Da Vinci Colineo Brushes Reviewed After 6 Months of Portray

Final 12 months we printed a evaluation of the brand new Da Vinci Colineo Watercolour Brushes and we had been requested to supply a comply with up evaluation, to offer suggestions on their situation after a number of months use within the studio. Lisa Takahashi and Julie Caves examined the Da Vinci Colineo brushes to be used with watercolour, oil and acrylic and listed here are their ideas now.

Left: Lisa Takahashi’s Da Vinci Colineo Brushes
Proper: Julie Caves’ Da Vinci Colineo Brushes

Lisa Takahashi

I’ve owned a Da Vinci Colineo Spherical Dimension 8, Flat Dimension 12 and Flat Dimension 4 since final August, and have used them on a near-weekly foundation for watercolour portray. For a lot of this time I used to be working a weekly watercolour class and doing the occasional demo, and located myself reaching for these brushes with growing frequency, particularly the flats.

High: Da Vinci Colineo Flat Dimension 12
Backside: Da Vinci Colineo Spherical Dimension 8

I’m vulnerable to working with brushes lengthy after they’ve misplaced their crisp form, so these brushes have held big enchantment, due to their actually sharp edges which assist to create a painted floor stuffed with vitality and dynamism. I really like layering sq. ended brush marks and seeing all of the crisp shapes conversing and intermingling with each other.

As with all my watercolour brushes, I are inclined to rinse them in a jar of water all through a portray session (by no means leaving the comb within the jar), then on the finish of every week I’ll take them to a faucet and provides them an excellent wash with a brush cleaning soap. Taking a look at them a bit nearer now I see a number of the outer hairs are beginning to splay out a bit on the bigger flat, however I’ve used it closely (not only for gentle strokes but in addition for extra vigorous ‘scrubby’ marks throughout a sheet of tough watercolour paper) so I might have anticipated them to have seemed extra worn to be sincere. The spherical continues to be in immaculate situation, with common however not heavy use after 6 or so months.

The Flat Dimension 4 is within the worst situation, and it’s because I used it for an oil portray fee, and I wanted to finish the portray to fulfill a deadline however didn’t fairly have the suitable dimension oil portray brush! I used to be rinsing the comb in Gamsol in a metallic brush washer, and the comb head might have made some contact with the bottom of the metallic pot when rinsing. Consequently the form of the comb was misplaced in an hour or so of utilizing it with oils.

So I’ve learnt my lesson; these brushes are finest saved for watercolour solely and have to be handled with light care. I’m a convert although and after I had the oil portray incident I did really feel compelled to purchase one other brush in precisely the identical make and dimension. I really like them not solely due to the crisp marks they’re able to but in addition as a result of the deal with may be very comfy within the hand and appears lovely. It’s undoubtedly a high quality made brush.

Learn extra by Lisa Takahashi on Jackson’s Weblog

Julie Caves

Final 12 months I spent about 60 hours portray a 120 x 150 cm acrylic portray on stretched canvas, over a 3 week interval. I used a brush for the portray that I had by no means used earlier than.

If I’m portray in acrylics thickly like oil, I typically use oil brushes like Jackson’s Akoya. Generally I exploit a brush for acrylic paint like Jackson’s Shinku, Jackson’s Onyx, or Professional Arte Acrylix. If I’m portray in a extra fluid approach, utilizing water and matt medium to make the paint fluid, so a bit extra like watercolour, then I often use watercolour brushes. My two favorite brushes for this are Jackson’s Icon and Professional Arte Prolene Plus. For this massive portray I attempted a brand new brush, the Da Vinci Colineo. I used a Spherical Dimension 8 and a Flat Dimension 12.

High: Da Vinci Colineo Flat Dimension 12
Backside: Da Vinci Colineo Spherical Dimension 8

All the brushes I’ve talked about listed here are made with all artificial bristles besides the Icon which is a mix of particular artificial fibres with sable. The Colineo brush is designed as an artificial alternative for a sable brush. I feel it’s a bit too springy to really feel fully like a sable, however it’s mushy and a very good watercolour brush. A fast notice concerning the dimension: the Flat Dimension 12 is 12 mm extensive, which is a Dimension 6 in some flat brushes and a ½ inch in some flat brushes. I consider a 12 as massive and this isn’t, so remember.

The Colineo brushes had been a pleasure to color with, holding a number of creamy, fluid acrylic paint, permitting me to color lengthy strains. The flat held its form properly and allowed me to color alongside edges cleanly.

After 60 hours of portray on a advantageous/medium textured, acrylic gesso primed canvas, being left in water throughout every portray session, and being completely washed on the finish of every session, the brushes seemed fluffy and fewer shapely then they did once they had been new. However that was how they seemed once they had been dry, I used to be happy to see that they reshaped properly when moist and I can nonetheless get an excellent crisp line and a easy end. They’ve held up properly and significantly better than another brushes have finished in comparable circumstances. The flat has not curled outward on the suggestions or splayed right into a wider form. The varnish on the handles didn’t cut up after being left in water.

Although not meant particularly for acrylic portray, the DaVinci Colineo brushes labored properly with fluid acrylic paint and have saved their form and spring after many hours of portray and lots of washings. They’re good high quality brushes.

Learn extra by Julie Caves on Jackson’s Weblog

Additional Studying

Introducing Da Vinci Colineo: Vegan Brushes for Watercolour

How Da Vinci Watercolour Brushes Are Made

Why is a Da Vinci Brush a Nice Watercolour Journey Brush?

Testing Jackson’s Kite Brushes: How Synthetic Kolinsky Fibre Compares With Natural Sable Hair

Store Da Vinci Colineo Brushes on jacksonsart.com