Rosemary & Co Artists Brushes: The World's Finest Handmade Artist Brushes

Rosemary and Co is a family-run brush-making business based in the Yorkshire village of Cowling, England, and it has quietly become one of the most respected names in professional artist brushes worldwide. Founded by Rosemary Thompson in the 1980s, the company operates from a converted farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales and employs a small team of skilled craftspeople who make every brush by hand using traditional techniques. In an industry dominated by large manufacturers who have moved production to lower-cost regions, Rosemary and Co remains committed to making brushes in Yorkshire, by hand, to a standard that professional artists consistently describe as exceptional.

The company's reputation has spread almost entirely through word of mouth among working painters. Watercolourists, oil painters, portrait artists, and miniaturists around the world have discovered Rosemary and Co through recommendations from fellow artists, and the response is consistently the same: these brushes perform at a level that rivals or exceeds brushes costing significantly more from better-known brands.

The Craft Behind Every Brush

What makes Rosemary and Co brushes genuinely different from most commercially produced brushes is the degree of hand skill involved in their manufacture. Each brush is made individually by a craftsperson who selects, combs, and shapes the hair or fibre before binding it to the ferrule and handle. This hands-on process allows for quality control at every stage that automated production simply cannot replicate.

The most prized brushes in the range use kolinsky sable, the gold standard hair for artist brushes. Kolinsky sable comes from the tail of the Siberian weasel and is valued for its unique combination of properties: a fine, tapered point that holds a precise tip, a full belly that carries a generous load of paint or water, and a natural spring that returns the brush to its original shape after each stroke. These properties make kolinsky sable watercolour brushes the preferred choice of professional watercolourists worldwide, and Rosemary and Co's kolinsky sable brushes are among the finest examples of the type available at any price.

The company's Series 33 Kolinsky Sable Pointed Rounds are the most popular brushes in the range and have earned a devoted following among watercolourists for their combination of a sharp, reliable point, excellent water-carrying capacity, and the characteristic spring of high-quality kolinsky hair. Artists who have used these brushes alongside brushes from major brands costing two or three times as much consistently report that the Rosemary and Co brushes match or outperform them.

The Full Range

Rosemary and Co produces brushes for every major painting medium and a range of specialist applications. The watercolour range is the most extensive, covering pointed rounds, flat washes, mops, riggers, fans, and specialty shapes in kolinsky sable, squirrel hair, synthetic, and blended fibre options. The oil painting range includes hogs hair brushes in traditional shapes, softer hair brushes for blending and glazing, and long-handled brushes suited to working at an easel. The acrylic range covers the synthetic and blended options that hold up to the abrasive nature of acrylic paint while maintaining good spring and point retention.

Beyond the standard ranges, Rosemary and Co offers a number of specialist brushes that are difficult to find elsewhere. The Ivory series uses a synthetic fibre that closely mimics the properties of ivory miniature brushes, making it a favourite among miniaturists and botanical illustrators who need exceptional point precision at very small sizes. The Ebony pointed rounds are designed for detailed work in any medium and have become popular with illustrators and graphic artists who need a brush that holds a consistent fine point through extended use.

The company also offers custom brush making for artists with specific requirements. If you need a brush in a particular size, shape, or hair type that is not in the standard catalogue, Rosemary and Co will make it for you. This service is used by professional artists, art schools, and restorers who have requirements that standard commercial brushes do not meet.

Pricing That Reflects Value, Not Brand Premium

One of the most striking things about Rosemary and Co is the pricing. Kolinsky sable brushes of comparable quality from major brands like Winsor and Newton's Series 7 or Da Vinci's Maestro range typically cost significantly more than equivalent Rosemary and Co brushes. The reason is straightforward: Rosemary and Co does not spend money on advertising, retail distribution margins, or the brand premium that comes with a globally recognised name. The money goes into materials and craftsmanship instead.

This does not mean the brushes are cheap. A quality kolinsky sable brush is a significant investment regardless of who makes it, and Rosemary and Co's prices reflect the genuine cost of high-quality materials and skilled hand labour. But for the quality delivered, the value is exceptional. Many professional artists who have switched to Rosemary and Co report that they now spend less on brushes while working with better tools.

Ordering and Shipping

Rosemary and Co sells exclusively through their website at rosemaryandco.com, with no retail distribution through third-party stores. This direct model keeps prices lower and ensures that every order is fulfilled from current stock. The company ships internationally, and orders to the United States, Australia, Canada, and continental Europe are common. Shipping times vary by destination, but the company's customer service is responsive and the packaging is careful enough that brushes arrive in perfect condition.

The website is straightforward and well-organised, with brushes grouped by medium, hair type, and series. Each brush listing includes the dimensions of the brush head, which is genuinely useful information that many manufacturers omit. Knowing the exact length and diameter of a brush head before buying is particularly important for watercolourists who are selecting brushes for specific techniques.

Why Professional Artists Choose Rosemary and Co

The consistent thread running through professional artists' accounts of Rosemary and Co brushes is surprise. Artists who order their first Rosemary and Co brush expecting a competent but unremarkable product are regularly surprised to find that it performs as well as or better than brushes they have been using for years at higher prices. The point holds, the spring is right, the hair is clean and consistent, and the brush does what a good brush should do: it gets out of the way and lets you paint.

For watercolourists in particular, the quality of the brush is not a minor detail. A watercolour brush that loses its point mid-stroke, that releases paint unevenly, or that lacks the spring to return to shape after each mark will actively interfere with the work. A brush that behaves predictably and precisely becomes an extension of the artist's intention rather than an obstacle to it. Rosemary and Co brushes, at their best, achieve this quality consistently.

The Bottom Line

Rosemary and Co represents one of the best value propositions in professional art supplies. Handmade in Yorkshire by a small team of skilled craftspeople, using the finest available materials, and sold directly to artists at prices that reflect genuine value rather than brand premium, these brushes belong in the kit of any serious painter. Whether you work in watercolour, oil, acrylic, or a specialist medium, the Rosemary and Co range almost certainly includes a brush that will improve your experience of painting.