It isn’t every day you find a watercolour brush that carries the legacy of three generations of artisans along with it. However, the Escoda Último Evolution 1933 is one such brush. With its extensive water-holding capacity to cover large, sweeping washes and its sharp, defined tip that easily handles crisp lines and fine detail, it was clear from the moment I picked up the Último Evolution that this was no simple, ordinary paintbrush; but that it was also an extraordinary piece of fine art equipment.
About the Último Evolution 1933 Brush
The Último Evolution synthetic watercolour brush has been designed in collaboration with renowned artist Joan Coch, and it’s easy to see the hand of a master in every aspect of this brush’s design. The synthetic bristles of this round mop have been designed to mimic the water-carrying capacity of the more traditional squirrel hair watercolour brushes, and the unique ferrule design with its intricate hole pattern allows even more water to be absorbed and retained by the brush; up to 50% more than a standard Escoda Último Round Mop Brush, which is impressive to say the least. The handle is crafted from birch wood and is light, elegant, and ergonomically designed to rest easily in the hand. There is also a small, flattened edge on one side to allow the brush to be placed on a flat surface without rolling: a thoughtful touch.
About Escoda
The high quality of this brush should come as no surprise to those already familiar with the Escoda brand. According to their company web page, their legacy began in the autumn of 1933, with their founder Josep Escoda Roig; and now, 85 years later, this Barcelona-based company has amassed a vast wealth of history when it comes to producing high quality fine art materials. The first generation established the business foundations with the creation of a machine to realise the grooving of the brush’s ferrule. The second generation improved the process by using its world-renowned triple groove process, and the third generation introduced something entirely new: the beautiful and practical perforated ferrule we find on the Último Evolution. So, what better name for this new brush than the 1933; a brush that carries the combined legacy of three generations of creators?
My First Impressions of the Escoda Último Evolution 1933 Brush
The Último Evolution arrived thoughtfully packaged to prevent damage in transit, and elegantly presented in a smart white cardboard box with helpful information printed on the reverse about both the brush and the brand. I was trying out the size #20 brush, and despite its size I found it remarkably light. I did worry at first that I would find it unwieldy, however I soon became accustomed to the ergonomic handle design and found the flat edge an incredibly useful feature for the times when I had to put the brush down in order to change my water. The wooden handle is relatively short and a rich, burnished black-brown colour. The silver ferrule with its hole pattern is both attractive and functional, with the bristles bound in place by a triple crimp; and in all honesty, I simply couldn’t wait to get to grips with it.
Testing the Escoda Último Evolution 1933 Brush
For my first experiment, I decided to try a few simple lines and washes. The traditional rounded mop shape combined with the tight point promised excellent versatility, and I was excited to test the Último Evolution’s water-carrying capacity. I already own a couple of regular Escoda Último Round Synthetic Mop Brushes and use them regularly in my day-to-day painting practice, so I was interested to see how this new one would compare.
The Último Evolution held and delivered plenty of paint and water in a controlled manner, easily creating broad swathes of colour. I must admit to being thoroughly impressed by the water-carrying abilities of the synthetic bristles, and despite being unable to quantify precisely how much extra water this brush could carry, I found that it was able to retain far more paint than both of my regular synthetic mops, and even more than my natural squirrel-hair brush. I was able to paint in long, sweeping strokes without having to continually return to my palette to collect more paint. This is a very useful quality in a watercolour brush, as I found it gave me more control over the richness of paint in my washes; because I wasn’t continually needing to dip back into my paint and water, and therefore I wasn’t risking altering the colour and clarity of my wash by potentially introducing different concentrations of paint.
The fine detail point on this watercolour brush did not disappoint either. When used with care, the Último Evolution delivered the paint in a controlled, precise manner from the pointed tip, allowing me to create beautiful calligraphic marks as well as flat areas of colour. This came as a surprise to me, as I would ordinarily switch to a smaller size of brush to place detail into my paintings; however, the Último Evolution handled delicate work with a precision I did not expect. This was another huge plus point for me, as I dislike having to switch between different sized brushes while trying to paint quickly and loosely in watercolour.
Further Thoughts on Uses and Mark-Making
Much as you’d expect from a traditional squirrel-hair brush, the bristles of this synthetic mop brush are very soft and lack spring, which at times can make it a little awkward to control. However, the soft bristles are also excellently flexible, and the precise tip combined with the rounded belly is a formidably versatile combination, as it offers the user the ability to create a wide variety of shapes in a single stroke.
This capacity for different mark-making means that the Último Evolution is suited to a wide variety of painting styles. I can attest that it is ideal for loose landscape painters, with its large water carrying capacity, and would even suggest that its versatility would make this brush an ideal addition to a plein air painting kit. In terms of simply being a really excellent, useful watercolour brush, I believe the Último Evolution would excel when used in most styles of watercolour painting, including botanicals and portraits; I would also suggest that it would be especially useful to the abstract artist as well, where the ability to move seamlessly between a wide stroke and a fine, crisp line would be a great advantage.
In fact, I only had one issue with this brush, which occurred when I tried to paint from my small set of half-pan watercolour paints. The size of the brush’s belly meant that when I went to pick up colour from one pan, I occasionally ended up picking up a touch of the neighbouring colour as well – obviously, this is not ideal! However, after noticing this issue, I began to take more care when pulling colour from my half-pans, and I found that when I slowed my pace, and focussed on using the brush tip more than the large belly, I had no more issues with this; so, it seems likely this problem was more down to user error than any quality of the brush itself. I also tested the brush with my watercolour tube paints squeezed onto a palette and had no trouble picking up my desired colours.
I loved the versatility of this brush. It was a joyous thing to use, and I found myself getting quite carried away while testing it; so much so, that for a little while I forgot that I was supposed to be conducting a review, and simply spent some time merrily painting. To me, that is the best sign of all; the Último Evolution felt like a natural extension of my hand. The synthetic fibres which have been designed to imitate natural squirrel hair are more than up to their task, carrying an impressive amount of water and paint, with a beautiful softness that makes painting with this brush a smooth and enjoyable experience.
Further Reading
The Development of Synthetic Brushes
A Family Matter: Handcrafting Brushes
Review of Michael Harding Professional Watercolours
Brush Cleaning Tips for Painters
Shop Escoda Último Evolution 1933 Watercolour Brush on jacksonsart.com
Thanks for the review. I think this is a brush I
should seriously consider adding to my
tools.
Folks, I can’t seem to find this brush on your
website for sale? Tried the link you’ve
provided it doesn’t help?
Hi Diane, I’ve double checked the link and it links without issue… Try this one: https://www.jacksonsart.com/escoda-ultimo-evolution-synthetic-round-mop-size-20. If you’re still having trouble, let me know.
As soon as I read “synthetic”, I was
tempted to stop reading. However I
continued.
I have collected a lot of brushes in my
seventy six years, and synthetic bushes
have never come up to the standard of
even cheap squirrel.
So after looking at the samples in the
article, I’ll be sticking to my Kolinsky Sable
brushes. Yes they’re very expensive, but
you get what you pay for.
I look forward to the day when brushes made
with animal fibres are no longer made. It’s
heartening that companies like Escoda, Da
Vinci and even Jackson’s brushes have
invested in R&D to produce fine artists
brushes that perform as well as, or even
better than their “born of cruelty”
counterparts. I hope that artists who are
stubbornly sticking with animal hair brushes
(perhaps through bad experiences with
synthetic brushes of times yore) will
consider making the switch. This looks like
a lovely brush, both aesthetically and
practically.
This Ultimo Evolution brush looks
amazing. Think this is just what I need.