Nestled in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, Skipton, lies a family business with a passion for artistry that has spanned three generations. Founded in 1973 by artist and art materials salesman Roy Thompson, Pro Arte has been crafting exceptional paintbrushes for over 50 years. Pro Arte's dedication to quality and innovation has resulted in a comprehensive range of brushes that cater to all artistic styles and mediums. Whether you're a seasoned professional or a budding artist just starting your creative journey, Pro Arte has the perfect brush to help you bring your vision to life. Join us as we take a peek behind the scenes and explore the fascinating world of brush-making at Pro Arte. Read more about the Pro Arte team here.
Every brush starts with the hair. Pro Arte have created their own specific hair mixes for each individual brush across all their ranges. This uses different grades of fibre suited to the characteristics of each brush series. Once the hair has been mixed, it’s tightly bundled, allowing the hair to be cut to the length needed for the brush
Pro Arte’s skilled brush makers then go on to produce the brush heads by hand. This consists of filling the ferrule with hair mix, before pulling it to a specified length. Brush makers either hand make or use the assistance of machines depending on the types of hair they are working with. Natural hair brushes, like Sable and Squirrel are more complex and utilise a cannon and a strong thread to tie the hair together and hand make their dome shape and point. Becoming a skilled brush maker at Pro Arte and mastering natural hair can take years. Synthetic brushes are made in a similar way, although the hair can be picked by using a machine- and their more slippery properties mean that they cannot be tied.
Once the brush heads have been made, the hair needs to be fixed into place. Pro Arte do this using a solvent based cement mixed to their own specification- too thick and it doesn’t run far enough into the hair , allowing them to come loose. Too thin and the glue runs right through, ruining the hairs.
Brush handles are then printed with their corresponding information that includes their series number, name, size and barcode. To do this, Pro Arte use pad print machines to transfer the information from a metal plate onto the brush handle.
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Pro Arte take pride in their high standard of brush making, working with a very close-knit team up in the Yorkshire dales to ensure that all the brushes are handmade and quality controlled. Read more about the makers of these unique paint brushes here.
But the brush making goes beyond the factory walls; working with art groups Yorkshire wide, Pro Arte are continuously developing and improving brush ranges to ensure that they perform in the best way possible. Read here
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