Natural squirrel 'cat's tongue' (pointed oval) — soft washes from the belly, fine lines from the point.
The Raphael Skywash 903 is a natural squirrel brush in the classic French "cat's tongue" shape — a pointed oval, also sold as a pointed filbert. It is really three brushes in one: lay a broad, streak-free wash with the flat of the belly, medium strokes with the side, and fine lines and edges from the tapered point.
Built on soft Kazan squirrel hair, it holds a large reservoir of water and pigment for skies, backgrounds and graduated wet-in-wet passages — while the point gives it far more versatility than a plain flat wash brush.
What makes this brush special
Pointed-oval "cat's tongue" squirrel shape — belly for washes, point for lines. Exceptional water and pigment capacity for streak-free coverage. Extremely soft squirrel hair with no hard edge or spring. One brush that washes, strokes and lines.
Medium compatibility
Watercolour
Smooth flow for washes, controlled lines and fine points.
Gouache
Handles opaque water-based paint when thinned to a brush-friendly consistency.
Ink
Good for fluid inks; clean promptly after use.
Great for
Watercolour skies and broad background washes
Smooth gradients and atmospheric wet-in-wet passages
Fine lines and edges pulled from the point
Landscape watercolourists wanting streak-free coverage with versatility
Technique & use
Wash Application
Glazing & Blending
General Painting
Less ideal for
Precise miniature detail or controlled dot work
Thick paints, oils or acrylics
Drybrushing or scrubbing — soft squirrel damages easily
Painters who rarely lay large watercolour washes
Size chart coming soon — variant dimensions not yet populated for this series.
How to care for your brush
Squirrel is delicate — rinse gently after each session and never scrub or press hard. Clean with mild brush soap if needed, reshape the point, and dry it flat or in a brush roll, never crushed or bristle-down. Keep it away from harsh solvents and metallic paints.
