Hi Kris. Jim from Madrid, Spain (a New Yorker expat living abroad). I would like to share my modest opinion on Escoda Brushes just in case it might help others (disclaimer - I personally have nothing to do with the company, it's just my personal opinion as a fellow artist). Escoda is an excellent company owned by the same family since early in the 20th Century and has been making brushes for many decades. Many famous artists (past and present) use them all the time. And yes, they are machine built and assembled or put together by hand (I went to the factory and it was amazing to watch). Their quality is amazing (for real) and the synthetic bristles are extremely good. One if the best things in my case is that since they are manufactured in Spain, prices are way cheaper than in the US (the opposite occurs with Princeton Brushes over here, for example). But I can certainly recommend them to anybody which wants professional artist grade brushes (synthetic or natural bristles) that do last a very long time if you take care of them (bristles don't fall out). My recommendation for watercolor is the following: Option line - is like a mop or quill. Holds tons of water and paint. Versatil - is the "work horse". With that brush you can do almost and just about everything. Perla - has and maintains a great point while also holding a good amount of paint. I use them better for more refined work and details. Prado - is best for detail work but holds a bit less water and paint than the Perla ones. Barroco - is also a work horse type of brush, similar to the Versatil but have a good point, though the Versatil is a bit better quality of bristles. I use Barroco also for final work and details. All of these brush lines have synthetic bristles and they last a very long time for sure if they are taken care of. Their travel brushes are one of the best ones I've seen and are the ones I use when I go plain air painting or urban sketching. They have a hole at the top of the metal cover that serves as the extension of the brush when open, to allow the bristles to "breath " and dry better if capped right after use (unlike other brands I've seen) which us great for maintenance. I also let them dry open when I get back home or to the hotel (etc.) so they finish drying good. Their travel brushes are also a bit thicker than the Silver Black or the Rosemary & Co. (for example) but I prefer them that way (the others seem to me a bit on the smaller side (but this is my personal taste, of course). I hope this comment may help others and I love your channel, Kris, and signed up a month ago or so (which is when I found you in RU-vid). Cheers from Sunny Spain! 😁👍😎
Hi Jim. Hey...thanks for your very thorough review of the Escoda brushes. I learned a lot! :-) I agree. The quality is amazing. I am planning to try out some of the other lines of brushes. Thanks for all the information. I appreciate it. ~Kris
This review is exactly what I needed. Thank you! I am also in Europe and, while I love Princeton Neptune, they are more difficult to find and are more expensive over here in my experience as well.
Oooooooh! Thank you for showing this set! This is perfect! They're all synthetic and you get one of each type of the most popular watercolor bristles ("squirrel", "sable", and the white toray synthestic). This way I can see which one of the bristle types Escoda makes I like the best and will be able to make better purchasing decisions in the future!
Thank you for your channel. I'm a true rookie when it comes to most forms of art and am looking forward to learning techniques of watercolor painting thru you. Peace to all!
I love Escoda travel brushes. I have the red and black travel sets. I really like the black set because you get a variety of brush types. I loved mine so much I have purchased some of their regular brushes. Thank you for reviewing these great brushes.
I ordered mine through Jackson’s in England. They were considerably less than ordering them from a U.S. store and they had a free shipping special for brushes at the time.
I have the escoda tamjyr sable travel brushes that i happened to get for right at 100 for all. They are awesome but i still use perlas for super fine detail.
Thankfully, living in Europe, we are able to buy these travel brushes singularly instead of in a set. A single Escoda brush costs less than $17.00 (depending on size and brush line) Princeton also sells the Neptune and Elite travel brushes singularly, but they run around $30 each. Just to let everyone know that you don't have to buy an entire set if you are interested in these travel brushes.
I have a set by Golden Maple. This set came with a nice leather pouch and if I remember correctly it was only around 20.00? I love the brushes and haven't had any issues as yet. Make no mistake, I am NOT a professional watercolor artist or any other for than matter. But I do love trying lol 💛🙏😊😊 btw I watch all your videos. 👍
Hmmm. Haven't heard of them. Is this the set? amzn.to/3JplYcv I'm glad you like the brushes. Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate it. Also...thanks for watching.
I've only tried the Blue set. I can't speak to the other two sets. You might want to consider some Princeton Aqua Elite or Neptune brushes. I have found them to be great brushes and quite a bit less expensive. I just use a simple canvas brush holder to bring the brushes out of my studio. Have a great day!!
I bought few years back princeton watercolour brushes...they are excellent...but they lost their tip very fast. I bought some cheap brushes...but never happy..including some princeton, bamboo brushes
Thanks for sharing your experience. The Escoda brushes are handmade. I've heard other artists say that they last longer than other brands. I haven't had my Escoda brushes long enough to test that theory. So far I am very happy with them. BUT, I also really like my Princeton Aqua Elite and Neptune brand brushes. They work very well for me and they are more cost effective than the Escodas. Use what works for you.
Kris I want your honest opinion about painting style of my favourite artist Louise de Masi on youtube. she paints (as no watercolourist!) in small sections of a large painting...yet everything falls together so beautifully. I like her style because i dont need to rush in painting with even large washes. What is your view on painting in small segments of a larger picture?
I think Louise's artwork is beautiful. She definitely paints in a realistic, highly detailed and careful manner. As a result, she can paint one section at a time, with great results. If you like that style, you should definitely adopt it. She has tons of videos you can follow along with. As for me, I prefer a looser, less detailed and more impressionist style. I also prefer soft washes that are placed under the other glazes of color. However, this style of painting cannot be achieved one section at a time. Neither style is right or wrong. You just have to find your preference and go for it. I wish you all the best in your watercolor journey. ~Kris
I find it’s easier to replace the caps without damaging the bristles if they are very slightly damp especially the outside bristles. So far it’s worked
Hi Wendy. I haven't had any problems damaging the brush when replacing the cap. Just reshape the bristles, so they come to nice point. Let dry. Then put on the cap. No problem. Have a great day.
I agree -- especially with the larger squirrel hair brush. You need to "tame" some of the outer bristles with water before putting on the cap or you can catch some bristles outside the cap. Thanks for sharing.
Kris, I need your suggestion..i have only 30-45minutes at the end of the day for painting...to continue art..i do pastels drawing mainly in this short time. However, I want to progress in watercolour...how could I use watercolour in this short time. for me just planning, thinking and doing watercolour needs more than 40minutes...Do you think you could paint in such short time? i lose continuity if I dont paint continuously for atleast 1-2hours
Yes. You can definitely do watercolor in 40 minutes. In fact, I think that is one of the greatest benefits of watercolor. It is fairly easy to set up and jump in. It doesn't take the same preparation as say, oil painting. I usually spend a maximum of 60 - 90 minutes on a painting. Anything longer and the painting starts to look "overworked." That is the nature of watercolor. I would also encourage you to work in a smaller format to begin with -- like 6"x9" or 5"x7" or 8"x10" maximum. Smaller paintings take less time to create. Have fun!
If I am out painting, I will cap them before putting them in my sketch bag. Then, when I return to my studio, I will rinse them and let them dry, without the cap, lying flat. When they are dry I cap them again....ready for my next painting session.
Princeton also makes a similar set of travel brushes. They are about 1/2 the price. I haven't personally used them. But I really like Princeton brushes. Just an idea, if you'd like this kind of brush. On Amazon at: amzn.to/43uJT1U
