characteristic paint-carrying capacity. The Mimik Hog brushes carry less paint per load than genuine hog bristle, which means more trips to the palette. For impasto and heavy-body work, this matters. For thinner applications and detail work, the difference is negligible.

Ebony Splendor (Acrylic and Oil)

The Ebony Splendor series is positioned as a professional-quality synthetic brush for acrylic and oil painting. The filaments are designed to maintain their shape through heavy use and resist the stiffening that plagues cheaper synthetic brushes. In practice, the Ebony Splendor brushes are reliable working studio brushes. They will not replace a top-tier Isabey or Raphael brush, but they cost a quarter of the price and perform well enough for daily studio use.

How Creative Mark Compares

Against Rosemary and Co (our review), Creative Mark loses on build quality and natural hair options. Rosemary and Co makes genuine sable, squirrel, and hog brushes by hand in their UK workshop. If you want the real thing, Rosemary is the answer. But Rosemary's synthetic lines are priced higher than Creative Mark's, and for budget-conscious painters, the Mimik range offers comparable synthetic performance at lower cost.

Against da Vinci brushes, Creative Mark is a clear step down in quality. Da Vinci's Casaneo and Maestro lines are superior synthetic and natural hair brushes. They also cost two to three times as much.

Against cheap craft store brushes (Michaels house brand, Hobby Lobby generics), Creative Mark is a significant step up. The ferrules are better constructed, the filaments hold their shape longer, and the handles are properly balanced.

Value Sets and Bulk Options

Creative Mark offers curated sets that are genuinely good value:

• Try Me sets (4-5 brushes): Low-cost entry point to test a specific line before committing to a full set
• Set of 12 (Mimik Squirrel): Complete watercolour toolkit
• Deluxe 20 Piece Set with leather case (Mimik Hog): A comprehensive oil/acrylic set with a storage case
• Bulk Pack of 108 (Mimik assorted): Designed for classrooms and workshops. The per-brush cost at this volume is hard to beat.

For art educators and workshop leaders, the bulk packs make it economical to equip entire classes with quality synthetic brushes. This is where Creative Mark's value proposition is strongest.

Where to Buy

Creative Mark brushes are primarily available through:

• Jerry's Artarama: The main distributor, with the full range and the best stock availability
• Amazon: Selected sets and individual brushes, often with free shipping for Prime members
• Target: A limited selection of Mimik sets, surprisingly

The brand does not sell directly through its own website in any meaningful way. This is worth knowing if you prefer to buy direct from manufacturers.

Insider Tips

• The Try Me sets are the smartest first purchase. Test the line with 4-5 brushes before investing in a full set. If the synthetic feel does not work for your technique, you have spent minimal money to find out.
• The Mimik Squirrel brushes work better on rough and cold-pressed paper than on hot-pressed. The synthetic fibres are slightly stiffer than natural squirrel, which can scratch hot-pressed surfaces if you press too hard.
• The Mimik Hog brushes clean more easily than natural bristle. If you hate cleaning brushes, this is a genuine advantage, not a marketing claim.
• The bulk 108-pack is real. It is aimed at schools and workshops, but if you paint a lot and go through brushes, the per-brush cost is lower than anything else at this quality level.
• Free shipping on orders over $59 through Jerry's Artarama. Plan your purchases to hit that threshold.

Final Verdict: Who Is This Actually For?

Budget-conscious painters who need synthetic brushes that perform above their price point. The Mimik line is not a replacement for premium natural hair brushes, but it is the best synthetic alternative at this price level.

Art educators and workshop leaders should look at the bulk packs. Equipping a class of 20 students with quality synthetic brushes is affordable and practical.

Watercolourists who want genuine sable performance should look at Rosemary and Co or da Vinci instead. The Mimik Squirrel is good, but it is not kolinsky sable, and no synthetic currently on the market fully replicates that experience.

Painters who are ethically opposed to natural hair brushes will find Creative Mark's entire range appealing. The Mimik line is explicitly designed as an animal-friendly alternative, and the performance is close enough that the ethical trade-off is reasonable.

Browse the full range at Jerry's Artarama or check our review of Jerry's Artarama for more on the retailer that carries Creative Mark products.