The Best Brella Umbrella

Five Best Brellas on the Beach

Best Brella uses the highest quaity umbrella and accessories available. It’s unique design is unmatched in performance or quality by any other art umbrella. Replacement parts are available.

1. 45” arc umbrella with a Reflective Silver exterior, Black Interior for maximum shade and cooling. For those who want less dense shade, we also offer a Semi-Translucent White umbrella. Both colors have wind vents.
2. Screw-on handle allows umbrella to be used as normal, hand-held umbrella when desired
3. Two 20” screw-on extension poles allow for an umbrella height up to 5 feet 6 inches above the clamp
4. Big-jaw clamp opens to 2.5”and clamps to flat, round, or angled surfaces
5. Removable wedge for clamping onto flat surfaces
6. Rotating arm with stud (used to attach arm to clamp)
7. Carrying case with strap
8. Fiberglass stays will not bend, rust, or invert in heavy winds
9. Steel umbrella shaft and extension poles won’t bend or dent like aluminum.
10.Entire kit weighs only 2.5 pounds   

Silver Best Brella with Black Interior

The silver exterior with black interior reflects more UV and is better for those concerned about skin cancer. I think it also keeps you a bit cooler, but it is harder to see your paint colors. Some artists recommend only a black lined umbrella to keep the pupils open wider so that you can see more of the color in the landscape when looking out from under the umbrella; however, it’s harder to judge colors on your palette. If you’re painting in the bright light and heat of the Southwest, or at high altitudes, I’d recommend the silver/black.

Notice that less light comes through the lower canopy, but does not cast distracting shadows.

The Semi-Translucent White Umbrella If you’re painting foggy coastal or dappled light forest scene, I’d recommend the white. I call this white umbrella “semi-translucent” as it doesn’t let in quite as much light as a fully translucent umbrella, like a photo umbrella or the Soleil Travers French
Easel Umbrella. The white Best Brella has a white nylon upper canopy that lets in as much light as the Soleil or photo umbrella, but the lower canopy has a double layer of fabric that lets less light show through. You can see that in the photo to the left. I’ve tested it and the transition from translucent to semi-translucent (where the two canopies meet) does not leave any shadows or change in value on the painting or palette. I think this is because the light refracts (bounces around) so much within the white interior of the umbrella.

Best Brella Eliminates Dapples on Painting

White umbrella eliminates distracting dappled light.When painting in a forest with dappled light I find the dappled light on my painting very distracting and difficult to deal with. I put up
my silver umbrella and the shade was so dark, given that I was already in 90% tree shade, that it was hard to see what I was doing. The white umbrella was the perfect solution. The same is true for cloudy, foggy days, where there is still a lot of reflected light.

The white umbrella provides more light on your palette and painting, which some like. It’s really a matter of personal preference. Pastel painters may find picking the right pastel color easier with a white umbrella. If you find that  when painting with a white umbrella, your paintings turn out too “dark” when viewed indoors, then you should switch to black.