Silver Brush Limited BV-3057S Black Velvet Short Handle 3pc Stroke Set, Mixed Filament Brushes with Very Soft Tips, Professional Artist Painting Set for Watercolors, Gouache, Dyes & Silk Painting

I love these brushes! I was a little nervous at first, because the oval wash brush had some hairs sticking out from the side on arrival, and I have never seen a high-quality brush do that unless it had been missed handled in an art store. I worried that maybe I had been sold knock off brushes. But I suspect that it might just be because of the way that thing “cat’s tongue“ style brush had been cut, and maybe it’s harder to keep every single hair stuck in place with with the gum Arabic binder. The other brushes and said in the set didn’t have this issue. Once I wet the oval wash brush and rinsed it out, it was fine, and when I shaped the brush into position before I let it dry afterward, it looked perfect after drying.The bushes held plenty of water, and using the old wash brush was a dream! Pairing this brush with some new high-quality engram watercolor paints and 140 pound, 100% cotton after color paper, I finally got the flowing, magical washes of color that I see on so many YouTube tutorials.I liked that the mix of real squirrel hair with synthetic Weslo I see so many YouTube tutorials.I liked that the mix of real squirrel hair with synthetic Risslon fibers Give me just the right blend of water dispersion and control. I didn’t think I would like to paint with real squirrel hair (and at this point I still haven’t), because I didn’t think I would like the floppiness of real squirrel, but I really wanted brushes that would hold a lot of water. This brush held it’s shape (without the strong “snap back” of a full synthetic, while delivering plenty of water. It was so wonderful that I now think I’d like a couple of 100% squirrel brushes, at least for washes.I will try to update the review with a little more on the performance of the brushes. But comparing them side to side to the Master’s Touch golden taklon brushes that I got at hobby lobby, which are a good price for the inexpensive price and came recommended by Steve on the “Mind of Watercolor” YouTube channel (as did these Silver Brush Black Velvet brushes, which are some of his favorite), the Black Velvet are so much better and totally worth the money.I would say even a new watercolor artist would be better off buying this set of three then to buy 20 of a nice-but-less-expensive brushes. And you can do most of the things you need with this set. In fact, the tips are so sharp on the wash and the number eight round brush that you almost don’t even need the liner brush. The tips are super pointy and amazing! Much better than any of the other brushes I have, including my less expensive liner brushes.I can understand if you are brand new to watercolor and aren’t sure if you will stay with it, you might not want to spend this much. In that case, I would recommend one or two Master’s Touch golden taklon brushes from Hobby Lobby to start. Their Masters Touch art supplies go on sale for 50% off at least once a month, wait until then. A round brush (#8 or #6 maybe) and a 3/4” or 1” oval wash. Start with those, and if you like watercolor, then get this set (the one with the oval wash, liner, and #8 round). But if you can afford this set, start with it. If you start with bad paper, paint, or brushes, you might give up, thinking that the problem is you when it’s actually your supplies, because that almost happened to me.

I use these round brushes every week in my watercolor class, especially the #4, #6, and #8. I really like their pointed tips which allow me to paint thin lines as well as wide, no matter which width I use. They hold lots of color (the #8 could almost be used in place of a mop, it holds so much paint), and clean up well. I haven't lost many bristles (only a few in the beginning, which is normal), and the brushes hold their shape. They are expensive if the brushes are bought separately, but this package is the best price you can get for these brushes.

Before I got these brushes, I was worried that they might be nice to paint with, but that they wouldn't last, or that I would have to baby them. The first statement is an understatement. They are fantastic watercolor brushes. They hold an enormous amount of water. They keep their shape and come to a very nice, fine point. Even the middle-sized brush, which is very versatile can get some respectable line work done with the fine point, but it also is good for washes. The large one is a great big mop, excellent for larger washes. The fine one is essentially a rigger, but the bristles aren't quite as long as other riggers I've had, which frankly I think makes it easier to work with.So for the resilient part, I have a story to tell. The first time I was painting with this set I had my pre-school aged son painting with his set of ikea watercolor at the same table. While I was still getting my supplies together I look at him and to my horror, he has my brand new fine squirrel hair brush and he is in the process of scrubbing his page with it. By the time I noticed there were hairs pointing at 90 degrees going out from the ferring in all directions. I calmly took it and reformed the point. The hairs stuck right back into their original position and I have never had a problem with that brush, it's totally usable for line work. I don't recommend you do the same, but the story should demonstrate that these brushes, in addition to being very high quality, can definitely stand up to normal use.

I really enjoy using Silver Brush Limited Black Velvet watercolor brushes for my projects. The four-piece set is reasonably priced for such a good quality product. The bristles are soft and are great for painting large and fine details. I highly recommend these brushes.

I love these watercolor brushes. The bristles on smallest brush weren't fully cut so I cut them apart with a small blade. Although pricey I didn't feel like returning them so I cut them myself and it works fine.

First time trying this brand and I LOVE them. They’re what I have been searching for. I am a watercolor artist and also have daVinci brushes & Princeton Neptune, both Sable hair bristles. They’re not bad, but this brand is everything I’ve been looking for.It holds a sharp point that is great for fine details- at almost any size brush- so you can start with a larger brush and see how you like it. I ended up buying 2-10, which I don’t regret. I use every size regularly. It’s helped up my game for sure!The brushes hold an amazing amount of paint, but doesn’t flood the paper and offers great control. It has sturdy bristles great for scrubbing off a mistake or blending again after drying & rewetting, but reforms instantly to go right back.The wide brush is a great investment for creating smooth washes, rewetting quickly and uniformly, and also lifting off excess paint or water quickly & efficiently.The value is excellent since you don’t really need to worry about every size from the beginning. I find the size of the handle comfortableI definitely recommend this product and the other brushes in this line! Enjoy & happy painting!

Lovely brushes. I am enjoying the nice points and water retention.