M8 Classical Set

M8ART (MateArt), born 1978, is a classically trained professional oil painter focused on layered painting techniques inspired by Old Masters. His work is rooted in realism, with a strong emphasis on light, form, and subtle transitions. Over the years, he has developed a personal workflow built on underpainting, glazing, and direct blending on the canvas. Alongside painting, he shares his experience through books, workshops, and educational content for artists worldwide. The M8 brush sets reflect the tools he uses daily in the studio — chosen through practice, not theory.

'My painting process is built on placing paint and shaping it directly on the canvas, layer by layer. For that reason, my brush selection is intentionally balanced between application and blending, without rigid boundaries between their roles. Many of these brushes are chosen for their universality, allowing an application brush to blend and a blending brush to quietly carry color when needed. This keeps the workflow slow, deliberate, and responsive, without constant tool switching. The focus stays where it belongs — on light, form, and the quiet transitions that give a painting its depth.'

Eclipse Long Flats

These are the brushes I reach for almost automatically when building my color layers. The long, springy hair holds plenty of paint and allows precise pressure control — from soft, transparent passes to fuller strokes. I never feel like I’m fighting the brush; I’m guiding it. They’re extremely durable, and even as they wear, they simply change character and remain fully usable.

Eclipse Short Flats

When I need to cover larger areas — like still-life backgrounds — without rough texture or visible brush marks, this is my choice. They handle thicker paint smoothly and quietly, without dragging the surface. Used dry, I often combine them with Long Flats for rough blending and soft transitions, making them a natural crossbreed between application and blending brushes.

Series 305 'Cat’s Tongue' Filbert

I primarily use these during the underpainting stage, especially with diluted umber. The synthetic hair holds paint beautifully, making this phase smooth and controlled. The pointed-yet-flat cat’s tongue shape allows both precise strokes and broader coverage simply by adjusting pressure, making it an extremely versatile underpainting tool.

M8 Red Dot Comber

This is the synthetic counterpart of my signature M8 brush, created for painters who work in layers and care deeply about transitions. Its specially shaped bristles produce a delicate, flower-like texture when blending, enhancing depth without flattening the paint. I use it to shape transitions with character, preserving the layered structure while gently unifying forms.

Red Dot Short Flats

Layered painting depends on subtle transitions from light into shadow, and those transitions demand excellent blending brushes. While pure sable is the classic choice, I wanted a high-quality synthetic alternative with similar softness and control. Smaller sizes are ideal for delicate edges, while larger brushes gently blend broader areas without destroying the layered surface.

Eclipse Filberts

This shape is ideal when I’m painting rounded forms and trying to capture real volume. Filberts allow me to model soft transitions naturally, without breaking the form with hard edges. I always keep a few of these in my arsenal, especially when painting juicy fruit, where smooth curvature and subtle value shifts matter most.

Classic Filberts

Even in classical painting, there are moments when you need to push thicker paint or load more color into an area, especially in backgrounds. That’s why I always keep classic filberts in my arsenal. I use them for rougher work when finesse isn’t the priority and the paint needs to move with confidence.

This set contains 10 brushes (all on Long Handles): 

BRUSH TYPE / SERIES	SIZE
Eclipse. Long Flats	2	4.5	17.8
Eclipse. Long Flats	3	5.8	18.6
Eclipse. Short Flats	10	20.3	22.8
Series 305. Filbert 'Cats Tongue'	2	2.4	7.3
Series 305. Filbert 'Cats Tongue'	4	3	9.1
M8 Red Dot. Combers	1/8"	4.1	7.8
Red Dot. Short Flats	2	3.45	6.2
Red Dot. Short Flats	3	5.4	8.75
Eclipse. Filberts	2	4.4	11.3
Classic. Filberts	10	19.5	34.1

All measurements shown in mm.