da Vinci Casaneo Series 498 Wash Brush
00
$18.29
Sale price
$18.29
Regular price
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Série 498
da Vinci Casaneo Series 498 Wash Brush
- Material
- Synthetic Squirrel (Synthetic)
- Shape
- Mop
- Handle
- Short
- Vegan
- Yes
- Best for
- Watercolour, Gouache, Acrylic, Ink
$18.29
Sale price
$18.29
Regular price
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Tuft Length
18.0 mm
bristle length
Belly Diameter
5.2 mm
widest bristle point
Total Length
185 mm
tip to handle end
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Vegan synthetic squirrel quill for large watercolour washes, backgrounds and loose fluid work — springs back to a point.
da Vinci have been making brushes in Nuremberg since around 1890 — a family firm that builds its own machinery rather than buying it in. Casaneo is their flagship synthetic line, and the Series 498 is the round quill wash brush from that range: a classic mop format, wire-bound into a plastic quill ferrule on a short, black lacquered wooden handle.
What makes it worth knowing about is the fibre. Casaneo is da Vinci's own crimped synthetic filament, developed to imitate natural Kazan squirrel. It carries a serious load of water and pigment the way squirrel does, and releases colour evenly right to the end of the stroke — but it adds something soft natural squirrel can't offer. Where squirrel tends to flop once it's wet, the Casaneo fibre springs back to a tapered point after every stroke. Being 100% synthetic, it's also fully vegan and animal-friendly.
In practice that means one brush covers a lot of ground: large flat washes and backgrounds from the belly, then a recovered point for finishing passes. It's built for watercolour, gouache, fluid acrylic, ink, calligraphy and silk, and it's a long-standing favourite among urban sketchers. There's more hair in these heads than the numbers suggest — a size 2 wash holds roughly what a size 8–10 round from a stiffer series would.
What makes this brush special
The feel is soft but never limp. Loaded, the belly swells with colour and lets go of it steadily rather than dumping it in the first inch of the stroke. Lift the brush and the crimped fibre gathers itself back into a tapered point instead of collapsing the way wet natural squirrel does. That combination — squirrel-like capacity with genuine spring — is what people notice first. It rewards a light touch and a tilted board, and it moves paint smoothly over large areas without streaking.
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.
Acrylic
Best with properly thinned acrylics, especially for detail and glazing.
Ink
Good for fluid inks; clean promptly after use.
Great for
- Large flat washes, skies and backgrounds where you don't want to reload mid-stroke
- Loose, fluid watercolour, gouache and fluid acrylic work, including urban sketching on the move
- Painters who want squirrel-style colour capacity without natural hair — it's fully vegan
- Ink, calligraphy and silk painting where a soft head with a recoverable point helps
Technique & use
- Wash Application
- General Painting
- Glazing & Blending
Less ideal for
- Tight, controlled detail work — a stiffer pointed round holds its point more firmly under pressure
- Dry-brush and scrubbing techniques that suit a firm bristle rather than a soft mop
- Anyone wanting a small, precise brush — even the lower sizes hold a lot of hair
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Units
/
| Size | Tuft Length | Belly Diameter | Total Length | Price | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | 18.0 mm | 5.2 mm | 185 mm | $18.29 | In Stock |
| 0 | 19.0 mm | 5.4 mm | 185 mm | $18.86 | In Stock |
| 2 | 23.0 mm | 7.4 mm | 190 mm | $22.49 | In Stock |
| 4 | 35.0 mm | 10.4 mm | 210 mm | $29.88 | In Stock |
| 6 | 43.0 mm | 15.5 mm | 240 mm | $52.96 | In Stock |
| 8 | 52.0 mm | 19.5 mm | 260 mm | $68.31 | In Stock |
Brush sizes are not standardised across brands — a Size 1 from one maker may differ from another. These brushes are handcrafted, so individual dimensions may vary by 1–2 mm.
How we measure a brush
A visual guide to the measurements shown in the size chart above.
These are the same measurements shown in the size chart above. Brush sizes are not standardised across brands, so use these dimensions when comparing brushes within a series or between manufacturers.
- Tuft Length
- The visible length of the brush hairs, measured from the ferrule to the tip.
- Belly Diameter
- The widest point of the brush head. On round brushes, this is the widest part of the belly.
- Total Length
- The full measurement from the tip of the brush to the end of the handle.
How to care for your brush
Load it fully and let the belly do the work on washes rather than pressing down. Flatten it against the rim of your water pot to bring the tip back to a point before a finishing pass, and work on a slight tilt so the wash pulls evenly. Rinse thoroughly after use, reshape the point with your fingers, and dry it flat or tip-down. Avoid harsh solvents — they aren't needed and will shorten the brush's life.
