da Vinci Travel Series 1573 CosmoTop Spin Watercolor Brush, Round Synthetic with Protective Case Handle, 1

I decided to try the da Vinci series 1573 travel brushes after being impressed by the series 1503 Maestro watercolour travel brushes which I have been using for years.The 1573 series are marketed as Cosmotop Spin while the series 1503 are known as the Maestro. Cosmotop Spin uses synthetic hair while the Maestro uses Winter Siberian Kolinsky red sable hair.The brush body is made of black hard plastic, while the part holding the hair is made of metal. It's a portable design where you can collapse the brush, and the cap will protect the brush tips. At the cap's tip, there's a small hole for ventilation.They 1573 series are available from sizes 1 to 12. I typically use either size 4 or 6 for sketchbook sizes of A5 to A4.The synthetic brush tip is firm, has a nice springy feel to it, and can maintain a sharp tip. It can also hold a lot of water.The downside is, synthetic brush hair is not as flexible as sable brush hair. With sable hair, you can remove most of the water when you flick the brush in a snapping movement. You know like how some animals would shake off water from their hairy bodies? The purpose is so you can use the dried point to collect extra pools of water on your watercolour paper, or when you want to mix new colours. I tried flicking the synthetic brush and it is not easy to get rid of the water.Sometimes I would use a water loaded sable brush to transfer some water to the mixing pan. When I tap the sable brush tip to the surface, a good amount of water will come out. When I do the same thing with the synthetic brush, not a lot of water comes out that way. So while the synthetic brush does hold a lot of water, it's not easy to get the water out for purposes I've just mentioned.As for painting, well, it's a terrific brush, and is comparable to sable brush. It can do washes or details depending on your brush size.If you're just starting out, or learning watercolour, it's fine to get the da Vinci series 1573 Cosmotop Spin watercolour brushes. They are good compact travel brushes.Personally, I would recommend the Maestro over Cosmotop Spin. The 1503 series Maestro watercolour brushes might be more expensive, but they are just better.

I've wanted to try da Vinci's travel brushes for years and finally bought a size 5. It arrived very poorly packed -- the capped brush was loose in a box with no protective packaging or filler and was wedged up under one of the bottom box flaps. If it had been a regular brush it would have been damaged. Thankfully, it was fine in no small part to the travel style's protective ruggedness. I'd take one star off for poor packaging except the error proved the brush was durable. I want to try the regular Cosmotops but will look elsewhere for a retailer who knows how to properly pack brushes.Off the bat I'm impressed with the spring of the brush. It holds a good amount of water though nowhere close to natural sable, squirrel, etc. Comparing it to my Cheap Joe's Legend Kolinsky the bristles are stiffer (they are synthetic, after all) but in a pleasantly responsive way. I like the durable black plastic handle setup better than the shiny brass the Legend and Versatil's have. I hope it holds it's point for a good while as it seems ideal to pair with my mini watercolor sketching kit.In reading reviews about problems with the points being splayed: for what it's worth, when quality brush manufacturers like da Vinci (i.e. W&N, Escoda, Princeton, etc.) ship brushes to retailers watercolor rounds are *always* starched to a crisp point and most non travel brushes are capped with protective plastic sleeve to protect the bristles. I see them fresh out of the box from those companies at our store. If out of the box your brush looks splayed and fails the water snap test something is definitely not right!

I find this brush to be a bit heavy and awkward. It is nice that the handle screws on but it adds weight and bulk which I feel, interferes with the joy of the painting process. Also, this brush in no way “performs like natural hair”. It performs more like a really good Taklon brush. It does seem to do a better job at even pigment release than some other synthetic brushes but does still tend to pigment dump at the beginning of a stroke like most synthetic brushes do. If you are looking for a good quality synthetic travel brush, this may fit your needs just don’t expect it to perform like a natural hair brush. I have included a picture of the brush next to my Escoda Reserva so show the bulk and bristle differences. The third picture is a paint out showing the pigment release (Natural hair on top, this brush on bottom).

This is a well designed, well manufactured travel brush, that I would recommend for portable watercolor kits.It is the sturdiest travel brush that I've used (I prefer that the pieces thread together, as opposed to the more common socket type connections often used in travel brushes), and it's nicer than other synthetics which I've tried. I plan on buying at least one other in a smaller size for finer detail, and maybe a larger one for washes.This brush holds a point nicely, wets easily and holds water very well, the pieces of the handle thread together firmly, and everything feels solid, like it will last for years. It fits perfectly in a travel watercolor set. There is even a small hole at the end of the cap that allows the brush to dry even when capped.

By far one of the best brushes I've ever used. It's definitely going to be a staple in my kit for a long time to come. Great price for the size, heavy duty great quality plastic which means it's light weight. Very travel friendly. Synthetic so no animals harmed/involved. Really important for me. Holds a lot of water and glides smoothly. All in all a great brush. 100% would recommend. Great size for the price.

Works great, holds water and gives a nice thin line, body is made of plastic but does not feel cheap, has a nice weight to it. Hangle is also confortable. The brush folds into itself with a screw. Very compact. 9 cm in length and 1 cm wide. Has a little hole for air. Very nice brush if you can get it on sale!!

the picture is after one test in water. the hair won't stay together by itself. I have to use the masters brush cleaner to keep its shape after washing it. and the brush is too small, good for travel but really not so comfortable to use.

Disappointing for the price, the brush does not have a sharp point, it's very blunt. The sable hair is beautiful, though, and holds a lot of colour, and it's convenient travel package, but frankly, the Escoda brushes are much cheaper and MUCH better. I've been a watercolour artist for more than 10 years, and I have many sable brushes, but I won't buy this again.

Used brush whilst away on holiday and it performed well.