Trekell Insights

More Than Just Art Supplies

Painting techniques, advice from working artists, creative inspiration, and a closer look at the tools behind the work.

Julie Beck holding up a handful of Trekell Hog Bristle brushes in her studio.
Newest Post

Why Realist Painters Should Use Hog Bristle Brushes

Hog bristle brushes are not just for thick paint and bold brushstrokes. Trekell Pro Team Artist Julie Beck uses them to establish thin first layers, focus on larger shapes and keep herself from getting...

More From the Blog

David Rice wearing glasses and a green cap, holding two Trekell brushes across and beside his face, with colorful artwork behind him.
How To

How to Get More From a Bright Paint Brush

One brush shape can do more than you might expect. Trekell Pro Team Artist David Rice uses Golden Taklon Bright brushes for broad coverage, precise marks and soft transitions in oil paint. His approach...

A hand uses a paintbrush to shade a portrait on an oval wooden panel, showing a pale face with dark hair, red lips, and a tear on one cheek.
How To

How to Prepare a Wood Panel for Pastel

Trekell wood panels are not just for paint. With the right surface preparation, they can become a stable, textured support for pastel, drawing and other dry media. Trekell Pro Team Artist Kate Zambrano uses...

Brush dips into an open Trekell Brush Restorer jar.
How To

How to Restore Splayed Synthetic Paint Brushes

Before you replace a brush with bent, splayed or misshapen bristles, try restoring it. Trekell Pro Team Artist Stefani Rabideaux shares a simple brush-care routine using Trekell Brush Soap, simmering water and Trekell Brush...

Todd M. Casey, featured in What You Can Learn by Painting with Just One Brush
How To

What You Can Learn by Painting with Just One Brush

When Trekell Pro Team Artist Todd M. Casey painted red roses in a silver cup, he gave himself about 30 minutes and used only one brush: a Trekell #6 Golden Taklon Filbert. The goal...

Synthetic paintbrush example used in Trekell's brush-quality guide.
Paintbrushes

What Makes a High-Quality Synthetic Paint Brush?

Not all synthetic paint brushes are made the same. In a recent Trekell live webinar, Pro Team Artist Eric Johnson went under the microscope to show how filament diameter, taper and texture affect the...

Pencil drawings of a woman and a skeleton on a pointed two-part wood panel.
How To

How to Tell One Story Across Two Panels

A diptych gives an artist a distinctive challenge. Each panel needs to stand on its own, but together the two sides should become something more. For Trekell Pro Team Artist Danica Sills, that challenge...

Black-and-white cat with open mouth beside a striped microphone against yellow.
Artists

2026 Trekell Pet Portrait Competition Winners

Meet the Winners of the 2026 Trekell Pet Portrait CompetitionEvery year, the Trekell Pet Portrait Competition gives us the chance to see what artists can do with the same starting point: one panel and...

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