Goodness thank God finally a video with actual use of those brushes. Watched a dozen in a row videos about watercolor brushes types and none of them actually showed what they really do, those brushes. All talk and dry information. Like show them in action. Like here. Thank you!
I have a set of these and I reach for them more then any other brushes. I love the smooth almost rubbery feel of the handles and the bristles have just the right softness and just the right spring back for me. No need for Sable.
I am new to watercolor, and didn’t appreciate the differences in each hair type and how they would behave. Thank you so much for all this helpful info and demonstrating the versatility of the Aqua Elite brushes. I got several Neptune brushes at first and enjoy them, but purchased an Aqua Elite 12 Long Round after another TH-camr (The Mind of Watercolor) suggested it. The brush is amazing! I reach for it almost universally for everything from medium washes to finer details.
I just bought some of these a few months ago and oh my! They are fantastic brushes. I’ve never been able to afford sable and I think maybe these brushes are the next best thing. They hold a ton of water, they hold an extremely fine point, they have a little snap but not too much. Everything I was looking for.
I just purchased 2 of these brushes New Year’s Day, at Michaels. I had some gift cards, or I probably wouldn’t have spend that much of my own $! All I can say is that painting with these brushes, compared to painting with my same ol’ run of the mill brushes I’ve used for decades, is remarkable! Now, I don’t just enjoy What I’m painting only, I’m really enjoying how it FEELS to paint! Love these brushes!!
I agree. I like to use a combination of these stiffer brushes with a nice set of the Princeton Neptune, which mimic squirrel hair and are much softer. I tend to use the softer brushes first, for the initial loose wash....then move to these stiffer brushes for the finer detail. Glad to hear you like them. Have a great day.
Oh, thank heavens. I just splurged on my first AE and when l saw the headline "Watch before buying", l thought l'd made a bad mistake. Feeling relieved. :)
@@KrisDeBruineStudio No worries, and it did catch my attention, didn't it? First lesson l learned was to use the best paper one can afford, and the second is that good brushes also hasten the learning process. Thanks! ❤
I decided to buy a few of these brushes. I’m just beginning and I like them very much but being a beginner I don’t know what I don’t know. How would you compare the Aqua Elite to the Silver Black Velvet line of brushes? TIA
I have used both the Aqua Elite and the Silver Black Velvet. The brushes are quite different -- kind of like comparing apples and oranges. AE are made to mimic Sable. They are fairly stiff. The Silver Black Velvet are a mix of natural squirrel and syntheic squirrel. Therefore the SBV brushes are very soft. So they would be used very differently. I encourage my students to have BOTH - soft squirrel and stiff sable brushes. The only thing I didn't like about SBV is that the handles are lacquered/painted and the paint tends to chip off after time. That doesn't happen with the AE brushes.
Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear that. I assume you are laying them flat as they dry. And not setting them tip down in the water can?? I haven't had any problems with misshapen brushes. But I do follow some strict rules, such as those above. I wish you all the best in your watercolor journey!!
Love your videos and how you explain your process, rather than just watching a fast forward like a lot of people do. Just wondering out of the Aqua Elite and the Black Velvet you previously recommended, which would you say is your favourite today?
Hi Adrian. Thanks for watching. As you've probably noticed, my supplies and preferences have changed over time as I have evolved in my practice. While I still like the Silver Black Velvet brushes and can still recommend them heartily, I have mostly switched to Princeton brushes. Having said that, I would probably not compare the Black Velvet to the Aqua Elite. They are two different classes of brushes. The Aqua Elite mimics a Sable brush. It is stiffer. The Black Velvet uses a combination of real and synthetic squirrel hair, which makes it MUCH softer. I use squirrel hair brushes for big washes and sable brushes more for details or smaller washes where more control is required. In the Princeton brand, the Neptune series is their squirrel-like brush. I LOVE those too. So, I'm using mostly Princeton but have LOTS of different brands in my studio. Hope this helps.
@@KrisDeBruineStudio Thank you so much for your quick reply, that is so helpful. So many people rave about the Silver brushes but I do have squirrels so I think the Elites are what I need for my work. Once again thanks!
@@KrisDeBruineStudio Actually I ended up getting a couple of Escoda Versatil as they were easier and cheaper to buy in the UK and I can thoroughly recommend them. From reviews they appear to be very similar in performance to the Elites. Even tho I ended up buying a different brush, opinions like yours are always appreciated when making choices!
Good to know. I'm glad you found something to work for you. I have considered the Escoda brand, but they are very expensive here in the US. Happy Painting!
Thank you for the review. I have been reading people's reviews on aqua elite series brushes, and some say this particular line loses the brush tip pretty quickly. Did you have any experience like this? How is your brush holding up?
Excellent review. It makes me want to go our and buy one. Unfortunately, I have way too many brushes already. I just bought the Da Vinci cosmotop spin #20, #16 and #6 brushes. These aren't synthetic kolinsky. We have a lot in common. I am a retired teacher who is now a professional artist. I love your videos.
Hi Judy. Very nice to meet you. Thanks for leaving a comment. I too have too many brushes. But they are fun to collect. You never know when you'll find your new favorite. :-)
Hi Ryla. I would recommend Princeton Aqua Elite for detail work. The Aqua Elite brushes are made to mimic Sable brushes which are stiffer and hold a point better. By contrast, the Silver Black Velvet brushes are a mix of real and synthetic squirrel hair, which is much softer. Hope this helps.
Raphael 803 and Isabey series 6234 Squirrel Quills, are THE best you can get. Princeton is 3 to 4 brands, after the best, Raphael,Isabey, Da Vinci, Escoda etc Don't get me wrong, Princeton is a really good brand, however, they are not as good, as the brushes I mentioned.
Not everyone can afford the Raphaël or Isabey brushes, especially those of us starting out and painting for fun or because our fingers have itched to do so all our lives 😉 Brushes seem to be priced differently around the world. I have one Aqua Elite so far and am waiting to splurge on a quill brush. I'm still debating on which brand for the quill. Any thoughts? Next up is really good paper because I've been told that I have talent. Who knew!
It all depends on what you paint mostly,that will determine what brushes you need.If you want the classic Quill mop, for painting skies on landscapes,wet on wet etc, the Raphael 803 with natural squrrel is the best option.Then a best seller,that many people use from the synthetic category, is the Da Vinci Casaneo 498 Quill. that in No2, is a dream to use! If you live in the States, then Princeton is the best brand, that you can build a set of brushes from. Silver Black Velvet series, are also a famous brush in the USA. Here is a video, that will help you even more: th-cam.com/video/d0TdNweGEpw/w-d-xo.html@@Lea-zf7lm
Goodness thank God finally a video with actual use of those brushes. Watched a dozen in a row videos about watercolor brushes types and none of them actually showed what they really do, those brushes. All talk and dry information. Like show them in action. Like here. Thank you!
Glad I could help.
I have a set of these and I reach for them more then any other brushes. I love the smooth almost rubbery feel of the handles and the bristles have just the right softness and just the right spring back for me. No need for Sable.
I agree.
I am new to watercolor, and didn’t appreciate the differences in each hair type and how they would behave. Thank you so much for all this helpful info and demonstrating the versatility of the Aqua Elite brushes. I got several Neptune brushes at first and enjoy them, but purchased an Aqua Elite 12 Long Round after another TH-camr (The Mind of Watercolor) suggested it. The brush is amazing! I reach for it almost universally for everything from medium washes to finer details.
thanks for watching and sharing
I just bought some of these a few months ago and oh my! They are fantastic brushes. I’ve never been able to afford sable and I think maybe these brushes are the next best thing. They hold a ton of water, they hold an extremely fine point, they have a little snap but not too much. Everything I was looking for.
I completely agree. Thanks for watching!!
I just purchased 2 of these brushes New Year’s Day, at Michaels. I had some gift cards, or I probably wouldn’t have spend that much of my own $! All I can say is that painting with these brushes, compared to painting with my same ol’ run of the mill brushes I’ve used for decades, is remarkable! Now, I don’t just enjoy What I’m painting only, I’m really enjoying how it FEELS to paint! Love these brushes!!
No, they are better than sable because animals didn't suffer for them.
My Aqua Elite #20 just came in & love these brushes! Thank you as can see it has a great point for its size!
Great to hear!
I have the #20 and just bought the #6! I love them
I agree. I like to use a combination of these stiffer brushes with a nice set of the Princeton Neptune, which mimic squirrel hair and are much softer. I tend to use the softer brushes first, for the initial loose wash....then move to these stiffer brushes for the finer detail. Glad to hear you like them. Have a great day.
I bought the 8, Quill 6 and Oval Wash. I really love these brushes. Great review
Wonderful. Thanks for the feedback. I LOVE these brushes. Painting with them right now in my studio!! :-)
Thanks for the review! Going to give these a try
Hope you enjoy!
Oh, thank heavens. I just splurged on my first AE and when l saw the headline "Watch before buying", l thought l'd made a bad mistake. Feeling relieved. :)
Oh no. Sorry to scare you. All is well. You chose a great brand of brush!! I use them all the time. :-)
@@KrisDeBruineStudio No worries, and it did catch my attention, didn't it? First lesson l learned was to use the best paper one can afford, and the second is that good brushes also hasten the learning process. Thanks! ❤
Thanks for sharing your "aha" moments with others.
I decided to buy a few of these brushes. I’m just beginning and I like them very much but being a beginner I don’t know what I don’t know. How would you compare the Aqua Elite to the Silver Black Velvet line of brushes?
TIA
I have used both the Aqua Elite and the Silver Black Velvet. The brushes are quite different -- kind of like comparing apples and oranges. AE are made to mimic Sable. They are fairly stiff. The Silver Black Velvet are a mix of natural squirrel and syntheic squirrel. Therefore the SBV brushes are very soft. So they would be used very differently. I encourage my students to have BOTH - soft squirrel and stiff sable brushes. The only thing I didn't like about SBV is that the handles are lacquered/painted and the paint tends to chip off after time. That doesn't happen with the AE brushes.
My favorite brush.
Yay!
@@KrisDeBruineStudio The day after this I got access to a liquidation sale. Got 7 new Aqua Elites for a really good price.
Great!!
Love my 6 and 12 however the six has developed a hook and it’s only 2 months old. 😫
Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear that. I assume you are laying them flat as they dry. And not setting them tip down in the water can?? I haven't had any problems with misshapen brushes. But I do follow some strict rules, such as those above. I wish you all the best in your watercolor journey!!
Love your videos and how you explain your process, rather than just watching a fast forward like a lot of people do. Just wondering out of the Aqua Elite and the Black Velvet you previously recommended, which would you say is your favourite today?
Hi Adrian. Thanks for watching. As you've probably noticed, my supplies and preferences have changed over time as I have evolved in my practice. While I still like the Silver Black Velvet brushes and can still recommend them heartily, I have mostly switched to Princeton brushes. Having said that, I would probably not compare the Black Velvet to the Aqua Elite. They are two different classes of brushes. The Aqua Elite mimics a Sable brush. It is stiffer. The Black Velvet uses a combination of real and synthetic squirrel hair, which makes it MUCH softer. I use squirrel hair brushes for big washes and sable brushes more for details or smaller washes where more control is required. In the Princeton brand, the Neptune series is their squirrel-like brush. I LOVE those too. So, I'm using mostly Princeton but have LOTS of different brands in my studio. Hope this helps.
@@KrisDeBruineStudio Thank you so much for your quick reply, that is so helpful. So many people rave about the Silver brushes but I do have squirrels so I think the Elites are what I need for my work. Once again thanks!
You are very welcome. Let me know what you think of those Aqua Elites.
@@KrisDeBruineStudio Actually I ended up getting a couple of Escoda Versatil as they were easier and cheaper to buy in the UK and I can thoroughly recommend them. From reviews they appear to be very similar in performance to the Elites. Even tho I ended up buying a different brush, opinions like yours are always appreciated when making choices!
Good to know. I'm glad you found something to work for you. I have considered the Escoda brand, but they are very expensive here in the US. Happy Painting!
Thank you for the review. I have been reading people's reviews on aqua elite series brushes, and some say this particular line loses the brush tip pretty quickly. Did you have any experience like this? How is your brush holding up?
Mine are holding up well. But thanks for asking the question. Maybe I'll do a video on that topic. :-)
Mine are holding up well. But thanks for asking the question. Maybe I'll do a video on that topic. :-)
Wow!
Thanks!!
Excellent review. It makes me want to go our and buy one. Unfortunately, I have way too many brushes already. I just bought the Da Vinci cosmotop spin #20, #16 and #6 brushes. These aren't synthetic kolinsky.
We have a lot in common. I am a retired teacher who is now a professional artist. I love your videos.
Hi Judy. Very nice to meet you. Thanks for leaving a comment. I too have too many brushes. But they are fun to collect. You never know when you'll find your new favorite. :-)
what is better for detailing silver black velvet or princeton elite?
Hi Ryla. I would recommend Princeton Aqua Elite for detail work. The Aqua Elite brushes are made to mimic Sable brushes which are stiffer and hold a point better. By contrast, the Silver Black Velvet brushes are a mix of real and synthetic squirrel hair, which is much softer. Hope this helps.
@@KrisDeBruineStudio what size do you recommend when im working on a 10 in by 7in watercolor paper?
@@rylaashley8157 I don't usually paint that small. But I would suggest you try Round Size 6, 8 and 10.
@@KrisDeBruineStudio oh okay thank you for replying 😊💞
Raphael 803 and Isabey series 6234 Squirrel Quills, are THE best you can get. Princeton is 3 to 4 brands, after the best, Raphael,Isabey, Da Vinci, Escoda etc Don't get me wrong, Princeton is a really good brand, however, they are not as good, as the brushes I mentioned.
Yes. I have some Escodas. They are great. I haven't tried the other brands.
Not everyone can afford the Raphaël or Isabey brushes, especially those of us starting out and painting for fun or because our fingers have itched to do so all our lives 😉
Brushes seem to be priced differently around the world. I have one Aqua Elite so far and am waiting to splurge on a quill brush. I'm still debating on which brand for the quill. Any thoughts?
Next up is really good paper because I've been told that I have talent. Who knew!
It all depends on what you paint mostly,that will determine what brushes you need.If you want the classic Quill mop, for painting skies on landscapes,wet on wet etc, the Raphael 803 with natural squrrel is the best option.Then a best seller,that many people use from the synthetic category, is the Da Vinci Casaneo 498 Quill. that in No2, is a dream to use! If you live in the States, then Princeton is the best brand, that you can build a set of brushes from. Silver Black Velvet series, are also a famous brush in the USA. Here is a video, that will help you even more: th-cam.com/video/d0TdNweGEpw/w-d-xo.html@@Lea-zf7lm
Kris I love how you get right to the meat of your video without 5 mins of talk that really adds nothing. I am such a bottom line person, lol.
Hey. Thanks for the encouraging feedback. I agree with you. :-)
thats a fat brush!!
Yes. That Round #20 is the largest Aqua Elite brush I have. I love it.