da Vinci CASANEO 490 watercolour brush & calligraphy brush, extra long

da Vinci CASANEO 490 – long rigger brush for watercolour and calligraphy

The CASANEO 490 from da Vinci is a round brush with an extra long hair length for watercolour and calligraphy. The extra soft synthetic fibres run into a long, shaped point. They hold plenty of paint, so you can paint fine lines, floral motifs and details in a single stroke without constantly reloading.

The brush is traditionally bound with wire. This makes it more springy than standard rigger brushes and gives you more scope for watercolour and lettering techniques. It sits in a plastic quill on a short, black-lacquered handle. It is available in sizes 0 and 2; choose your size from the options.

Working with the long rigger brush

The long hair length holds a lot of paint. This lets you draw long, even lines such as tendrils, stems, grasses or fine branches. Thin the paint so that it flows well, roughly like thin ink. Paint that is too thick is hard to control in fine lines with the soft hair. For calligraphy, you control the stroke width with pressure: light pressure on the tip produces hairlines, and more pressure makes the stroke wider. Practise flourishes and transitions on a test sheet first.

Which size?

Sizes 0 and 2 differ in diameter. Use the smaller size for very fine details and small formats. The larger one holds a little more paint and suits longer lines and larger motifs. After painting, rinse the brush in clean water, reshape the point and leave it to dry lying flat or hanging tip down, so that the long point does not bend.

da Vinci CASANEO 490 product details

• Manufacturer: da Vinci, series 490 CASANEO
• Brush type: round brush with extra long hair length (rigger)
• Fibres: extra soft, springy synthetic fibres
• Binding: traditional wire binding, set in a plastic quill
• Handle: short, black lacquered
• Sizes: 0 and 2
• Contents: 1 brush

You will also need: watercolour paint or ink, water, watercolour or calligraphy paper