Daler-Rowney’s paintbrush factory in La Romana, Dominican Republic.
Daler-Rowney is renowned as a world-leading, fine arts materials supplier. With its unique heritage and
expertise, the company has provided quality art materials since 1783! It is one of the last remaining
manufacturers of colours in the UK and also has a brush factory in The Dominican Republic as well as a paper
transforming factory in Wareham, Dorset.
Finished heads
Finished brushes ready
for packing.
Daler-Rowney’s brush making
technique requires skill and
expertise. It takes between
twelve and eighteen months of
training to learn the craftsmanship
to make brush heads; nearly all
the steps in the production
process are carried out by hand.
Step 1: Hair Mixing Process.
While some paint brushes are created using natural hair such as red sable, kolinsky or squirrel hair, others are
made with pure (or hog) bristles. Other brushes may be made using mixtures of natural hair and synthetic
filaments or a blend of different thicknesses and colours of synthetic filaments.
The hair is weighed and split into units ready to be mixed in a special machine which runs for approximately
twenty-five minutes per half kilo batch. Subsequently, the hair is prepared into bundles which are dressed in
preparation for the craftsmanship of the brush maker. There is only a point on one end of each hair or fibre and it
is critical to ensure that all hairs are pointing in the same direction! Any hair which is upside down is manually
removed from the bundle using sticky tape.
Preparation of hair bundles after
machine mixing.
www.daler-rowney.com
01344 461000
Bundles of finished hair mix
ready for the brushmaker.
Machine pressing of ferrules for large
size flats after shaping by brushmaker.
Daler-Rowney Ltd, Peacock Lane, Bracknell, Berkshire. RG12 8SS
Step 2: Brush Making Process.
This is a very important stage in the production process. The craftsman pinches a precise amount of hair from an
opened bundle which has been laid out on a table with all points facing the same way. The tuft of hair is inserted
into a shaping cup, pointing downwards. If the brush is to be round, the cup is concave on the inside and if the
brush is to be flat, the cup is flat on the inside.
The shaped heads are hung on a rack to be cemented. Epoxy adhesive is injected into the open back of the
ferrule. The tufts of hair are now permanently fixed in the ferrule ready for assembly.
The points of hair are tapped
into shape then the shaped tufts
of hair are withdrawn from the
cup and inserted into a ferrule
and pulled out to correct the
length. The shaped heads are
then gently adjusted by trained
craftsman’s fingers.
Adding glue to the tip of a handle before
attaching hand tied squirrel tuft and quill.
Removal of the tuft of hair
from shaping cup.
Step 3: Handle Dipping Process:
Handle lacquering of plain wood is a continuous process; a base painting mixture is readied using thinners to
obtain the correct viscosity in preparation for handle dipping.
Pinning plainwood handles to dipping
boards prior to lacquering.
Inverted boards of dipped handles which
are drying.
Board of handles lifting from a dip tank
where gold colour has been applied to the
tip.
If required, handles are cut to size and then arranged so that they face the same way prior to being pressed into
pin-boards (for larger handles) or into rubber boards (for smaller handles). The board is held upside down so that
the handles are dipped into the paint. They are then carefully removed before being loaded onto a trolley and left
to dry.
The paint for each layer is prepared while the previous coat dries for a couple of hours. Depending on the brush
style, between four and ten layers may be required, at the end of the process each board is left to dry for one to
two days.
Pad printing of the lacquered handles is carried out prior to final assembly. A pad printing machine is set with the
artwork and specified paint with the correct colour for stamping before the handle is positioned and stamped on
both front and the back.
www.daler-rowney.com
01344 461000
Daler-Rowney Ltd, Peacock Lane, Bracknell, Berkshire. RG12 8SS
Step 4: Assembling and Finishing Process:
The assembly process consists of a second application of epoxy into the ferrule prior to the insertion of the
lacquered and imprinted handle. The handles are subsequently straightened and allowed to partly cure. The
ferrule is then crimped to the handle.
Finishing consists of combing any twisted hair, fine trimming and or knifing of any stray hairs or fine fuzz. Finally,
the brushes are dipped in gum Arabic solution and hand formed to shape. The finished products are then
packaged ready for dispatch and distribution.
Brushes being dipped in gum Arabic
solution
Crimped brushes being hand trimmed
Finished and inspected brushes being
assembled into wallet sets.
To see our range of brushes, please visit our website http://www.daler-rowney.com/en/content/brushes
Glossary / Definitions:
Ferrule
Long metal ring which holds the hair and strengthens the end of the handle
Pin-board
Board to which the handles are attached before dipping in paint solution
Pad printing machine
Printing machine used to print branding and other details onto the brush handles
Gum Arabic
A solution used to protect brushes during packing and distribution
Crimping Machine
Machine used to attach the ferrule to the brush handle
Cement
Usually a two part epoxy adhesive used in the production process
Tuft
Bundle of hair
www.daler-rowney.com
01344 461000
Daler-Rowney Ltd, Peacock Lane, Bracknell, Berkshire. RG12 8SS