A gift to myself to use water brushes less often.
I recently bought myself the Golden Maple Travel Paint Brush Set to use in place of my water brushes. I wanted to be better able to control the amount of water I used when I painted.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Travel Set Contents
I bought the Golden Maple Travel Paint Brush Set online from Amazon.com for $18 USD. The set is minimal and consists of the following:
Leather case/pouch
Three (3) round synthetic hair paintbrushes sizes 4, 8, and 12
The paintbrushes were stored in the leather case and individually wrapped in plastic. The leather case was also wrapped in plastic. I mentioned this because some people hate plastic waste used to package products.
The leather case has the Golden Maple logo and name embossed on the flap. The maple leaf is easy to see and recognize. The name is not embossed deeply enough and barely legible. This doesn't bother me. In fact, I'll probably attempt to laser engrave my own design onto the case one day.
The paintbrush shells are primarily aluminum. The halves that consist of the paintbrush heads have a touch of wood with the size engraved onto it. The shells feel sturdy, but only time and travel would tell how well they hold up to packing pressure.
Assembling and disassembling the paintbrushes is quick and easy to do. It's just a matter of untwisting paintbrush head from the main aluminum shell, flipping the paintbrush head away from the shell, and retwisting the two parts together to make a full-length paintbrush.
What I Like About This Set
At the time of writing this post, I've only used the set once. However, my first use as an amateur painter was positive!
I bought this set to encourage myself to use water brushes less often when I'm out and about. Water brushes, while convenient for doubling as a water storage container, are difficult to control.
Sometimes too much water flows from the bristles of a water brush. This isn't ideal for most paintings, especially for more detailed work. It's impossible, at least with the brands I've used, to dry the bristles completely if I wanted to dry-lift paint off the paper.
This travel paintbrush set gives me the benefits of traditional paintbrushes with the ability to store the paintbrushes within their own shells for damage-free bristles. If I wanted to do a wet wash on the paper, the bristles are absorbent and holds water well. The best part is being able to dry the bristles completely to dry-lift paint off the paper or before storing it into its own shell when I'm finished painting.
Using these paintbrushes required me to have a separate cup/container of water. I already pack at least one water bottle and a small plastic cup in My Daily Travel Art Kit for the park. Needing these additional items to use my new paintbrushes isn't a bother to me.
I bought myself collapsible silicone travel cups with lids that I'll start packing in my daily travel art kit. It would hold a lot more water and take up less space when collapsed compared to my old plastic cup.
The only negative I experienced was a moment when I lost a loose strand of bristle. It was the only strand I lost during my painting session. Otherwise, the bristles on all three paintbrushes seemed to be held into place well.
The leather case is nice. The paintbrush shells fit within the case snuggly. However, I don't believe I'll always use the case, especially when I head off on an extended vacation away from home. It's an extra item that's not necessary since I don't have to worry about damaging the bristles while packing.
My Thoughts
Overall, this is a great set for an amateur like me. They're significantly better quality than the cheapest paintbrushes you can get at many retail stores. They may be a good option for intermediate painters as well.
Unfortunately, I don't know if they're considered professional quality. I'm an amateur and have only used cheap paintbrushes I've been gifted over the years. If it's helpful, they're rated 4.8 out of 5 stars (255 ratings at the time of writing this post) on their Amazon listing page.
Personally, I'm very pleased with this set. I'll continue using these when I'm out and about. I can't wait to take them with me on vacation!
What's Next?
Next week, I'll share my journal design theme for May. Check back then to see what it is!
Comment below to share your favorite paintbrush brands to travel with.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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