da Vinci French Watercolour Wash Brush Series 418, Blue Squirrel Hair

da Vinci Series 418 – squirrel hair wash brush for soft watercolour gradients

The French watercolour brush series 418 from da Vinci is a wash brush made from blue Russian squirrel hair for watercolour painting. The hair absorbs a great deal of water and paint. You can use it for washes, to lay in large areas and to paint soft colour gradients. Choose the size from the options.

The hairs are held not in a metal ferrule but in a plastic quill wrapped with copper wire. This is the classic French construction. The short wooden handle is finished in natural lacquer. As the brush is made of animal hair, it is not vegan.

Working with the wash brush

First dampen the paper with clean water, for example for a sky or a background. The brush holds so much water that you can wet large areas in just a few strokes. Then pick up diluted paint and let it run together on the damp paper. This creates soft transitions without hard edges. A brush in a size that suits your format saves you strokes: choose a smaller size for small formats and a larger one for large areas.

Caring for squirrel hair

Squirrel hair is very soft and delicate. After painting, rinse the brush thoroughly in clean water, especially at the ferrule, and do not let any pigment dry on. Dried paint residue can make the hairs stick together and break. Leave the brush to dry lying flat and do not stand it in water with the hairs down for long periods.

da Vinci watercolour brush series 418 product details

• Manufacturer: da Vinci, series 418
• Brush type: round brush, French construction
• Hair: pure blue Russian squirrel hair, very soft
• Ferrule: plastic quill wrapped with copper wire
• Handle: short wooden handle, natural lacquer
• Use: watercolour painting, washes, wetting large areas
• Contents: 1 brush

You will also need: watercolour paints, watercolour paper, jar of water