Expeditionary Art

Travel Brushes

Art Toolkit, Sketches around Town, Technique

I’m experimenting with travel brushes in my art kit.

Using my new brush, photo by Darin Reid

I’ve been playing with a couple of new tools in my art kit this weekend. After years of sketching with waterbrushes, which I love for their convenience and portability, I’ve begun to experiment with travel brushes (with thanks to Jane Blundell for the inspiration!). My first brush was a #3 Da Vinci Maestro sable which I purchased last spring. It’s great fun to use and I love the fine tip, but sable brushes are no longer readily available in the US due to the recent import ban. Wanting something larger, I recently discovered the Silver Black Velvet #8 voyage series travel brush at Daniel Smith in Seattle.

Travel brushes, Silver Black Velvet is 7" wide open, 4.25" closed.

The brush is wonderful! The mix of squirrel and synthetic hair is lively, and holds a great amount of pigment. I’ve been using it with a tiny 0.25 oz water container that I found at REI which slips easily into my Art Toolkit. For working small, this works surprisingly well.

Waterbrush, travel brush, and tiny water container

These sketches were all completed using the Black Velvet brush. The Montlake Cut was especially fun, I love seeing so many people out enjoying the water. My husband caught the scene on video using the new Instagram Hyperlapse app. Happy September!

8Comments

Stacy
I couldn’t agree with you more about the Silver Black Velvet #8 travel brush. I recently got one myself and I feel like my searching for the right travel brush is over. The brush is so fantastic in how it holds and delivers paint, and the point is so sharp. The #8 is just the right size for my on location sketching. A photo of my brush and the first sketch I made with it: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stacycreates/14833764311/
Maria
Thanks for sharing, Stacy! Great to see your sketch, this brush is going to be a mainstay of my field supplies.
Irene
Always love your posts and seeing your sketches. Would love to be able to purchase an original one day. (Dreaming). Love that small container idea. How do you fill it? Does it leak when filled with the cap closed?
Maria
Thank you, Irene! My waterbrushes don’t seem to leak. The small container also seems watertight, but I usually empty it out after using it.
SusanA
Hi, Maria. Do you have a link for this travel brush? My searches come up empty.
Maria
Hi Susan, Jerry’s Artarama appears to have them in stock, the Silver Black Velvet Voyage series. http://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/brushes-and-palette-knives/watercolor-brushes/silver-brush-watercolor-brushes/silver-brush-black-velvet-voyage-brushes.htm?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping&gclid=CMfc19ekjMECFYhefgodX0wAbQ
SusanA
Thank you so much, Maria!
Beverly Minyard
I like that you pointed out the portability of watercolor both in brushes and pallets! My wife and I are going on a tour of Italy in a couple of months and I want to take the opportunity to work on my from-life painting skills. I am definitely going to invest in some travel art supplies for this trip!

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