da Vinci Watercolor Series 418 Petit Gris Pur Paint Brush, Wash/Mop Pure Russian Blue Squirrel, Size 3/0

I have five da Vinci Pure Blue Squirrel brushes. (while I'm at it, I should mention that I have one Raphail, One Winsor Newton, and two Isabey Pure Squirrel brushes. (If I find one on sale, I pawn one of my grandkids to buy it). Truly, it is the Pure-Blue-Squirellishness of them that is most remarkable. I had been told they were worth the price and held more color (or water) than any other brush. I should, and will, measure the difference in capacity. But on sight, holding two brushes in a glass of water and then squeezing the water into empty paint pans, I was shocked to see a whole lot more water from these beautifully made Pure Blue Squirrel brushes. One interesting note: no matter how heavy the load of color in the bristles, they don't drip. Getting the color to flow requires touching the tip to a surface.Aesthetics: As an artist, you'll benefit from the physical look and feel of da Vinci's Pure Blue Squirrel brushes. The handle shapes and lengths have a wonderful feel. All the brushes in this series have beautiful hand wound bindings, da Vinci 418-5 Pure Blue Squirrel Quill-Petit Gris Pur Watercolor Mop and high lacquer sheen and sloping shaped handles. Holding one in your hand is soooo nice.I won't say that these brushes completely eliminate the need for a rigger, mainly because I don't have a broad enough experience to make such a statement. But I can tell you that I don't have to find a different brush to complete exquisitely tiny detail. The bristles come to an excellent point, and that point can hold a lot of color.Let's see... what else? Oh! The way the brush bristles feel as you stroke it onto paper. I don't know how to explain the difference between this and sable or this and squirrel with most excellent synthetic fibers. It feels more flowey.I've heard that they don't hold up as long as sable or synthetic/squirrel mixes. I don't know that to be true. Frankly, I don't care. Not that I'm rich. I have to save up to get these brushes. Makes them just that more a joy! Art is more than creating a product. It is being present for the creation, These brushes enrich that experience.

It's delightful painting with this brush! Feels so good in the hand, and the small size of the brush makes this keep its shape more than I'd expect from a squirrel brush. Holds water well, has a nice point and a plump belly. This is an amazing brush for the price! Get it while you can at this low price. It's more than worth it!I have a small Isabey travel squirrel brush. I thought that since it was such a small brush it somehow necessarily sacrificed quality.Not so! This brush is very well made. Not a travel brush, but it has become my go-to brush when working on smaller pieces.I've included two photos. One when it is dried naturally, and another when wet.I have three of these. One of the brushes came to me damaged. I found it hard to believe that a paint brush, particularly with soft hair, would be mailed without any protection.The brush was pressed against the box so that the hair had an L shape to it.I thought it was ruined, but luckily I was able to get it back into its proper shape and working for me as it should.One of the advantages this brush has over other squirrel hair brushes I have is that the hairs are arranged perfectly, with a plump belly and a sharp tip.Being that it is small in length, the brush keeps its shape more than my larger squirrel hair brushes.It performs perfectly, and better than I expected.The way it holds its shape seems halfway toward what you'd get from a sable brush and the usual squirrel hair brush.I've never had one work so well for me than this one.I don't think you'll be disappointed.

This #2 squirrel mop brush is excellent for watercolor painting. It arrived on time and was well packaged. It holds a lot of water and pigment and is easy to use and maintain. The real squirrel bristles should hold up for a long time. I've already used this brush for a few weeks, and I am very happy with it.

I purchased this brush because I wanted to splurge to experiment with a natural hair brush.This brush is great. It holds water very well. I like to use this to cover large areas in inks or dilute the ink with water. It's great for carrying color and water, so for me it is great for laying ink lightly over previous color to make it deeper.I also got a set of Zem cat tongue brushes which was 3 for a few dollars more than the price of this, but I will say there is something great about those in their own right (value and holds more pigment better) but this brush is worth the price especially if you are using them for watercolor.I bought the round brush in the size 4 and am considering getting a smaller brush or a different type of brush to experiment with.---- With all that said, the way this brush was packaged annoyed me to no end. It came in a huge box by itself, no protection for the bristles so some came out, and it was stuck under the bottom flap of the box. The brush retained shape once I wet it and put some conditioner on it. I cut a straw in half to protect the bristles from now on. I have noticed it sheds every so often, but I use it to paint on wood, which I am not sure if it is rougher on the brush, so I think that is worth taking into consideration.Besides the way its packaged (or lack there of), the product is great. I highly recommend it.