Astute visitors to KROMA's shop will notice that, over the past few years, we have introduced and steadily expanded our selection of Escoda watercolour brushes. As we expand our offerings to support artists to make their own watercolour paint, it makes sense for us to carry paint brushes for watercolour as well. An added bonus of many of these brushes is that, while they do have a shorter handle than typical acrylic brushes, most of them are also compatible with acrylics and useful for artists who prefer to work with a shorter handle.
The standouts in our ever-growing collection of watercolour brushes are Escoda's beautifully designed travel brushes. These brushes are not only beautifully designed and constructed, but also incredibly convenient for working on the go. Whether you're painting plein air, or simply visiting another studio, having brushes with a removable cap that doubles as a handle just makes sense. Read more to learn about the Escoda travel brushes we carry at KROMA
Versàtil Synthetic Kolinsky Sable Round Brush
This was the first of Escoda's travel brushes that we added to our collection at KROMA. Like its name suggests, Escoda's Versàtil brush series is incredibly versatile. It's softness and absorbency mirror genuine Kolinsky sable at a fraction of the price and with added durability. In fact, many artists find that the Versàtil series outperforms its natural counterparts, illustrating the fact that synthetic paint brush fibres have come a long way since their clunky beginnings.
Soft and supple, Escoda's Versàtil round brush has the absorbency of a mop while still holding a point for detail work. For watercolour artists, this could well be the only brush you need. This brush is suitable for acrylic work as well, though it likes a softer body than we typically produce at KROMA. If you want to use this brush with KROMA acrylics, we recommend diluting them somewhat to achieve a lower viscosity.
Versàtil Synthetic Kolinsky Sable Filbert Brush
Like its round sibling, Escoda's Versàtil filbert is highly useful for watercolour artists, and could be used to create an entire painting. Filberts are famously versatile. Their width allows them to be used for washes and broad strokes, while their fine points allow for finer detail work.
Barroco Gold Toray Round Brush
Escoda's Barroco series is one our favourite brush fibres at KROMA. The perfect combination of softness and spring, this brush can take a beating and hold its shape. While it doesn't hold as much paint as the Versàtil series, it makes up for this in its ability to hold a point, making it a powerful detail brush. The Barroco line also makes a fine acrylic brush, as its spring and strength give it the ability to stand up to a heavy body paint.
Prado Synthetic Red Sable Bright Brush
Like Escoda's Barroco series, the Prado series is soft, yet springy, giving it an incredible ability to hold its shape. Unlike the gold toray, however, this synthetic red sable is designed to match the effects of natural hair. To achieve this, Escoda uses three different sizes of brush fibre to mimic the variety found in natural red sable hairs. The end result is that this brush, while soft and pretty smooth, will create varied marks not unlike those made with natural hair brushes. The Prado series is also appropriate for use with acrylics.
Like the filbert, the bright brush shape is ideal for washes and broad strokes. The flat end and corners can also be used to make smaller marks, so a skilled artist could make use of this brush to create an entire painting.
Prado Synthetic Red Sable Rigger Brush
Unlike the other travel brushes KROMA carries, Escoda's Prado rigger is highly specialized. Designed for fine line work, the Prado rigger is exceptionally powerful for lettering, highlighting, and (as its name suggests) painting long, straight lines like sailboat rigging.
Perla White Toray Dagger Brush
Escoda's Perla white toray fibre is a high quality nylon, and is considered one of the finest synthetic brush fibres available. Soft yet springy, this fibre has an uncanny ability to hold a point while wet. It is suitable for use with both watercolours and acrylics.
Like the rigger, dagger brushes are pretty specialized. Specifically, they are ideal for line work of varying widths, tear-drop shapes, and botanical shapes such as leaves and petals.
While KROMA doesn't yet carry every travel brush manufactured by Escoda, we feel that the selection we do carry packs a major punch in terms of versatility. For painters who like to take their supplies on the go, there simply is no more practical brush.
Happy painting!
