Casaneo Watercolor Quill Brushes

Casaneo quills are luxurious, German-made watercolor brushes that lay down huge amounts of paint with exceptional control. A quill is a special kind of brush characterized by its extra-long hair, bound together in a plastic ferrule with wire coils. The biggest advantage of the quill construction is that the brush can hold much more paint than normal round brushes with tight metal ferrules. Quills are shaped with a wide "belly," the broadest part of the brush, and a superfine tip, so you can make strokes that seamlessly transition from thin to thick. And because there's so much paint in the brush each time you load it, these expressive strokes can be long and continuous.

The skilled brushmakers at Da Vinci craft each Casaneo quill by hand at the Da Vinci factory in Nürnberg, Germany, using traditional techniques that ensure each brush is truly artist-grade. The materials used for Casaneo, however, are decidedly high-tech. Rather than squirrel hair, which would be traditional for this type of brush, Da Vinci uses an advanced synthetic fiber that is more consistent, more durable, and completely cruelty-free. Casaneo fibers are wavy, like natural hair, so they match the absorbency and flow of squirrel without any of the disadvantages.

Casaneo quills are available in five sizes: 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Try pairing a small quill with a larger one for a versatile watercolor painting kit. Or try the pocket-sized Casaneo XS Sword Brush, which has the same high quality fiber but with a mini travel handle.

Looking for excellent German watercolors to use with your new brush? How about a custom set of Schmincke Horadam watercolors, made to your specifications?