Brusho Crystal Colour Deals: Compare Sale Prices & Find the Best Discount UK

Every so often an art material comes along that makes people gasp the first time they use it, and Brusho is one of them. Sprinkle a few grains of these crystal colour powders onto wet paper and they explode into bursts of intense colour, spreading, blooming and mixing in ways you simply can’t get from tube or pan paint. It’s suprisingly addictive, and once you’ve seen it happen, it’s easy to understand why Brusho has such a loyal following among UK artists.

Brusho is made by Colourcraft, a British company based in Sheffield that has been making colour and adhesive products for decades. That British heritage is part of the appeal. Brusho has long been a staple in UK school art rooms, which is where a lot of people first come across it, but it’s also found a huge following among watercolour painters, mixed-media artists, card makers and crafters who love its vivid, unpredictable effects.

So what actually is it? Brusho is a highly concentrated, water-based colour powder, sold in small pots of crystals. The magic happens when it meets water. There are two main ways to use it. The first, and the most dramatic, is to wet your paper and then sprinkle the dry crystals directly onto the surface. As each crystal dissolves it blooms into a burst of colour, and the more water on the paper, the further it spreads. Many artists pierce the little dimple in the lid so the pot works like a shaker. The second way is to mix the powder with water to make a liquid colour you can use with a brush, a dropper or a spray bottle, much like an ink or a very intense watercolour. A tiny amount goes a long way, so a 15g pot lasts far longer than you’d expect.

Brusho also works beautifully alongside other techniques. Salt, cling film and lifting with kitchen roll all give interesting results, just as they do with watercolour. Artists mix it into acrylic mediums and gesso for mixed-media work, and some even mix it with alcohol to make their own alcohol inks. It’s popular for backgrounds, abstract work, cards, journals and anywhere you want a burst of bright colour without fuss. One thing to know is that Brusho is highly staining. Once it dries on paper, it’s very hard to lift, so if you want to remove colour, do it while it’s still wet. It stains hands too, so wearing gloves is a good idea.

The range is simple to understand. Brusho comes in individual pots in 15g, 50g and 100g sizes, and in sets of 8, 12 and 24 colours made up of 15g pots. Colours include brilliant reds, scarlet, purple, violet, turquoise, emerald and leaf green, yellows, ultramarine, Prussian blue, cobalt blue, browns, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, black, grey and white. Themed sets, such as bright colours and autumnal colours, are a great way to start. If you find yourself using one colour a lot, the larger 50g and 100g pots are much better value.

There’s one honest caveat. Brusho isn’t known for being lightfast, which means colours may fade over time if work is displayed in bright light. That doesn’t matter for sketchbooks, journals, cards, practice and fun, but if you’re planning to sell original paintings made with Brusho, it’s worth testing a sample in a sunny window first, and framing finished work behind UV-protective glass.

In sixteen years in the art supplies industry, including nearly a decade running digital marketing at ARTdiscount, I’ve seen Brusho win people over again and again, often artists who’d never heard of it before. It also comes up regularly in our community of 36,000 UK artists at Discount Art Supplies, and it’s one of the brands people search for on our own site. With two kids at home who think Brusho is basically magic, I can definetly see why it’s so popular in schools.

Getting the best deal on Brusho comes down to a few things. First, compare prices before you buy. Individual pots are inexpensive, but prices for sets vary noticeably between retailers, and our comparison above checks Cass Art, Jackson’s, Amazon and others in real time. Second, think about sets versus individual pots. A set is the easiest way to start, but if you know which colours you’ll use most, buying individual pots, especially in larger sizes, can work out cheaper in the long run. Third, check delivery costs, as small, light items like Brusho pots are often cheaper to buy as part of a larger order to reach free delivery thresholds. And finally, keep an eye out for sales. Brusho sets are regularly discounted, especially around back-to-school and Black Friday.

A few questions come up again and again. How do you use Brusho? Either sprinkle the dry crystals onto wet paper, or mix the powder with water and paint with it like ink or watercolour. Is Brusho the same as watercolour? Not quite. It’s a concentrated water-based colour powder that behaves in a similar way, but it’s more intense, more unpredictable and much more staining. Is Brusho lightfast? It isn’t known for lightfastness, so test before selling work and keep finished pieces out of direct sunlight. What paper should you use with Brusho? A good watercolour paper works best, as it can handle the amount of water involved without buckling.

Brusho is one of the most joyful materials in any art cupboard, and a little goes a very long way. Looking for a Brusho sale, discount or discount code? Check the price comparisons above, updated in real time, and you’ll always know you’re getting the best current UK price.