Synthetic squirrel pointed mop for soft washes and wet-in-wet watercolour. Holds huge volumes.
The Raphael SoftAqua 805 is a synthetic squirrel-hair imitation pointed mop brush, designed for soft watercolour washes and wet-in-wet techniques. It mimics the incredibly soft, thirsty character of natural squirrel hair using advanced synthetic fibres, delivering huge paint capacity and gentle, flowing strokes.
Mop brushes are essential for large washes, skies, and backgrounds where you need to lay down a lot of water and pigment quickly without hard edges. The SoftAqua 805's pointed tip gives more control than a standard flat mop — you can create soft gradients, charge large areas, and still bring the brush to a point for directional strokes.
What makes this brush special
Synthetic fibres designed to replicate natural squirrel hair softness. Pointed mop shape holds huge volumes of water and pigment. Incredibly soft touch for gentle, flowing strokes. More control than flat mops thanks to the pointed tip.
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
Large watercolour washes and backgrounds
Wet-in-wet techniques where soft, flowing paint application matters
Charging paper with water before applying pigment
Painters who want squirrel-like softness without natural hair
Technique & use
Wash Application
Glazing & Blending
General Painting
Less ideal for
Fine detail work — this is a wash brush, not a precision tool
Controlled line work or edge highlighting
Thick paints or heavy pigment applications
Miniature painting at small scales
Size chart coming soon — variant dimensions not yet populated for this series.
How to care for your brush
Rinse thoroughly after each wash session. The large head holds a lot of pigment, so clean carefully until water runs clear. Reshape gently and store with the head protected. Synthetic squirrel fibres are durable but benefit from regular soap cleaning.
