DA VINCIWatercolor Brush Set 4227A2 - Series 490 Casaneo Quill Liner 2 Brush Set with Sizes 0 & 2

I have painted for 15+ years, and my primary medium is watercolor. I'm not a huge fan of acrylic or oil because they are finicky, require a lot of cleanup, cost a lot of money, or the drying time is a hassle (either too long or too short). I like to do watercolor both indoors and outdoors (plein air).These are what I would call a step or two above student grade--maybe professional although the real top-tier ones are made of real Kolinsky sable hair instead. They are a great gift for a painter in your family (please stop buying us the cheapest stuff at the store, it's useless to us and we still have to pretend like we're ecstatic about it) as they are high quality and probably something they would love to have but it's a "splurge" they can't justify. The length of the hairs lets you hold a lot more water and pigment, and the fibers are very responsive and give you a finer control over your strokes. It's like driving a BMW vs. just a plain old beater Nissan you got for under 20k new. It can make a 0.1 mm line (if your hand doesn't shake) or a 1 inch wide stroke, depending on how you use it. It's very versatile and suitable for all sorts of landscapes, detailing, small washes, etc. If you are skilled, they can also be used to do lineart.Please do not use these brushes for acrylics or oils, that's like using your finest Japanese kitchen knife to cut through a cinder block. These are best suited for watercolors, and you should clean them right after painting. Do NOT sit them up in your jar of dirty water, since that will soak into the glue in the ferrule and then the wood, and then it will all crack and the hairs will fall out. If you are switching between brushes while you paint, just rinse one out, dry it on a paper towel, and lay it out by your side while you use the other.Also, the clear ferrule is just very attractive in terms of design. Not sure if you care about it but I do. It's a mark of higher worksmanship.Hope that helps!

I own many watercolors brushes. Till now, my favorite softer brushes are Princeton Neptunes, which are synthetic squirrel. But these da Vinci Watercolor Casaneo Quill and Liner brushes are superb! They not only hold water and paint, the release it very evenly, which a lot of brushes claim to do but these actually do it.The Quill brush is great for smooth washes - skies, water, or anything where you don't want streaks in the first wash. It also holds a point very well, so you can paint even lines for quite a while before needing to reload. THe Liner is nice, and while it's quite thin - it IS a liner, after all - it holds and releases paint very well so you can line for longer.These are soft brushes, so be aware that you may have to use your fingers to point them after you clean them. That's true of a most or all soft brushes, whether they're natural and synthetic.While this set is pricier than any of my other brushes, I must say they're worth it. I had one other da Vinci Casaneo brush, but it wasn't a size and shape to let me experience these brushes to their full potential. The Quill in this set is perfection - people always say their favorite brushes hold a lot of water and paint and release it evenly, but these brushes really deliver. They're an absolute delight to paint with, and alongside a couple of my favorite synthetic sable round and flat brushes (and one vintage Kolinski) which are a bit stiffer, I'm in watercolor heaven.

These are now probably my next favorite brushes next to my Black Velvet Dagger Stripers and Black Velvet Voyage Travel brushes. Hopefully they will hold up, and I can get many a good years out of them. Very smooth and have the feel of really nice quality Japanese style calligraphy brushes.

These brushes are hands down the BEST I’ve ever had when it comes to watercolor painting. Excellent quality and they hold paint exceptionally well. Pricey, but well worth the cost of your a serious painter.Easy 5 stars

Its hard to believe these are synthetic! They hold water very well and have a nice snap back to them. I love the variety of lines you can achieve. I can see why brushes like these are so popular with urban sketchers, they achieve a lot of character!I am a professional artist and while it’s very personal, at the advice of an old teacher I try to use as few brushes as possible when I work because it helps me gain a good instinct for how to use the tool without thinking. I find I make my best work that way, so I love a brush like this that can do thick and thin well. I’m impressed at how much it can hold and how it snaps back to a point when used. I also like to carry only a few with me so theres less chance of losing it! I paint small, so these sizes are perfect. A good brush is worth its weight in gold!They hold a lot of paint and can go far--the quick sketch of the tiger was done without dipping the brush! It's a little like holding a calligraphy brush, and is very responsive. I’ll need to practice with it, I hope to update this review with a picture or two!This is a great gift if the artist in your life enjoys watercolors or gouache. These aren’t really for oils or acrylic though, which would gunk it up with time.