Princeton Aqua Elite, Series 4850, Synthetic Kolinsky Watercolor Paint Brush, Travel Set of 4

Took this Princeton Elite Travel Brush brush set to a plein air watercolor landscape week long workshop in Colorado. Had previously bought and was greatly disappointed in a Richeson brush set with very short handled but poor quality thin and spindly brushes. The Princeton synthetic sable Brushes were as good as my real Kolinsky sables, liked them very much, hold a good amount of water and bend and flex as I like. The #4,6,8 and #10 rounds are more than adequate as I rarely took more than a couple of brushes with me. With the larger selection, I did use 3 of them at a go. Used a thick rubber band to hold the case flat/together in my mini back pack. Magnets hold the case flap down, but did not want to take a chance on other items jostling it open. The case size is small enough for a pocket, handbag etc.The protective caps turn into handles for the brushes. The case folds open to hold the brushes in a upward sloping fashion or a flat on a level and they are easy to use in either position. After returning from the field, it is important to uncap and clean brushes and let dry in the opened case at days' end. Back home, used these for zoom class yesterday= convenient but also great quality. I know I will keep using the set for field work (next week!) and classes. Much better than the travel set up I rigged previously with existing brushes and a clear plastic sleeve meant for something else. I also tend to take too much to class so nice to have a 'grab and go" choice I can feel great about.

I bought two and they have replaced all of my other plein air brushes. I use them occasionally in studio. They feel sleek and well balanced. These are the first synthetic kolinsky I have used. I usually use sable and squirrel synthetic and natural. For the price, this brush is superior. It holds water and color and has plenty of bounce. I don’t review until I use it for some time so I can see how it holds up. It is holding up great! It is well worth it.

Until you've tried painting with this watercolor travel brush set, you won't know how different this set is. What I love about them is the versatility - the bristles hold just the right amount of water, have just the right amount of tension, and maintains a lovely point. So, when traveling, you don't need to bring a soft brush and a stiffer brush, or this and that brush - this set can pretty much do what you basically need to paint with watercolor. The metal case has a hole at the end so no worries about waiting for the brush to dry after rinsing. You need to wet the brush anyway before storing so you can keep the bristles together into a point to easily place inside the metal rod that serves as the handle while painting. For studio painting, I would have bought the studio version, however, they don't come in a round brush set, so I got this one instead. BE WARNED: Each of the brushes SHOULD have a good point at the end of the brush. Do NOT take anything less than the Princeton quality brush as they promise. My set came with one of the brushes without the expected brush point so I returned it for a replacement.

Excellent spring and snap. Maintains a sharp point. Holds a lot of water and paint (not as much as my natural Kolinsky brushes but almost as much). Kolinsky Sables (weasels) are now a threatened species and their fur can no longer be imported into the US. (Brush makers are allowed to sell their existing stock but can't import anymore.) I am moving away from my Kolinsky sable brushes to synthetic Kolinsky. The quality of these brushes makes that an easy choice. I also like that this is a "travel" brush - that is the brush tip comes apart and inserts into the hollow handle for traveling. It makes it easy to put the brush in a box with my other art supplies and keeps the tip protected. When it's not broken down for traveling, the handle feels really good in my hand and feels good to paint with. My only complaint is that I can't seem to find this brush in a smaller size. The way this brush keeps a point I can do pretty detailed work, but I'd like to find a smaller size.

I bought this set because I am already familiar with the regular aqua elites, which I like because they hold a decent amount of water and are not too soft or too stiff. I also bought these brushes because of their price. These brushes are the same as the regular elites in terms of the hair quality and hair length but I think I got a defective set or a returned set that was sold as “new”. Size 4 brush felt used as it did not have the protective gum and plastic like the others and it is not as pointy even after shaping the point with the gum arabic. This is the reason of why I lowered the rating. Additionally, the same brush handle is really loose which causes it to fall off when handled vertically but it is easily fixed by taping it. The rest of the brushes feel brand new and they fit really tight, which may be an issue as well depending on the person. Build quality: The build quality of the handle is great, having used the neptunes travel brushes as well I like the metal on the neptunes a bit more. As I said before, only one brush is loose and flimpsy. Compared to the neptunes, the neptune handles are easier to open and close due to the texture. The elites are hard to open when you have a dry hand due to their matte texture which makes it hard to get a grip. Compared to other travel sets from other brands such as the escodas, the escoda travel brushes have a slightly better handle quality and are easier to open without being too loose. The escodas also offer bigger sizes, up to a size 16 with more variety of hair types. Unfortunately the Escodas are really expensive in America, while in European stores they sell for about the same price. In conclusion: great travel set for the price, $53 although I was a bit dissatisfied with the #4 brush. Buy the Neptune travel set if you want a glossy metal handle and softer synthetic squirrel brushes. The aqua elites are synthetic kolinsky and are more springy and easy to control. I’d also like to see a size 12 and 14.

This is a great brush! Not only is it great for travel, but it’s an overall great brush.

Princeton is one of the best brands on the market. It's not the most expensive, but rivals the more prestigious brands for quality, and longevity.

Useful brush portable brush with springy tip.