Isabey Syrus

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A while ago, I bought a few brushes from Isabey, specifically their mixed-hair marten/synthetic brush called Syrus. It was a spontaneous purchase, mostly to get free shipping on a larger order. The brushes I bought were two rounds, sizes 4 and 8. Since they arrived, they have quickly become my favorites among small brushes.

Isabey is a French manufacturer renowned for its high-end artist brushes of exceptional quality. Every part of the production is handmade. It takes seven years for an apprentice to learn the craft, and even then they do not get to make the finest brushes — that work is left to the truly skilled artisans.

Handmade brushes made with only the finest materials naturally make Isabey brushes expensive. But Syrus, which is made of both marten and synthetic fibers, is still reasonably priced. In Sweden, a size 4 costs a little over 100 SEK (≈$10), and roughly twice that for size 8. In the rest of Europe, prices are similar, whereas in the USA you have to pay roughly double.

The metal ferrule is nickel-plated brass and has a smoothly tapering shape that looks modern and slightly unusual. The varnished wooden handle is designed to resemble a more precious type of wood. The brushes have a painted gold ring, and the lettering on them is also gold-colored. Unfortunately, the gold paint wears off quickly — the ring disappears and only illegible traces of the lettering remain after just a few uses. If you acquire the brush and want to preserve the gold paint, I recommend protecting it with something like fixative or varnish. (Which, of course, every artist has at home!)

(A parenthetical note about the brushes’ appearance: What I initially thought was a unique and exclusive design has, over time, become in my view somewhat flattering and a little kitschy. But of course, but you don’t paint with the appearance of the brush.)

The brushes are available as standard rounds, riggers, and flats. They are likely intended as detail brushes — the largest round size is 12, the flat goes up to size 10, and the largest rigger is 4.

The brushes are incredibly pointed, and this is the main feature that makes them excellent for detailed work. Combined with really good spring, they deliver fantastic results for fine lines. They also work very well for subtle dry brush, but keep in mind that this technique puts wear on the brush.

They do not hold a lot of liquid. The combination with synthetic fibers is the reason for this limitation, which the manufacturer also clearly mentions on their website — it is reassuring when a maker does not try to hide weaknesses. However, liquid retention is not as important for small brushes used for fine detail; in fact, you often want to release the liquid to achieve a fine point.

The paint delivery is also excellent. The brushes lay down paint evenly along a long stroke, even at the end when lifting the brush — something synthetic brushes always struggle with.

In summary, the Isabey Syrus is an excellent brush for fine details and nearly unmatched for thin lines. It performs as well as my Da Vinci Maestro and W&N Series 7 (both size 4), which is impressive for a brush that costs about a third of those. I highly recommend it for anyone who occasionally needs to create really fine detail in their paintings.